Health

'I'm a psychologist — here's how to finally break your bad habits’

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2025

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'I'm a psychologist — here's how to finally break your bad habits’

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More than a third of Americans report making New Year’s resolutions, statistics show, many of which are focused on kicking bad habits.

Whether it’s smoking, overeating, drinking excessive alcohol or “doom-scrolling” on social media instead of sleeping, 72% of U.S. adults report having at least one unhealthy behavior, according to data from the United Health Foundation.

Dr. Adi Jaffe, a California-based psychologist, knows firsthand the dangers of unhealthy habits, as he once struggled with drug addiction himself.

CDC WARNS OF DEADLY DRUG 100 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN FENTANYL, OVERDOSES SPIKE IN PAST YEAR

“I got trapped in the world of drugs and alcohol, from the middle of high school until a few years after college,” he shared with Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview.

Dr. Adi Jaffe, a California-based psychologist, struggled with drug addiction in his youth and now helps others overcome unhealthy habits. (Adi Jaffe, PhD)

“Addiction doesn’t separate by gender or age or race or income — people from all walks of life are impacted.”

Jaffe ultimately spent time in jail before getting clean and returning to school, earning two master’s degrees and a PhD in psychology.

“I wanted to understand what happened to me — and then what I’ve done over the last 15 years, hopefully, is bring those lessons to others who are struggling.”

“Addiction doesn’t separate by gender or age or race or income — people of all walks of life are impacted.”

Today, Jaffe focuses on helping people beat addiction and improve their mental health. In his upcoming book — “Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever” — he shares a step-by-step program to help people free themselves from harmful habits.

Jaffe shared with Fox News Digital some of his tips and insights.

Recognizing the behavior

While many people think of addiction as involving drugs or alcohol, Jaffe noted that it can take many forms.

Many people assume that the behavior itself is the problem, the psychologist said — but there is almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices. (iStock)

“If you engage in a behavior of any sort over long periods of time that robs you of your ability to be fully present in your life — and it bothers you, but you can’t find yourself stopping it, even though you’ve tried over and over — to me, that qualifies,” he said.

In addiction to substance abuse, addictive behaviors might include “doom-scrolling” on your phone for hours a day, binge-eating, gambling or indulging in other unhealthy activities.

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People can be addicted to work and success, too, Jaffe noted.

“When things get hard and get tough, they want to go to work,” he said. “They believe success or performance will make them feel better, but it can cause damage just like other addictions.”

“Doom-scrolling” on social media is a potentially addictive behavior, the psychologist noted. (iStock)

Social media is another form of addiction, the expert said.

“When your phone buzzes or pings, you don’t know what’s there, so it’s a novelty that’s interesting, and it releases dopamine,” he said. “You almost literally cannot help yourself.”

Identifying the ‘hooks’

Many people assume that the behavior itself is the problem, Jaffe said — but there is almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices.

“The behavior was actually a medicine of sorts for a problematic undercurrent.”

“The reason you do it is that at some point earlier in your life, there was pain or struggle or emotional discomfort,” he said.

“And you discovered that when you engaged in the behavior, that discomfort went away. So the behavior was actually a medicine of sorts for a problematic undercurrent.”

More than a third of Americans report making New Year’s resolutions, statistics show, many of which are focused on kicking bad habits. (iStock)

For Jaffe, when he was 14 or 15 years old, his “hook” was social anxiety.

“And when somebody handed me a bottle of vodka at some sleepaway camp, I drank it because I didn’t want to look awkward,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Once I started drinking, I had no anxiety and felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol had ‘solved’ this problem.”

“Once I started drinking, I had no anxiety and felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol had ‘solved’ this problem.” (iStock)

Everyone has different hooks, Jaffe said, but there are similarities and patterns.

“We start living our lives trying to escape the discomfort of the hooks.”

Replacing the habit

Once people have identified an unhealthy behavior, one of the biggest mistakes they make is just trying to stop it without a plan, according to Jaffe.

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“We try to stop ourselves from doing what we don’t like,” he noted. “Especially around New Year’s, people might say, ‘I’m going to stop eating bad foods or I’m going to stop being lazy,’” he said.

Research has shown, however, that the most important aspect of kicking a bad habit is to replace the negative behavior with a positive one, the psychologist noted.

The most important aspect of kicking a bad habit is to replace the negative behavior with a positive one. (iStock)

“We have to stop trying to just eliminate bad habits — it doesn’t work,” Jaffe said. “We have to replace them with something else.”

For example, if someone wants to quit smoking, they might keep gum or sunflower seeds in their pocket, he said.

“You just have to keep going.”

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Or, if someone is too focused on work, that might mean letting go of some tasks and delegating them to other people.

Jaffe also emphasized that the process of kicking a bad habit isn’t always perfect or seamless, and that slipping up from time to time doesn’t equate to failure.

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“It’s okay to fall flat on your face a number of times while you’re working on changing this,” he said.

“You just have to keep going.”

Jaffe’s book, “Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever,” will be available on Jan. 7.

Health

‘Weight Loss Has Never Been About Calories’: How This Low-Insulin Diet Helped Lillie, 58, Drop 70 Lbs!

Published

1 hour ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

‘Weight Loss Has Never Been About Calories’: How This Low-Insulin Diet Helped Lillie, 58, Drop 70 Lbs!

Low-Insulin Diet Helped Lillie, 58, Drop 70 Lbs, No Calorie Counting! | Woman’s World

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Health

Weight-loss experts predict 5 major treatment changes likely to emerge in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

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Weight-loss experts predict 5 major treatment changes likely to emerge in 2026

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Big moves are continuing in the weight loss landscape in the new year following breakthrough research of GLP-1 medications and other methods.

Weight-loss experts spoke with Fox News Digital about their predictions for the most major changes to come in 2026.

No. 1: Shift to whole-body treatment

Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New York and New Jersey, shared that the most important shift is likely to label GLP-1 drugs as “multi-system metabolic modulators” rather than “simple weight loss drugs.”

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“The treatment goal is no longer just BMI reduction, but total cardiometabolic risk mitigation, with effects now documented across the liver, heart, kidneys and vasculature,” he said.

“We are seeing a significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events … and progression of renal disease,” he went on.

The focus of GLP-1 drugs will widen beyond weight loss and diabetes, according to experts’ predictions. (iStock)

Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City, also shared that “exciting” advancements lie ahead for weight-loss drugs, including GLP-1s and GIPs.

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“These next‑generation agents, along with novel combinations that include glucagon and amylin agonists, are demonstrating even more impressive weight‑loss outcomes than currently available therapies, with the potential for better tolerability and sustained results,” he told Fox News Digital.

“There is also tremendous optimism around new federal agreements with manufacturers that aim to make these medications more widely accessible and affordable for the broad population of patients who need them most.”

No. 2: More convenient dosing

The typical prescription for a GLP-1 medication is a weekly injection, but delivery and dosing may be changing to more convenient methods in 2026, according to Balazs.

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A daily 25 mg pill version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a semaglutide designed to treat obesity, is now approved and available for chronic weight management, offering a non-injectable option for some patients.

A once-weekly oral GLP-1 is currently in phase 2 trials, as well as an implant that aims for three to six months of drug delivery, Balazs noted.

Incisionless weight-loss procedures will rise as a lower-risk option, according to experts. (iStock)

No. 3: Less invasive surgery

In addition to decreased risk during surgery for GLP-1 users, Balazs also predicted that metabolic surgery without incision will rise as a better option.

“Incisionless endoscopic procedures — like endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (non-surgical weight-loss procedure that makes the stomach smaller from the inside) and duodenal mucosal resurfacing (non-surgical procedure that resets part of the small intestine to help the body better handle blood sugar) — [may become] more durable and widely available,” he said.

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“These offer significant metabolic benefits with shorter recovery and lower risk than traditional surgery.”

Rabito agreed that “rapid progress” in minimally invasive weight‑loss procedures is “opening powerful new options for patients who are hesitant to pursue traditional bariatric surgery.”

Bariatric surgery remains the most effective weight loss method, one specialist says. (iStock)

This avenue offers “meaningful and durable weight reduction with less risk, shorter recovery times and no external incisions,” the expert added.

Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, bariatric surgeon at the Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute, reiterated that surgery remains “the most successful modality for the treatment of obesity … with the highest weight loss and most durable outcomes as of yet.”

No. 4: Younger GLP-1 users

As Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy has been indicated for adolescents over 12 years old as an obesity treatment, Balazs commented that pediatric use of weight-loss drugs is “now a clinical reality.”

He predicted that other alternatives are likely to be approved in 2026 for younger users.

No. 5: High-tech, personalized access

Amid the growth of artificial intelligence, Balazs predicted an expansion in the clinical implementation of AI-driven weight-loss methods.

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This could include categorizing obesity into sub-types like “hungry brain,” “emotional hunger” and “slow burn” to personalize how therapy is prescribed while moving away from “trial and error,” he said.

Ghanem agreed that there will likely be a “big focus” on individualized testing for causes of obesity in 2026, as it’s a disease that can have “different causes in different people,” thus requiring different treatments.

AI and other digital opportunities will drive more access for weight-loss patients, experts say. (iStock)

The doctor anticipates that more patients will seek combinations of comprehensive treatments and programs.

“Patients are more aware that now we have a few weapons in our arsenal to combat obesity, and [they] are seeking a multidisciplinary and holistic approach,” Ghanem said.

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Treatment options will also turn digital with the rise of prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) for weight loss, Balazs predicted.

“These are software applications delivering cognitive behavioral therapy, personalized nutrition and metabolic coaching through algorithms, often integrated with continuous glucose monitors, and reimbursed as medical treatments,” he said.

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Ghanem added that body composition analyzers, like DEXA scans, will likely be more widely used as awareness grows about the limitations of BMI and weight in assessing obesity.

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.

Health

Brain Health Challenge: Doctor Appointments for Your Mind and Body

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Brain Health Challenge: Doctor Appointments for Your Mind and Body

Congratulations, you’ve reached the final day of the Brain Health Challenge! Today, we’re asking you to do a few things that might feel a bit out of left field — like getting your blood pressure checked.

No, it isn’t as fun as playing Pips, but experts say it’s one of the most important things you can do for your brain. That’s because heart health and brain health are intrinsically linked.

High blood pressure, in particular, can damage brain cells, and it’s a significant risk factor for stroke and dementia. When blood pressure is too high, it places stress on the walls of arteries in the brain. Over time, that added stress can cause the blood vessel walls to thicken, obstructing blood flow. In other cases, the increased pressure causes the artery walls to thin and leak blood into the brain.

These changes to the blood vessels can sometimes cause a large stroke to occur. More commonly, the damage leads to micro-strokes and micro-hemorrhages, which cause fewer immediate problems and often go unnoticed. But if someone has hypertension for years or decades, these injuries can build up, and the person may start to experience cognitive impairment.

High blood pressure “is known as a silent killer for lots of reasons,” said Dr. Shyam Prabhakaran, the chair of neurology at the University of Chicago. “It doesn’t cause you any symptoms until it does.”

Because the damage accumulates over many years, experts say that managing blood pressure in midlife matters most for brain health. Hypertension can be addressed with medication or lifestyle changes, as directed by your doctor. But the first thing you need to do is know your numbers. If your blood pressure comes back higher than 120/80, it’s important to take it seriously, Dr. Prabhakaran said.

While you’re at it, there are a few other aspects of your physical health that you should check on.

Your eyes and ears are two of them. Hearing and vision loss have both been shown to increase the risk of dementia. Experts think that with less sensory information coming in to stimulate the brain, the regions that process hearing and vision can start to atrophy. What’s more, people with sensory loss often withdraw or are left out of social interactions, further depriving them of cognitive stimulation.

Oral health can also affect your brain health. Research has found a connection between regular flossing and reduced odds of having a stroke. That may be because good oral health can help to reduce inflammation in the body. The bacteria that cause gum disease have also been tied to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

And have you gotten your shingles vaccine? There is mounting evidence that it’s a powerful weapon for protecting against dementia. One study found that it lowered people’s odds of developing the condition by as much as 20 percent.

To wrap up this challenge, we want you to schedule a few medical appointments that benefit your brain, as well as your body.

After five days of feeding, exercising and challenging your brain, you are well on your way to better cognitive health. Thanks for joining me this week, and keep up the good habits!