Nutrisize Health Handbook, public edition
Ten findings from public-health agencies and peer-reviewed research, in plain language. Each one shows its source and what it does not show. It is free to read, share and keep.
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A 2025 review pooled studies of daily steps and health. People averaging 7,000 steps had about half the risk of dying (hazard ratio 0.53) of those averaging 2,000. Benefits levelled off around 5,000 to 7,000 steps. You do not need 10,000.
Source: Ding D, Nguyen B, Nau T, et al. Daily steps and health outcomes in adults. Lancet Public Health 2025;10:e668-e681. doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1
WHO and the NIH's heart institute (NHLBI) give the adult target as 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week (or 75 to 150 of vigorous). The CDC states the minimum as 150 minutes moderate or 75 vigorous, plus muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week. NHLBI adds a line worth remembering: some physical activity is better than none.
Source: Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med 2020;54:1451-1462. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955; Adult Activity: An Overview, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html; Heart-Healthy Living: Get Regular Physical Activity, NHLBI, updated 24 March 2022. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/physical-activity
Among US adults in 2020, nearly half met the aerobic guideline, but only about one in four met aerobic and muscle-strengthening together.
National Health Interview Survey, 2020, adults 18 and over (self-reported)
Source: Elgaddal N, Kramarow EA, Reuben C. Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2020. NCHS Data Brief No. 443, CDC, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm
Fuel
In 2019, 12.3% of US adults ate enough fruit and 10.0% enough vegetables (1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day). WHO's yardstick is at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day for anyone over 10.
CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2019 (self-reported)
Source: Adults Meeting Fruit and Vegetable Intake Recommendations, United States, 2019. MMWR, CDC, January 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8735562/; Healthy diet fact sheet, WHO, 26 January 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
On the Nutrition Facts label, the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g a day (10% of a 2,000-calorie diet). A quick label rule from the FDA: 5% Daily Value or less is low; 20% or more is high. WHO advises free sugars under 10% of energy.
Source: Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label, FDA (content current March 2026). https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label; Healthy diet fact sheet, WHO, 26 January 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
WHO says almost every population eats too much sodium: a global average of 4,278 mg a day in 2021, against a recommendation of under 2,000 mg (under 5 g of salt, about a teaspoon). In the US the average is about 3,400 mg against a 2,300 mg limit, and more than 70% of it comes from processed and prepared foods.
Source: Sodium reduction fact sheet, WHO, 11 May 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sodium-reduction; Sodium Reduction in the Food Supply, FDA, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/sodium-reduction-food-supply
Between 2021 and 2023, ultra-processed foods made up 55.0% of calories eaten by Americans aged 1 and over. For ages 1 to 18 it was 61.9%; for adults, 53.0%.
NHANES, August 2021 to August 2023 (24-hour recall)
Source: Williams AM, Couch CA, Emmerich SD, Ogburn DF. Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults: United States, August 2021-August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 536, 2025. https://cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db536.htm
The US Dietary Guidelines reference, quoted by EPA, is at least 8 ounces of seafood a week on a 2,000-calorie diet. For pregnant or breastfeeding women, EPA and FDA advise 8 to 12 ounces a week of lower-mercury fish. For children, 1 to 2 servings a week, with serving sizes growing from 1 ounce at ages 1 to 3 to 4 ounces from age 11.
Source: EPA-FDA Advice about Eating Fish and Shellfish, EPA, updated 1 October 2026. https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely/epa-fda-advice-about-eating-fish-and-shellfish
In 2021 to 2023, 60.2% of US adults and 35.7% of young people had used a dietary supplement in the past 30 days. Use rose with age, to 75.9% for adults 60 and over.
Source: Dietary Supplement Use: United States, August 2021-August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 561, May 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db561.htm
Rest
In a randomised trial, adults aged 21 to 40 with overweight who usually slept under 6.5 hours extended sleep by about 1.2 hours a night for two weeks and ate about 270 fewer calories a day.
Source: Tasali E, Wroblewski K, Kahn E, Kilkus J, Schoeller DA. JAMA Intern Med 2022;182:365-374. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.8098
Nutrisize Health is a nutrition, exercise and health-numbers reference for iPhone and Android, built from the kind of sources cited here. It is not medical advice.
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App StoreGoogle PlayThis handbook is a compilation, paraphrased from the cited public sources, with each figure traceable to its source; it is not a peer-reviewed publication. It provides health and wellness information for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Consult your clinician before changing your diet or exercise. Published by Nutrisize Health, a product of EqualInformation, LLC, Sunnyvale, CA, USA. October 2026.
Other editions
Handbook for undergraduates: reading nutrition and exercise evidence
OpenHandbook for practitioners: dietitians, nutritionists and coaches
OpenHandbook for researchers and clinicians
OpenHandbook for K-12 teachers: movement, food and evidence literacy
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