--- title: This Week in Health: The New Secrets to Weight Loss description: This week's health news covered weight loss, the best sunscreens and the mental health detriments of social media like Instagram. canonical: https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-25T17:59:31.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:58:48.725Z article:section: Health og:title: This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight og:description: Here are the health stories you need to know this week. og:url: https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84da2989a5d0fb4c/698878c00a4a221ea89c7dcc/salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment-motto-stock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight twitter:description: Here are the health stories you need to know this week. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84da2989a5d0fb4c/698878c00a4a221ea89c7dcc/salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators.  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. May 25, 2017 5:59 PM UTC  Molly Cranna for TIME  by [Mandy Oaklander](https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. May 25, 2017 5:59 PM UTC Little is harder than losing weight and keeping it off for good, yet many find a way. Exactly _how_ goes deeper than diet and exercise, [according to new science](http://time.com/4793832/the-weight-loss-trap/). Here’s what else caught our attention in health news this week. (Sign up for the [TIME Health newsletter](http://time.com/newsletter-health) for more.) ## [The weight loss trap: why your diet isn’t working](http://time.com/4793832/the-weight-loss-trap/)  Danny Kim for TIME Here’s the best-kept secret about weight loss: No single diet—from low carb and paleo to low fat and vegan—will work for everyone. Scientists have found that individual responses to different diets vary enormously. ## [Zika was spreading long before experts realized it](http://time.com/4793294/zika-spreading/) New studies shed light on Zika’s undetected spread through Central and South America and into the United States. ## [Why Instagram is the worst social media for mental health](http://time.com/4793331/instagram-social-media-mental-health/)  Woman using her phone under blanket in bed at night. Getty Images Do you ever “compare and despair” when scrolling through your Instagram feed? You’re not alone. A new survey links the service to high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.” ## [5 weight loss tips from people who have actually done it](http://time.com/4792623/weight-loss-lose-weight-fast/) For anyone searching for the best way to lose weight, the most useful tips come from people who have successfully shed pounds. ## [What the World Health Organization’s new leader must tackle](http://time.com/4793915/what-the-world-health-organizations-new-leader-must-tackle/) The newly elected leader of the WHO will have to fight fight a range of public-health problems. ## [You Asked: What’s the best way to stare at screens all day?](http://time.com/4789208/screens-computer-eye-strain/)  The top Google searches of the year cover DACA, bitcoin, covfefe, and more. Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME If you’re not sleeping, you’re probably in front of one. Here are the healthiest, safest ways to deal with a screen-saturated day. (Hint: Adjusting your monitors will help.) ## [6 best mineral sunscreens to bring to the beach](http://time.com/4791049/mineral-sunscreen-beach-sports/)  top view.Woman summer essentials Getty Images These sunblocks, all of which use natural ingredients instead of chemical ones, scored high on the Environmental Working Group’s new annual report. ## [Here’s what skipping breakfast does to your body](http://time.com/4786181/skipping-breakfast-health-benefits/) It may help you burn more calories, but giving up the morning meal might also have a downside. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/"},"headline":"This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight","datePublished":"2017-05-25T17:59:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:58:48.725Z","description":"This week's health news covered weight loss, the best sunscreens and the mental health detriments of social media like Instagram.","url":"https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/","keywords":["this week in health","breakfast","Weight loss","Instagram","World Health Organization","Mental Health/Psychology","sunscreen","lose weight","Zika virus","Zika"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84da2989a5d0fb4c/698878c00a4a221ea89c7dcc/salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt84da2989a5d0fb4c/698878c00a4a221ea89c7dcc/salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment-motto-stock","caption":"salad-cucumbers-health-food-diet-fitness-betterment-motto-stock","creditText":"Molly Cranna for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/this-week-in-health/","name":"this week in health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4794229/this-week-in-health-weight-loss/","name":"This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight"}}]}] ```