TikTok thinks a weighted vest will change your body. Here's what the science says
'It's my weighted vest era,' menopause expert Dr. Mary Claire Haver posted to Instagram. 'Walk as much as you can in a weighted vest and you will be unrecognizable,' one TikTok creator wrote. 'This is my clubbing,' another creator posted. 'The strobe lights are the stars I see while walking 3 miles in 90 degrees with a 30lb weighted vest on.'
From the $30 Zelus vest dominating your For You Page (often linked through influencers' Amazon storefronts) to a sleek 20-pound version from Equinox priced at $375, the concept is simple: Adding weight to your walks, runs, or workouts may help boost endurance and stamina. Now fitness and wellness creators are also promoting it as a weight-loss hack, with some claiming they've shed up to 30 pounds just by incorporating daily walks with the vest.
But what does the science say? In one frequently cited study, participants wore weighted vests equal to 11% of their body weight for eight hours per day over three weeks and lost an average of 3.5 pounds. Another study had participants wear vests for 10 hours per day and found no significant weight-loss benefits—though many did report sore backs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
15 minutes ago
- Medscape
Ovarian Cancer Risk Rises Soon After IBS Diagnosis
TOPLINE: Women with a new diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a significantly higher risk for ovarian cancer at 3 months and 6 months post-diagnosis, but this risk is no longer elevated beyond 8 months. METHODOLOGY: Ovarian cancer often presents with nonspecific symptoms overlapping those of IBS. The frequency of misdiagnosis remains unknown, and not all IBS guidelines recommend screening for ovarian cancer. Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using US administrative claims data to compare ovarian cancer incidence in adult women with and without a new IBS diagnosis. Diagnostic codes were used to identify cases of IBS and ovarian cancer. TAKEAWAY: The cohort comprised 9804 women with IBS and 79,804 women without IBS, identified between January 2017 and December 2020. Women with IBS had a significantly higher risk for ovarian cancer at 3 months (hazard ratio [HR], 1.71; P = .02) and 6 months (HR, 1.43; P = .02), but not beyond 8 months post-diagnosis. Women with both IBS and endometriosis had an even greater risk for ovarian cancer at 3 months (HR, 4.20; P = .01), 6 months (HR, 3.52; P = .01), and after 1 year (HR, 2.67; P = .04). Increasing age was significantly associated with higher ovarian cancer incidence only in women younger than 50 years (HR, 1.07; P < .01), regardless of IBS status. IN PRACTICE: 'Identifying patient-specific risk factors, such as chronic pelvic pain or endometriosis, could help develop tailored risk profiles and improve the approach to personalized care in women with IBS-type symptoms,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Andrea Shin, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles. It was published online in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. LIMITATIONS: The use of diagnostic codes for identifying IBS may have led to misclassification or reflected symptoms rather than confirmed and validated diagnosis. DISCLOSURES: This study received support from the National Institutes of Health. Some authors reported serving as consultants, advisors, and/or receiving research support from pharmaceutical and healthcare companies; one author reported having stock options. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Medscape
15 minutes ago
- Medscape
Benzene in Acne Products: What to Know Now
When an independent laboratory filed a citizen's petition in March 2024, urging the FDA to recall and suspend the sale of acne products containing benzoyl peroxide after finding what it termed unacceptably high levels of benzene in acne products it tested, it ignited a range of reactions in the medical community and consumers. Responses ranged from fear to indifference, with even some dermatologists passing off the request as nonsense. However, concerns about the potential for benzoyl peroxide-containing acne products to break down into benzene, a known human carcinogen, have been ongoing. In recent months, as research has accumulated, so has a clearer picture of the risk. The FDA has taken action, although some contend the agency has not done enough, and experts involved are better focused — and sometimes in closer agreement — on how to move forward to increase safety for the products, considered one of the most effective topical acne treatments and the only effective remedy for many patients. Medscape Medical News reached out to John S. Barbieri, MD, MBA, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, both in Boston, and David Light, president and co-founder of Valisure, the independent laboratory in New Haven, Connecticut, that filed the petition, asking for an update of what they've found out in recent months (they both have published research recently), what they believe needs to be done moving forward, and their advice on how clinicians should be talking to their patients about the products. 'Right now, to me, it's a nonissue clinically,' said Barbieri, who has researched and written about the issue extensively. 'I don't worry about this in my day-to-day practice.' However, he's adamant that more needs to be done to maximize the safety of the products, that patients need to be educated about precautions they can take, and that manufacturers need to focus on getting the benzene levels in their products to what he and others say is achievable — zero. Product Heterogeneity Researchers have found a wide range of levels of benzene in products. That's good news, so to speak, in regard to fixing the problem. As Barbieri and Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, wrote in a recent Viewpoint in JAMA Dermatology, 'there has been considerable heterogeneity observed between brands and product lines, suggesting opportunities to improve formulation, production, and distribution practices to maximize the safety of benzoyl peroxide-containing products.' The range of benzene found, for instance, in the Valisure analysis leading to the citizen's petition was sometimes over 800 times the FDA's conditional limit of 2 parts per million. The JAMA paper also cites a study, published in May 2025, by Bunick, Light, and others, finding that cold storage may reduce benzene formation, and a study co-authored by Barbieri, which found that leave-on benzoyl peroxide products contained lower concentrations of benzene, possibly because they are often manufactured in smaller batches than washes 'and thus may cool more quickly,' they wrote. Recent Recalls In March 2025, the FDA alerted the public and industry to the results of its testing of 95 acne products with benzoyl peroxide for possible benzene contamination, following the receipt of the Valisure test results. As a result of the FDA alert, six companies voluntarily recalled some of their products, and another company voluntarily recalled its product after its own testing. FDA Input? Under nonbinding FDA guidance issued in December 2023, benzene levels in products using carbomers (thickeners) should not exceed 2 parts per million. Medscape Medical News reached out to the FDA, asking if the agency had any other information pertaining to developments in the manufacturing of benzoyl peroxide acne products. A spokesperson referred only to the March 2025 information about recalls and its finding that more than 90% of the benzoyl peroxide acne products it tested had undetectable or very low levels of benzene. Manufacturers' Mission Manufacturers need to do more, Light and Barbieri agreed, to monitor benzene levels and reduce them. 'I'm quite supportive of the paper they wrote,' Light told Medscape Medical News , referring to the JAMA update co-authored by Barbieri and Bunick. 'I appreciate their push on the manufacturers' side,' a stance Light has taken from the start. Information on exactly what the product manufacturers are doing, even after the March recalls and the FDA testing, is scarce, Light and Barbieri agreed. (Light's analyses have previously been the target of some criticism, contending he is mostly interested in winning lawsuits against companies and boosting profits. He has filed patents related to, among other areas, the prevention of the formation of impurities, including benzene, in drug products such as benzoyl peroxide-containing products. In response, Light said his goals have always been focused on public health and consumer protection. 'Our analyses have not only been rigorously reviewed through the peer-review process in multiple journals,' he said, 'but each of our five FDA Citizen Petitions on benzene contamination in major consumer product categories has been followed by testing and validation by regulators and companies that confirmed unacceptably high levels of benzene and initiated recalls.') The Consumer Health Products Association, a trade group that many of the benzoyl peroxide product manufacturers belong to, posted the following statement on its site after the citizen's petition was filed last year: 'Benzene is not intentionally added to any consumer product, and it is important that proper quality control measures are in place to both detect impurities and reduce potential contamination during the manufacturing process.' But it offered no more specific information about individual manufacturers' procedures or attempts at improvements. Beyond quality control measures, manufacturers must pay attention to shipping and distribution, which can affect benzene levels as temperatures rise, Barbieri said. 'Consumer confidence is really important here,' he added. Manufacturers should also transparently share their benzene data, Barbieri and Light agreed. Besides acne products, according to the FDA, hand sanitizers, aerosol antiperspirants, and sunscreen sprays have been recalled because of benzene concerns. Empowering Patients Meanwhile, clinicians can advise patients to take a number of steps to minimize the risk for benzene exposure, according to Barbieri and Light. Discarding expired products or those that have been exposed to high temperatures — such as being left in a hot car — is one recommendation. Replacing products every 10-12 weeks is also probably wise, Barbieri said, but he concedes that more data is needed about the stability of the products at room temperature. Whether refrigerating the products is better than keeping them at room temperature hasn't been fully researched, he noted. Lowering the temperature does help with benzene formation, Light said. In his studies, he found that a single acne product incubated at 158 °C, similar to a hot car, released benzene at concentrations about 1270 times higher than the US Environmental Protection Agency threshold for cancer risk via long-term inhalation. He also cautions against storing the products in the bathroom medicine cabinet because of the higher temperatures. In addition, consumers shouldn't rely on 'best products' lists based on analyses of benzene levels, Barbieri told Medscape Medical News , because the same product could have been purchased in different ways — such as picking it up from the store directly or ordering it online and then having it sit on a hot doorstep for hours. Be cautious using online retailers and pharmacies, he said, for those reasons — the products could have had potentially higher temperature exposure during shipping. Ultraviolet exposure is similar to heat in its effects, Light pointed out. Barbieri said those who use leave-on products should consider sun protection, which, he added, is a useful general recommendation for acne management in general. Looking Forward: Getting to Zero While progress has been made, and awareness of the risks has increased, there's work to be done, experts agreed. 'It's still an important and relevant issue,' Barbieri said. 'We want to be doing as much as we can to mitigate the risk as much as possible. Even if the risk is 0.00001, if we can make it zero, we should make it zero.' Barbieri and Bunick have reported no relevant disclosures. Light has filed patents related to the prevention of the formation of impurities, including benzene, in drug products, such as benzoyl peroxide products. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology study published in May 2025 was funded by Valisure.
Fox News
16 minutes ago
- Fox News
Christina Applegate explains 'I don't enjoy living' comments after worried fans react
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Christina Applegate is clarifying recent comments that she made about struggling with her mental health amid her battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). During the June 4 episode of her "MeSsy" podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, the 52-year-old "Dead to Me" actress shared that she was "in a depression." "Like a real, f--- it all depression where it's kind of scaring me a little bit because it feels really fatalistic. I'm trapped in this darkness right now that I haven't felt like... I don't even know how long, probably 20 something years," said Applegate, who first revealed her diagnosis with the chronic disease in 2021. "This is being really honest... I don't enjoy living. I don't enjoy it. I don't enjoy things anymore," she added. In the latest episode of the "MeSsy" podcast, Applegate reassured fans who were concerned about her well-being and said she was "very disturbed" by the "clickbait" about her remarks. CHRISTINA APPLEGATE ADDRESSES FUTURE AS AN ACTRESS AMID MS DIAGNOSIS "I'm good. Does that take a little bit of the pressure off of all of you? I'm good," Applegate said. "Let's address it," said Sigler, who is also battling MS. "We are going to address it," Applegate said. "I was talking about some dark stuff I was thinking and feeling." "This is our safe place to get those things out," she continued. "Because I feel that when we hold things in, we give them power. I also think that there's so much shame that a lot of people feel when they're going through mental health issues, and they call them issues." "I hate that," the actress added. "It's not mental issues. It's not a problem. It's a moment. It's a thought. It's a feeling. And when people hold those in because they're so afraid to say how they truly feel, we give it immense power." The "Married… with Children" alum said she believes "society has told us that we're supposed to be just f------ fine." "And I am not into that," Applegate said. "I am not a proponent of that kind of thing. I think that it's incredibly healing and important to be able to express the thoughts, whether that makes someone uncomfortable or not, to be able to say it." LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Following her remarks, the Emmy Award winner said she began receiving text messages from people who were worried about her and had to reassure them that she has "beautiful people around me and beautiful support systems." However, Applegate expressed her fear that the outpouring of concern might make others more reluctant to express their feelings. "By making such a big deal about it you're making other people think, 'Oh, s---, I can't talk about this.' And that is not OK with me," she said. "It's important to be able to say these things. And, no, I'm not sitting here on suicide watch, OK? I am not. Nor have I ever been." "I dare anyone to be diagnosed with MS or any kind of chronic illness that has taken who you were prior to that moment and go, 'This is great,'" she continued. "You know? No, you have moments of feeling, 'This is tiring and I don't wanna do this.' But you do it, and by having friends like you and my beautiful friends that I have saying this s--- out loud, it releases the pressure in the balloon." Applegate revealed her diagnosis on X, formerly Twitter, in 2021. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS," she wrote. "It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition," Applegate continued. "It's been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a--hole blocks it." In a separate post, she added, "As one of my friends that has MS said, 'We wake up and take the indicated action.' And that's what I do." In her first lengthy in-person interview since she found out about the illness, Applegate opened up about the "hell" she has been living in. "I live kind of in hell," she said during a "Good Morning America" interview in March. "I'm not out a lot, so this is a little difficult, just for my system. But of course, the support is wonderful, and I'm really grateful." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
