The first place you start to get fat isn't your stomach — it's actually this body part, and it causes a surprising side effect
'When you have too many calories and you overflow your fuel tank, the first fat that grows is inside your body, you can't see it,' Dr. William Li, a physician and food scientist, said on a recent episode of 'The Mel Robbins Podcast.'
Where it starts to build up first might surprise you — and for some, it's enough to cause trouble in the bedroom.
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3 Dr. William Li appeared in an August 21 episode of 'The Mel Robbins Podcast.'
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'When you gain weight and start to grow extra body fat, one of the first places that it grows is in the back of your tongue,' Li said.
Unlike the flexible tip or the strong, muscular middle, the base of the tongue acts like a 'big fat pillow,' he explained, helping chewed food slide down into the stomach.
But this area is also a prime target for visceral fat — the hidden kind that builds deep inside the body. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which sits just under the skin, this tongue fat is nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye.
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Still, Li said there's a major red flag that could signal your tongue is packing on fat.
'The telltale sign is snoring or being startled when you're sleeping,' he said.
As you sleep, your tongue naturally relaxes — and if it's carrying extra fat, it can start to block your airway.
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'You wake up and you snort or you start to store,' Li said. 'This is what your bed partner notices.'
3 You might spot weight gain in your stomach, thighs, or rear — but it usually starts deep beneath the surface.
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Science backs it up. Studies have found obese people with obstructive sleep apnea — a dangerous disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep — have significantly more tongue fat than those without it, especially at the back of the tongue.
That could help explain why obesity is considered a top risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, which affects about 30 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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And while it might sound harmless, the condition is no joke. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health consequences, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, cognitive decline and even death.
@melrobbins
I couldn't believe Dr. William Li told me THIS is where you start gaining fat first… It doesn't start with your belly or your thighs… It starts with your tongue. 🤔 Yes, you read that right. Dr. Li is a world-renowned physician, scientist, and bestselling author with 30+ years of research on metabolism and health that has impacted millions of people. This episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast will completely change the way you think about weight, metabolism, and your health. Dropping Thursday, August 21st! 🎧 'Do THIS to Boost Your Metabolism, Lose Fat, & Feel Better Now With Dr. William Li.' #melrobbins #melrobbinspodcast #weightgain #fatloss ♬ original sound – Mel Robbins
But there's hope. In a 2020 study, researchers used MRI scans to examine how weight loss affected the airways of 67 obese patients who dropped just 10% of their body weight through diet or surgery.
Their sleep apnea scores improved by 31%, and the images showed that their slimmer tongues were the primary reason.
'In fact, the more tongue fat you lost, the more your apnea improved,' Richard Schwab, co-director of the Penn Sleep Center at Penn Medicine and lead author of the study, told CNN.
3 Visceral fat build up typically targets the back of the tongue, Li explained.
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Schwab and his colleagues believe that reducing tongue fat through weight loss could be a promising new way to treat sleep apnea.
'Most clinicians, and even experts in the sleep apnea world, have not typically focused on fat in the tongue for treating sleep apnea,' he said in a statement.
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'Now that we know tongue fat is a risk factor and that sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we've never had before,' Schwab added.
Even if you don't have full-blown sleep apnea, Li says new snoring or snorting during sleep can be an early warning sign of dangerous fat buildup — long before it shows on the scale or in the mirror.
Catching it early is crucial, since research suggests that preventing obesity is often easier and more effective than trying to reverse it later.
That's a big deal, because America's obesity epidemic is only expected to get worse. Right now, more than 2 in 5 US adults are obese, along with roughly 1 in 5 kids and teens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
I put an end to a decade of period bloating with this free dietitian service — it also left me more energized and less moody
New York Post may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Weight gain and bloating are pretty standard PMS symptoms, but that doesn't mean you should have to live with them. I'd been riding that rollercoaster for nearly a decade, and frankly, it was getting old. What concerned me was how there was almost nothing that I could do to control them. I felt like I'd tried everything: cutting back my salt and sugar intake, popping some purple PMS-relief gummies the Flo app sold me on and I even adjusted my workouts to align with my cycle, easing up during my luteal and menstrual phases. At some point, I finally gave up and bought myself a pair of jeans in the next size up so I could just stop fighting with the dreaded period bloat. I write about health and wellness for a living, and know that I'm fortunate that I've never dealt with intense cramps, headaches and other PMS symptoms that some women experience. But the water retention and weight gain, which always seem to hit the few days before my period, have been a constant struggle I could never seem to shake. That is, until I heard about Nourish, a telehealth site that connects users with a personal telehealth dietitian, mobile nutrition-tracking app, recipe ideas and plenty of other resources to help them hit their goals. Nourish set me up with a dietitian who specializes in the areas I was looking to optimize — women's health and weight stabilization. And just a few weeks after starting Nourish, I've already seen the proof it works. After a few meetings with my dietitian and a couple of weeks of implementing her advice, I'm already seeing that period bloat melt away. What is Nourish? Most Americans have insurance that covers working with a registered dietitian, but fewer than 1% utilize this benefit. Many also don't know that it exists (admittedly, I was one of these people). When Nourish launched in 2021, its founders set out to take on the broken U.S. healthcare system by creating a bridge to better care. In a nutshell, Nourish's overarching mission is to make it easier and more affordable for people to eat well and live longer, healthier lives. The type of support they offer depends completely on the person. When users sign up for Nourish, they can select their goals — whether it's to lose weight, improve sleep, build an exercise routine or eat more intuitively. Nourish pairs users with a registered dietitian for telehealth appointments and hyper-personalized, clinical care. But, beyond one-on-one health counseling, Nourish users can utilize a fleet of resources, including a mobile app that provides unique recipe ideas, a curated to-do list, AI-driven daily nutrition tracking and progress charts that sync with the Apple Health app. The best part about Nourish? Almost 95% of patients pay $0 out of pocket. The service is fully covered by insurance and available in all 50 states, which means there's really nothing to lose by trying it out. Signing up is simple, and after a quick questionnaire, you can choose your dietitian and set up your first appointment. My review I've been meeting with my Nourish dietitian every week, and have used Nourish's mobile app for almost three weeks. Since starting Nourish, I've been tracking my meals and leveraging Nourish's recipe idea section to select ingredients and cook meals that help my body during my cycle. Read on to see exactly how this personalized health service works. A typical meal I ate for lunch, per recommendations from my Nourish dietitian. Miska Salemann How Nourish works Signing up for Nourish was straightforward. Beyond standard steps like entering my insurance details and confirming my location, I answered basic questions about my current health habits, diet, and goals. The prompts were familiar — things like 'How many days do you work out on average?' and 'What's your typical vegetable intake?' There were also questions covering mental health, medical history and caffeine and alcohol consumption. Near the end of the questionnaire, users are prompted to select their specific goals. For me, that included managing PMS symptoms like bloating and weight stabilization, along with improving gut health and practicing intuitive eating. After that, I was presented with a list of available dietitians to choose from. If I wanted, I could have started sessions as soon as the next day — there was plenty of availability. I browsed the profiles and picked a dietitian specializing in women's health and weight management. Honestly, booking an appointment has never felt that quick or effortless. On my first call, which took place over Zoom, my dietitian introduced herself, spoke a bit about her background, and then opened up the floor to my concerns and goals, in which I quickly recounted the last decade of frustrating PMS symptoms, including everything from 'feeling like I gain give pounds overnight,' to 'becoming a whole different person the week before my period.' She nodded along, listened, and asked some more questions about my medical history and relationship with food. I told her it has been generally positive, besides the fact that I sometimes skip breakfast, crave too much chocolate, and skip the home-cooked meals in favor of whatever sounds good in the moment, especially the week before my period. During that introductory session, she said she would put together a list of meal recommendations that were packed with protein and healthy fats, which could help offset some of my sweet and salty cravings. She also suggested that I start tracking my food intake on Nourish's mobile app and incorporate more quick and easy breakfast ideas to avoid skipping that first meal of the day. Nourish After we finished up, I went ahead and downloaded the app and logged into my account. All my information was waiting there, right down to my to-do list, and a section where I could browse different recipe ideas. There's also a message channel, where users can connect to their dietitian if they have any questions or need to reschedule their appointments. I'm not someone who follows recipes to the T, but I did spend some time browsing for inspiration. This isn't the place for your basic chicken-and-rice dish — my daily recommendations included everything from sesame salmon and asparagus with nori, to baked fennel and chickpea mayo. You can also filter by dietary preferences and allergies, which makes it easy to find meals that actually suit your needs. Mostly, the recipe recommendations helped convince me that I could whip something together from my own kitchen, rather than resort to a late-night Uber Eats order. My dietitian did make it pretty clear that some of my PMS symptoms can be exacerbated by eating a diet high in processed foods and sugar (ie, whatever I order when I'm eating out or ordering in). For the next few weeks, I tried to limit my consumption of artificial coffee sweeteners, vegetable oils, and carb-heavy dishes. Every time I had a craving, I reached first for a protein snack — something like a bag of Quest Chips or a scoop of peanut butter. Originally, I'd imagined that I would end up still eating that sweet treat I wanted, but I was surprised to discover that a quick hit of protein did fill me up. Nourish Over just two weeks, I got pretty consistent with AI-powered meal logging, and it paid off. The Journal tab in the app makes it easy: users can snap a photo of their meals or jot down a quick description, and the app takes it from there. It scans the ingredients and automatically logs everything into your daily nutrition tracker (that includes calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber and even hydration). The feature is surprisingly intuitive, and I found myself making better choices almost without thinking. Part of it was the gamification; filling the rings each day felt like closing my Apple Watch activity goals. But it also came down to accountability. My dietitian reminded me that managing PMS isn't just about the week before your period — it's about building healthier habits throughout the month. Just two weeks into the process, I'm already seeing results. My weight typically fluctuates by three to five pounds the week before my period. But this month, that didn't happen. I also felt more energized, a little less moody, and more comfortable in my clothes. None of this is rocket science. I probably could have done it without Nourish if I really wanted to. But would I have? Honestly, I'm not so sure. How Nourish compares to competitors There are several telehealth sites that offer similar services to Nourish. Apps like Wellory and Healthie also provide a space for people to connect with healthcare providers, but I'd argue that they're not quite as convenient, intuitive or affordable as Nourish. Nourish distinguishes itself with a broad in-network insurance model. By partnering with major payers, including Medicare, Aetna, and United, most Nourish users are able to access their care for free. About 95% of patients pay $0 out of pocket, which speaks for itself. Nourish also employs 3,000 dietitians who are employed as W‑2 employees (rather than contractors), and the quality of care speaks for itself. Nourish's platform is impressively user-friendly, thanks to its seamless AI integration. Logging meals is quick and intuitive, and session notes with your dietitian are automatically transcribed — so nothing gets lost, and no time feels wasted. Pros and cons Pros: Nourish offers broad insurance coverage, with most users paying $0 out of pocket Users receive one-on-one counseling from credentialed registered dietitians who are matched to their unique needs and goals The mobile app is very intuitive, offering features like AI-powered meal logging and quick transcriptions of session notes Nourish houses up to 3,000 dietitians — and they are employed as W‑2 employees rather than contractors, which could improve the quality of care for patients Cons: Some reviewers have mentioned that their dietitian wasn't the right fit for their needs — or provided guidance that didn't align with what they wanted There's no way to confirm results; the payoff depends largely on the user's approach to using Nourish Final verdict For someone as busy as me, Nourish offers real value. Between a demanding 9-to-5 and chasing after a toddler, my own health often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Nourish helped fill that gap — not just through regular check-ins with a dietitian, but by keeping me more in tune with my daily nutrition and overall habits (ie, meal logging). None of this felt forced; using Nourish was actually pretty fun. Maybe, even addictive. But, in a healthy way — not in a shameful way. The app also offers a range of tools I didn't even fully take advantage of, like symptom and movement tracking, as well as recommendations for people managing allergies or syndromes like PCOS and ADHD. It's hard for me to find any major flaws with the service. I've seen some reviews from people who didn't feel their dietitian was the right fit, but that wasn't my experience. Nourish is truly tailored to individuals' needs, and I believe that what helped me see real progress in easing my PMS symptoms. Considering it's a free service, I'm genuinely impressed with what Nourish offers. How we tested I met with my Nourish dietitian weekly and used Nourish's AI-powered meal logging feature for roughly three weeks. While testing the service, I considered how user-friendly it was, the quality of care provided and the overall impact Nourish had on my health. Miska Salemann User-friendliness: As with any telehealth app, it's very important that users can navigate the website offerings, app features and sign-up process with ease. With Nourish, I evaluated the time it took for me to sign up and input my insurance information, and considered the questions asked during the introductory questionnaire. I assessed how easy it was to find a dietitian that suited my needs, navigate the platforms (on desktop and mobile) and book/change appointments. Finally, I tracked how simple it was to log my meals and find different resources through the Nourish app. As with any telehealth app, it's very important that users can navigate the website offerings, app features and sign-up process with ease. With Nourish, I evaluated the time it took for me to sign up and input my insurance information, and considered the questions asked during the introductory questionnaire. I assessed how easy it was to find a dietitian that suited my needs, navigate the platforms (on desktop and mobile) and book/change appointments. Finally, I tracked how simple it was to log my meals and find different resources through the Nourish app. Quality of care: Nourish is primarily an online health service, but real, credentialed dietitians are still at the heart of this kind of personalized care. I looked into each provider's education, licensing and experience, as well as the variety of specialists available. During my sessions, I paid close attention to my dietitian's professionalism, communication style and how effectively they addressed my concerns with practical, evidence-based guidance. I also made note of how easy it was to get in touch with my dietitian for additional support through the process. Nourish is primarily an online health service, but real, credentialed dietitians are still at the heart of this kind of personalized care. I looked into each provider's education, licensing and experience, as well as the variety of specialists available. During my sessions, I paid close attention to my dietitian's professionalism, communication style and how effectively they addressed my concerns with practical, evidence-based guidance. I also made note of how easy it was to get in touch with my dietitian for additional support through the process. Impact on health: For me, the goal of using Nourish was to learn how to better manage my PMS symptoms. I tracked short-term changes in my eating habits and mindset, as well as the education I gained around intuitive eating and my personalized nutrition needs (daily calorie, protein, carb requirements, etc.). For longer-term outcomes, I focused on whether my efforts led to noticeable improvements in managing my PMS symptoms and how motivated I felt to maintain the progress I was making. This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson's Blueprint Longevity Mix to home gym elliptical machines to Jennifer Aniston's favorite workout platform – often with her adorable one-year old daughter by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Have We Forgotten How to Accept Ourselves?
Even in the uncertainty of 2023—when inflation weighed heavy and families tightened their budgets—plastic surgery in the United States still saw a 5 to 7 percent increase, depending on which reports you trust. That means, while Americans delayed vacations or skipped dinners out, many still prioritized cosmetic surgery. And these numbers only reflect U.S. data; when you consider the countless people who travel abroad for cheaper procedures, the global increase is likely much greater. The question is: why? Some argue it's Zoom culture: staring at our faces on endless calls. Others blame Instagram filters or TikTok beauty standards. And while these may play a role, the deeper truth is harder to ignore. We are a society increasingly convinced that altering our outsides will heal what is restless on the inside. I stumbled down this rabbit hole myself online. One minute I was reading about mRNA, the next I was watching a woman describe how fat injections in her buttocks were decaying, releasing the smell of rotting meat. People in the comments accused her of being unhygienic, but the truth was simpler: when too much fat is injected and the body can't supply enough blood, the tissue dies and begins to rot. And as a farmer, I know that is a smell you don't ever want to encounter. From there, I couldn't stop scrolling. Women stacked surgeries on top of surgeries—breast implants, ab implants, butt lifts, nose jobs—until their bodies hardly looked human. My mind recoiled, not because of beauty standards, but because it no longer registered as natural. What level of disconnection from family, faith, and purpose does it take to risk your health in pursuit of a body unrecognizable to nature itself? Even when I lived in Los Angeles and was running restaurants, I saw the same thing in person. A customer would sit down with a face so altered by surgery and fillers that it was distracting. I would work hard not to let my expression betray what I was thinking, but it was difficult to listen deeply. Instead of hearing their story, I was caught analyzing how uneven the work looked, how the face no longer made sense to the human eye, and how much it pulled me away from seeing their soul through their eyes. The human-to-human connection was interrupted. I've also watched girlfriends begin with breast implants or lip fillers in their early twenties, then quickly move on to face injections. The irony is that these procedures, meant to keep them looking young, often made them look older—faces puffed up and filled before age had even begun to soften their natural beauty. If women in their 20s are chasing this look, what happens by the time they reach their 50s? Do their husbands look back at photographs of them before the surgeries with longing? The most shocking part is how dangerous some of these procedures really are. Take the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). For years, it held the title of the deadliest cosmetic procedure, with a mortality rate estimated at 1 in 3,000 surgeries—a risk far greater than abdominoplasty, which is closer to 1 in 10,000 to 13,000. Even with improved techniques, more recent studies still put the BBL death rate between 1 in 2,351 and 1 in 6,241—numbers that remain alarmingly high. Yet the procedure is booming in popularity, particularly among medical tourists seeking a cheaper price tag overseas. In fact, from 2009 to 2022, at least 93 U.S. citizens died in the Dominican Republic after traveling there for cosmetic surgery, with deaths spiking in recent years. So the question becomes: Why is one of the riskiest surgeries gaining more popularity than ever? Along the way, I also discovered something else: breast implants can impact breastfeeding. While most women can still nurse their babies, especially if the implants are placed under the muscle, certain procedures—like those done through the nipple—carry a risk of damaging milk ducts or reducing supply. And while the majority can breastfeed successfully, why risk it at all? Breastmilk is foundational to human health. This contradiction troubles me. We argue, rightly, that children shouldn't be pushed into gender surgeries—that God doesn't make mistakes, and we aren't born in the wrong body. But if that is true, why don't we question the culture that pushes women and men alike toward ever-more extreme cosmetic procedures? Why isn't there the same level of alarm about a society cutting into perfectly healthy bodies out of dissatisfaction with the mirror? My mother used to say, 'Don't put makeup on the mirror.' Whenever I wanted to change something outside of me to fix how I felt inside, she reminded me the work was internal. Wherever you go, there you are. Surgery won't change that. Of course, there are exceptions. Plastic surgery saves lives after accidents, restores dignity after trauma, and, in small doses, can offer people confidence. I don't deny that. I've even had it myself—after my earring was ripped out on a Super Bowl Sunday, I waited too long in the ER, and the initial repair didn't take. Doctors eventually had to cut into the interior of the earlobe and re-stitch it. That's plastic surgery too, and I'm grateful for it. But what troubles me is the cultural obsession with total reinvention, as though we could stitch our way into peace of mind. Underneath it all, I believe this obsession comes from the same root as so many of our modern crises: our disconnection from nature. When we are cut off from healthy soil, from true food, and from the basic rhythms of God's design, we lose our grounding. We feel alone, unmoored, and disconnected from who we really are. And in that emptiness, we look for comfort in the mirror, in the surgeon's office, or in the endless scroll of social media—rather than in creation, community, or the Creator Himself. Here's the truth: altering our bodies may give us confidence for a season, but it cannot fix what is emotionally broken. It cannot substitute for faith, family, or purpose. Only we can do that inner work. And only God can give us the lasting acceptance we crave. Until we remember that, we will keep filling operating rooms—hoping a new face or figure will finally make the mirror smile back.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
FACT FOCUS: A look at RFK Jr.'s misleading claims on US dietary guidelines and Froot Loops
The food pyramid that once guided Americans' diets has been retired for more than a decade, but that has not stopped President Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from regularly criticizing the concept. He often highlights the pyramid, misrepresenting dietary standards and criticizing health initiatives of the Biden administration. Such claims were featured in a video aired Tuesday, before his appearance on Fox News' 'Jesse Watters Primetime.' Here's a closer look at the facts. KENNEDY: 'The dietary guidelines that we inherited from the Biden administration were 453 pages long. They were driven by the same commercial impulses that put Froot Loops at the top of the food pyramid." THE FACTS: The original food pyramid did not mention any specific products. But at the very top, it recommended that oils, fats and sugar be consumed 'sparingly.' Grains such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta were on the bottom tier, where six to 11 portions a day were recommended. The current dietary guidelines are 164 pages long, not 453. They were released in December 2020 during Trump's first term, along with a four-page executive summary. A scientific report used to develop the dietary guidelines is published every five years by an advisory committee. The latest report, released in December by the Biden administration, is 421 pages long. Trump's first administration released an 835-page scientific report in July 2020 that informed the current guidelines. 'The dietary guidelines include several documents, including a scientific report which summarizes the scientific evidence supporting the dietary guidelines,' said Laura Bellows, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University. 'It can be long due to the comprehensive nature of the document. That said, these findings are distilled down into concise guidelines that are foundational to the creation of consumer information and educational materials.' 'It's a bit trickier than just one grouping,' Bellows said in an email. She said Froot Loops 'would fall more in foods that we should 'moderate' ... but does contribute to the grain group.' The cereal is high in sugar, she added, but does have fiber and other key nutrients. The Agriculture Department introduced an updated pyramid guide in 2005 that incorporated new nutritional standards. It retired the pyramid idea altogether in 2011 and now uses the MyPlate concept, which stresses eating a healthy balance of different foods based on factors such as age and sex. MyPlate recommends making half of the grains one eats in a day whole grains and cutting back on added sugars. Similar to the food pyramid, this puts Froot Loops, which has whole grains and added sugars, in both categories. 'MyPlate, not the Food Pyramid, has been the visual graphic for the US Dietary Guidelines since 2011,' said Bellows. 'So, referring to the 'top of the pyramid' is a dated reference.' The agency said Kennedy is committed to ensuring those guidelines 'are grounded in gold-standard science and reflect a clear focus on healthy, whole, and nutritious foods.'
