Full-fat dairy makes a comeback as some wellness trends face pushback

A review of popular wellness trends found evidence pushing back against several widely adopted habits heading into 2026, including the shift toward full-fat dairy over fat-free alternatives. The review concluded that fat-free, low-fat and full-fat dairy products generally had similar effects on health markers, with some studies even showing benefits of higher-fat dairy over lower-fat versions for raising HDL, or “good,” cholesterol.

Other popular trends received more mixed verdicts: wearing a weighted vest during daily walks showed no significant difference in bone health in at least one comparison study, though it appeared to offer modest cardiovascular benefits and did increase calories burned over the same walking distance. The review’s broader message, echoed across several wellness outlets that season, was that trends embraced widely on social media don’t always hold up equally well once tested against the underlying research.