How We Work

What this is

A free library of plain-English guides on losing weight and getting healthy. It covers the science of weight loss, the major diets, nutrition, exercise, sleep and habits, plus health conditions and medical treatment. The idea is that you can come here with any question on the subject and leave with a straight answer.

We don't sell anything

No supplements, no programs, no coaching, no affiliate links. When we say a diet is weak or a product is a waste of money, nothing's riding on it for us.

Where the information comes from

We lean on public health agencies (CDC, NIH, FDA, WHO), medical society guidelines, university nutrition departments and published clinical trials. Every guide lists its sources at the bottom so you can read them yourself.

Some of what we write is judgment. The ratings in our diet comparison are our own editorial summaries, and they aren't clinical scores. Where the evidence is weak or researchers disagree, we try to say so plainly.

How we check our guides

Each guide is checked against the sources listed on it, including the published results of the studies it cites. That catches many errors, but we can still get things wrong, and a website can't replace a clinician's judgment. Please don't treat these guides as the final word, especially on anything to do with medication, a medical condition, or your safety.

What we won't do

• Promise fast or effortless results
• Claim that any single diet is the answer
• Recommend extreme calorie restriction
• Tell you to stop taking or change a medication on your own
• Treat your weight as a measure of your worth

Who shouldn't use this site

If you have, or think you might have, an eating disorder, weight-loss advice can do real harm. Please start with this guide and talk to someone who can help. Our guides are also written for adults. Parents can read this guide instead.

Found a mistake?

Health information changes, and we can get things wrong. To report an error, contact hello@halehandbook.com.