When an average slice of pumpkin pie and scoop of vanilla ice cream can contain 46 grams of sugar – nearly twice the recommended daily added sugar intake of 25 grams for women and well above the recommendation of 36 grams for men– the holidays can be hazardous for anyone watching their waistlines.

Even when people are hard at work, pictures of cookies, pizza and ice cream can distract them — and these junk food images are almost twice as distracting as health food pictures, concludes a new Johns Hopkins University study, which also found that after a few bites of candy, people found junk food no more interesting than kale.

Halloween candy is nearly synonymous with cavities, especially if you or your children have a fondness for sour and sticky sweets.

If you’re one of the two billion people in the world who are over-weight or obese, or the one billion people with fatty liver disease, your doctor’s first advice is to cut calories—and especially to cut down on concentrated sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup, a sugar found in sweetened beverages and many other processed foods.

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that black tea may promote weight loss and other health benefits by changing bacteria in the gut. In a study of mice, the scientists showed that black tea alters energy metabolism in the liver by changing gut metabolites.

Packed with nutrients linked to better health, walnuts are also thought to discourage overeating by promoting feelings of fullness. Now, in a new brain imaging study, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have demonstrated that consuming walnuts activates an area in the brain associated with regulating hunger and cravings. The findings, published online in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, reveal for the first time the neurocognitive impact these nuts have on the brain.