That is why it is particularly important to take heed of the advice from nutrition experts who say that even minor dietary adjustments can lead to significant improvements.

A recent feature in Yahoo Health touted the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids-laden fish, such as salmon or sardines, which – just like pure water – help lock in skin moisture and retain elasticity.

Legumes, such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, which are rich in protein, fiber and antioxidants as well as fresh fruit, such as blueberries and grapes, can also help improve the appearance of the skin, while providing important internal benefits, especially when it comes to heart and cardiovascular health.

According to experts from the Harvard School of Public Health, fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily, as studies have shown they can help reduce blood pressure, stave off heart disease, stroke or cancer.

Researchers have previously found that a larger waist is linked to an increased risk of suffering from diabetes, heart complications and unhealthy cholesterol levels. A theory suggests the connection between larger waist circumference and these health problems is because the excess weight surrounds the organs damaged by these diseases.

In an effort to prove this argument, researchers surveyed more than 104,000 individuals aged 50 years and older about their lifestyles, medical history, waistline measurements and weight.

Following calculating the body mass index (BMI) of each participant, the results of the study showed that those with a larger waist circumference were twice as likely to develop any death-related health problems.

The authors concluded that "future detailed analyses of the relationship between waist circumference and measures of insulin resistance within categories of BMI could identify biological reasons for potential differences in the strength of the association between waist circumference and mortality."

People who are looking for a natural alternative that can lead to a smaller waist can benefit from practicing yoga and specific positions designed to tone one’s waistline, according to Yoga.com.

A western diet consists of processed foods that are high in saturated fat, sugars and sodium, and lacks a healthy intake of vitamins and minerals.

During a recent study, a team of researchers monitored the types of foods consumed by 1,800 adolescents and then categorized their eating habits as their healthy or western-style . The investigators then compared what the participants ate to the number of individuals who have developed ADHD by age 14.

The results of the trial showed that a total of 115 adolescents had been diagnosed with the learning disorder. The team also found that these individuals had eating habits similar to a western-style diet.

The western diet "doesn’t provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration, or that [the] western diet might contain more colours, flavours and additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms," said Wendy Oddy, lead author of the study.

In 2008, an estimated 5 million Americans aged 3 to 17 years had ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In an effort to discover the effects of a diet consisting of high fat foods during pregnancy, researchers fed a low-fat or high-fat diet to rats before giving birth. After the pups were born, the team had them nurse with a different rat that ate the same or opposite dietary regimen as their mothers.

The results of the study showed that despite which diet the pregnant rats had eaten, the pups who nursed with rats that ate the high-fat diet were categorized as obese within a few weeks. Also, the investigators discovered that in addition to obesity, the pups also developed the early signs of diabetes.

Bo Sun, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, stated that these results suggest that "high-fat diet intake by nursing mothers may be more critical to the later development of obesity and diabetes in their offspring than high fat feeding during pregnancy."

In addition to increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes, a study conducted at the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Missouri showed that excess weight during pregnancy also increased the inftants’ ponderal index, mean that the baby’s body is composed mostly of fat.

More than 730 participants, 70 percent of whom were female patients, were enrolled into the study. The average age of participants was 60 years old. A team of researchers measured the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and measurements of abdominal fat of each patient. The researchers also did several scans of the patients that measured both brain volume and function.

The results of the study showed a stronger connection between an increased BMI and lower brain volumes in the older participants than in the younger patients. The team also discovered that these individuals would more likely develop Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia later in life.

"Our data suggests a stronger connection between central obesity, particularly [abdominal obesity], and risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease," said Sudha Seshadri, lead author and a researcher from the Boston University School of Medicine.

Approximately 5.3 million people in the United States were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and it was the seventh leading cause of the death in 2006, according to the Alzheimer’s Disease Association.

In an effort to discover the link between poor oral hygiene and excess weight gain, researchers enrolled a total of 65 children between the ages of 2 and 5 into a study. All the participants were given a dental exam and had blood taken.

Despite the recommended amount of daily caloric intake ranging from 1,000 to 1,400 for children in this age group, researchers discovered that 71 percent of the children ate more than 1,200 calories per day. Also, approximately 28 percent of participants that showed signs of tooth decay also suffered from an unhealthy body mass index.

Kathleen Bethin, a pediatrician at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, stated that dental decay is "the most common chronic disease of childhood, and obesity in youth is a growing problem." She added that "to prevent these problems, the dentist’s office may be an important place to educate families about nutrition."

While improvements in a child’s diet may help prevent the development of tooth decay, parents who suffer from this complication or gum disease could pass these problems onto their children, according a study conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.

In an effort to encourage Americans to use less salt, researchers are conducting studies to determine if physiological elements contribute to how much salt a person consumes.

A team of investigators enrolled 87 participants into a two-week trial and had them eat different types of salty foods, including broth, chips and pretzels. Individuals were selected from a group of people who didn’t watch what they ate or weren’t smokers.

After consuming each food, the participants ranked it based on the amount of salt they tasted.

Researchers found that individuals who ranked foods the saltiest were categorized as supertasters, who were described as people who may have a gene variation that allowed them to taste flavors at a more intense level. Because these individuals can taste more bitterness in certain foods, the results of the study also showed that these participants used more salt than other people.

These new findings could prove beneficial to physicians when discussing salt intake with their patients. High salt consumption has been proven to lead to several heart-related health complications.

In 2006, an estimated 81.1 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with at least one type of cardiovascular disease, the American Heart Association reports.

For 10 years, researchers from Penn State observed the dietary trends of 170 girls age 5 years old, and split them into groups that did and didn’t drink the sugary beverages.

While neither group met the proper nutritional standards, the results of the trial showed that girls who didn’t drink soda had healthier eating habits than those who consume soda. Girls who drank the sugar-sweetened beverages had a poor intake of fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

Also, the team of investigators discovered that aside from drinking soda, the biggest difference between the two groups was how much milk they consumed. The study showed that girls who didn’t drink soda consumed about 10 to 11 ounces of milk per day, while the peers consumed less than 7 ounces per day.

In addition to unhealthy eating habits, high soda consumption can lead to weight gain, diabetes, dental problems and an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

To conduct this research, a team of physicians used three groups of mice and observed the effects of feeding a high-phosphate diet to one group and compared them to the others who were not on the diet.

In the first group, the animals were missing one gene that prevented the chemical levels from rising, and only lived 8 to 15 weeks. The second group were genetically altered at birth to have naturally low phosphate levels, and lived the longest – about 20 weeks. The third group, which had the same genetic makeup as the second group, but ate a diet high in phosphate levels, died within 15 weeks.

The results show that high levels of this chemical were toxic in the mice, and could have a similar effect on humans.

M. Shawkat Razzaque, a physician from the Department of Medicine, Infection and Immunity at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, stated that "humans need a healthy diet and keeping the balance of phosphate in the diet may be important for a healthy life and longevity." The physician added that "this research suggests that our phosphorous balance influences the aging process."

People can achieve a phosphorus balance by including milk, grain and foods rich in protein, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.