Health
Diet crisis in America: Celebrity fitness trainer and mom touts 'no rules' nutrition plan
A nutrition trend known as “intuitive eating” is aiming to avoid the strictness of traditional dieting.
Intuitive eating isn’t a diet plan. It’s an “approach to eating based on one’s internal needs,” according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
The choice of food will vary based on a person’s physical or emotional needs, regardless of food type, calorie count or time of day.
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Intuitive eating has been used as a weight-loss strategy and a treatment for disordered eating, according to Harvard.
Megan Roup, a celebrity fitness trainer in Los Angeles and founder of The Sculpt Society fitness app, spoke to Fox News Digital in an interview about how she’s adopted intuitive eating.
Intuitive eating focuses on satisfying hunger instead of eating diet food options that leave people feeling “empty.” (iStock)
While Roup is not a nutritionist, her approach to sustainable physical training has trickled into her overall lifestyle, including at home with her two kids.
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“I’m all about listening to my body and eating intuitively,” she said. “That means I’m not restricting food … I’m really listening to my hunger cues – eating when I’m hungry, stopping when I’m full.”
Roup said she selects foods that make her feel “good or energized.”
Megan Roup, pictured, a celebrity fitness trainer in Los Angeles and founder of The Sculpt Society, spoke to Fox News Digital about hoe she’s adopted intuitive eating. (Megan Roup)
In her early 20s, Roup admitted that she fell victim to “every fad diet” instead of nourishing her body and listening to what it needed.
Following strict guidelines around food can make it “harder for us to listen to what our body actually needs and wants,” she said.
As an intuitive eater herself, Roup doesn’t restrict her kids, either.
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As a busy mom, she said she’s “all about quick, easy recipes,” such as overnight oats for breakfast that include organic ingredients like almond milk, nuts and berries.
Roup also shared a smoothie recipe that her kids enjoy, which blends almond milk, strawberries, blueberries, half a banana, a scoop of almond butter, chia seeds and spinach.
As a busy mom, Roup (not pictured) said she’s “all about quick, easy recipes,” often including her children in the process of preparing food. (iStock)
Her children are also involved in the cooking process, as Roup noted that her 3-year-old enjoys throwing the ingredients into the smoothie blender.
“It’s good for her to see what we’re putting into the smoothie … striving to eat whole foods that make us feel good,” she said.
Pairing fitness and nutrition
Just as with food, Roup advises against following strict rules and ditching the “all-or-nothing mentality” when it comes to fitness.
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In her own training practice, Roup said she encourages her clients to discard the idea that they must work out for hours each day.
The fitness expert recited one of her favorite mantras: “Commit to less so you can show up more.”
The Sculpt Society is an online fitness platform that combines “low-impact, full-body sculpting with very easy-to-follow dance cardio,” said Roup, pictured here. (Megan Roup)
“I would rather my clients show up for 10 minutes a day and do that consistently throughout the week,” Roup said.
“Build that habit so it is something you can sustainably show up to daily – and I think it’s the same with food.”
There is no rule book, she noted — and fitness and food aren’t “one-size-fits-all.”
A nutritionist’s perspective
Registered dietitian and nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein weighed in on the intuitive eating lifestyle in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
While she said she understands the appeal of the concept, especially to people with a history of strict dieting, Los Angeles-based Muhlstein said intuitive eating can be “impractical and unrealistic for most people, particularly children.”
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“Proponents of intuitive eating suggest that if you crave cookies, you should eat cookies; if you want fries, eat fries; and if dessert before dinner sounds appealing, go for it,” she said.
Ultra-processed foods are “dangerously easy to over-consume,” a nutritionist said. (iStock)
“In a society flooded with highly palatable and addictive ultra-processed foods, following every craving can lead to unhealthy outcomes,” she warned.
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The more processed foods you consume, the more you crave them, according to Muhlstein.
“Without practical guidance, such as encouraging people to fill half their plate with vegetables or to prioritize foods high in protein and fiber, many will fall into the trap of overindulging in ultra-processed foods,” she said.
Setting an example
Intuitive eating could help kids form healthy relationships with food, according to Roup.
“It starts with modeling that behavior for them,” she said. “If you are talking about yourself badly, talking about food being good and bad, putting a lot of emphasis on certain foods … they pick up on that.”
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Parents should set the example by staying active and prioritizing their health, Roup advised, as well as demonstrating a “joyful practice” of preparing and eating food that makes them feel good.
Intuitive eating is about “taking away the rules and giving the autonomy back to myself and my body, because everybody is different,” said Roup. (Megan Roup; iStock)
Muhlstein, however, warned that allowing children to eat “whatever they want” can be just as dangerous as letting them “watch whatever they want” or “go to bed whenever they want.”
As a mother of three, the nutritionist emphasized the importance of introducing nutritious foods to children.
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“With pediatric obesity and diabetes at all-time highs, teaching children to love and enjoy wholesome, nutritious foods is more crucial than ever,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Moreover, food genuinely tastes better when you’re hungry, so ensuring that kids consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and protein is essential.”
Research suggests that children who eat more fruits and vegetables and less sugar perform better academically and experience improved mental health and well-being, Muhlstein mentioned.
Roup encourages her clients to speak to a nutritionist if they are looking for more guidance on intuitive eating. (iStock)
“Nutrition is a critical aspect of parenting,” she added.
“Providing positive guidance while encouraging healthy choices from a place of love is essential to ensuring that the next generation doesn’t suffer further.”
Health
4 Mistakes People Make When Starting a GLP-1 That Can Stall Weight Loss—Plus How to Maximize Your Results
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With an aggressive new strain spreading across the country, this year’s flu season has been marked by record-high hospitalizations and reportedly intense symptoms.
As people look for ways to contain the spread, new research has found that a few simple factors can greatly reduce transmission.
Researchers from the University of Maryland Schools of Public Health and Engineering in College Park and the School of Medicine in Baltimore studied influenza spread by placing flu-positive college students in a hotel room with healthy middle-aged adult volunteers.
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The study, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, is reportedly the first clinical trial investigating how the flu spreads from naturally infected people to uninfected people, according to a press release.
The participants, including 11 healthy volunteers, lived on a quarantined floor of a Baltimore-area hotel for two weeks. During that time, they simulated interactions, including having conversations, doing physical activities like yoga, and passing around objects like pens and tablets from infected people to the rest of the group.
New research has experts questioning how the flu spreads through airborne transmission. (iStock)
Researchers monitored the participant’s symptoms, performed daily nasal swabs, and collected saliva and blood samples to test for antibodies, the release stated.
The study also measured the “viral exposure” in the volunteers’ breathing air and ambient air in the activity room. The exhaled breath of the participants was measured by a machine called the Gesundheit II, invented by researcher Dr. Donald Milton and colleagues at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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At the end of the experiment, none of the healthy individuals had become infected with the flu due to a variety of factors. This included a lack of coughing, as the infected students were holding “a lot of virus in their noses” and only small amounts were “expelled into the air,” the researchers noted.
Researchers said proper ventilation was a major factor in halting flu spread in this study. (iStock)
“Our data suggests key things that increase the likelihood of flu transmission — coughing is a major one,” Dr. Jianyu Lai, post-doctoral research scientist and the study’s lead data analyst and report writer, shared in a statement.
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The other factor was ventilation and air movement, as the air in the study room was “continually mixed rapidly by a heater and dehumidifier, and so the small amounts of virus in the air were diluted,” Lai pointed out.
The researcher added that middle-aged adults are “usually less susceptible” to influenza than younger adults.
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Most researchers assume that airborne transmission is a major factor of disease spread, according to Dr. Donald Milton, professor at SPH’s Department of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health and a global infectious disease aerobiology expert.
“At this time of year, it seems like everyone is catching the flu virus, and yet our study showed no transmission,” he said in the same press release. “What does this say about how flu spreads and how to stop outbreaks?”
There have been 81,000 flu-related hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths in the U.S. this year so far, data shows. (iStock)
Milton, who was reportedly among the first experts to identify how to stop the spread of COVID-19, noted that findings from these types of trials are essential to updating international infection-control guidelines.
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“Being up close, face-to-face with other people indoors where the air isn’t moving much, seems to be the most risky thing — and it’s something we all tend to do a lot,” he said.
“At this time of year, it seems like everyone is catching the flu virus, and yet our study showed no transmission.”
“Our results suggest that portable air purifiers that stir up the air, as well as clean it, could be a big help,” Milton suggested. “But if you are really close and someone is coughing, the best way to stay safe is to wear a mask, especially the N95.”
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Approximately 11 million flu illnesses and about 5,000 deaths have occurred so far in the 2025-2026 influenza season, according to CDC data. A large share of the current flu cases are caused by the new influenza A subclade K variant.
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GLP-1 has become a popular buzzword in the weight-loss community — but now some are touting “GLP-3s,” claiming they are taking obesity medications to the next level.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite.
The informal term “GLP-3” refers to a new triple-agonist drug that targets three hormones: GLP-1, GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, another naturally occurring hormone released by the gut after eating) and glucagon receptors. The most advanced example is retatrutide by Eli Lilly, according to clinical trial outcomes.
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The New England Journal of Medicine published results from a 2023 phase 2 retatrutide trial for obesity, revealing “substantial reductions in body weight” after 48 weeks of treatment.
A 12 mg once-weekly injection led to a 24.2% weight reduction, and participants continued to drop pounds after the 48-week trial period.
GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. (iStock)
Side effects were reportedly similar to GLP-1 medications, most commonly including gastrointestinal complications like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Heart rate increases were noted, depending on the dose.
How it’s different
Retatrutide mimics three natural hormones found in the body, compared to GLP-1s that simulate just one hormone, according to a report by GoodRx pharmacists.
GIP and GLP-1 hormones signal the pancreas to release insulin after eating, while slowing digestion to help initiate feelings of fullness.
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These hormones target the area of the brain that regulates appetite and influences food cravings, the report noted.
The third hormone, glucagon, speeds up metabolism and helps the body break down fat cells for energy. That hormone also tells the liver to make new sugar, which is kept in check by GIP and GLP-1 activity, preventing blood sugar spikes.
Participants in the phase 3 trial saw an average weight loss of 71.8 pounds. (iStock)
“This added metabolism boost can add to and complement GIP’s and GLP-1’s actions. And that’s why it seems to provide significant weight loss,” the GoodRx website states. “If approved, retatrutide will be the first in a new class of medications.”
Eli Lilly announced results from its phase 3 trial TRIUMPH-4 in December, testing retatrutide’s effect on weight loss and other health conditions.
“We believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications.”
Participants with obesity and knee arthritis who took a 12-mg dose of retatrutide saw an average weight loss of 71.8 lbs (28.7%) at 68 weeks.
“For retatrutide, the findings from TRIUMPH-4 are encouraging, and with seven additional phase 3 readouts expected in 2026, we believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications, including knee osteoarthritis,” a Lilly spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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The drug also reduced Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores by an average of 75.8%, marking “significant improvements” in comfort level and physical function.
More than one in eight patients reported being “completely free” from knee pain at the end of the trial, according to a press release from Lilly.
Participants with obesity and knee arthritis who took a 12-mg dose of retatrutide saw an average weight loss of 71.8 lbs (28.7%) at 68 weeks. (iStock)
Seven additional phase 3 trials for retatrutide are expected to wrap up in 2026. The drug could see FDA approval in 2027, according to GoodRx.
The Lilly spokesperson noted that there have been no studies comparing retatrutide to GLP-1 treatments due to “differences in study design and patient populations.”
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Despite limited data availability on the drug, the medication could also be applied to treat other conditions like type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, cardiovascular risk reduction and metabolic dysfunction, according to GoodRx and other experts.
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro already target two metabolic pathways — GLP-1 and GIP — which work together to promote weight loss, reduce hunger and inflammation, improve insulin function and slow digestion.
The doctor confirmed that the new drug, with its third receptor agonist, will further decrease hunger while increasing the feeling of fullness.
More than one in eight patients reported being “completely free” from knee pain at the end of the trial. (iStock)
“The weight loss in clinical trials is even more substantial, and the most likely reason that it decreases orthopedic problems is because of the weight loss — less stress on the joints and the decreased inflammation,” Siegel added.
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The most common side effect of GLP-3s is gastrointestinal symptoms, the doctor confirmed. Rarer side effects may include pancreatitis, gallstones and heart arrhythmia.
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Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City, shared in an interview with Fox News Digital that this new class of weight-loss drugs is positioned to “approach bariatric surgery level outcomes” — although it doesn’t come without risks.
“The novel glucagon‑agonist component introduces less‑understood long‑term safety considerations, so it is imperative that patients are followed closely by healthcare professionals experienced with this class of medicines, with cautious, stepwise use, despite the impressive efficacy,” he cautioned.
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