The latest in Obesity

The Epidemic of Obesity in Adults and Children

2010-03-12T10:25:37Z

The definition between overweight and obese is the line between twenty-nine and thirty for adults. This refers to the body mass index (BMI) as calculated by weight divided by height. A similar distinction is true for children and teens though the calculation of the BMI is slightly different for individuals in those age groups.<br><br>There are three factors that are known to play important roles in obesity for both child and adult. There are also other factors that seem to play a ...

Childhood Obesity is on the Rise

2010-03-10T23:58:19Z

According to childhood obesity statistics, childhood obesity has more than tripled over the course of the past thirty years. Over 30% of children ages 6-19 years old are either already overweight, or at a high risk of becoming overweight. These childhood obesity statistics have shocked not only scientists, but parents as well. In a world full of technology and video games, kids are simply not getting enough physical stimulation. As technology progresses, will childhood obesity statistics cont...

Dealing With Obesity in Children

2010-03-10T23:58:12Z

More and more children are struggling with obesity in today's society. With a prevalence of video games and television luring youth into a sedentary lifestyle, it is no wonder why so many children are facing this issue. However, it is not the children who are to blame for the obesity problem, for children are only a product of their environment. If a child lives in a home where healthy eating and regular exercise are not encouraged, then the child will blindly follow the unhealthy habits he o...

Unhealthy Foods Get Less Popular With Higher Price

2010-03-10T00:15:38Z

<div id="subtitle">Study supports backers of tax on high-calorie food products</div><div><p>Let's face it; some really great tasting food is not good for you. Eaten rarely it may cause little harm, but a steady diet of it can lead to problems. </p><p>To encourage healthier choices, some have advocated a tax on sugary soft drinks and other food products often linked to obesity. The idea is a controversial one, but new research indicates it might just have the...

NY seeks 'fat tax' on sodas to fight rising US obesity

2010-03-09T10:16:57Z

<div><p>New York leaders are pressing for a so-called fat tax on the soft drinks industry, saying that sweet beverages are responsible for an upsurge of obesity across the United States.</p><p>State Health Commissioner Richard Daines took up the issue Monday, speaking of a "golden opportunity" to create the tax.</p><p>"The dramatic underpricing...

Tax soda, pizza to cut obesity, researchers say

2010-03-09T09:30:21Z

<div><p>CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. researchers estimate that an 18 percent tax on pizza and soda can push down U.S. adults' calorie intake enough to lower their average weight by 5 pounds (2 kg) per year.</p><p>The researchers, writing in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday, suggested taxing could be used as a weapon in the fight against obesity, w...

School drink deal cuts sugar

2010-03-08T14:45:20Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - A deal to sell healthier drinks in U.S. schools has slashed the amount of fattening beverages offered to students, former President Bill Clinton said on Monday as New York leaders pushed for a soda tax to tackle obesity and budget ...

Modern Etiquette: Do the obese really deserve contempt?

2010-03-08T07:00:18Z

<div><p>SEATTLE (Reuters) - Disgust. Pity. Contempt.</p><p>Obesity is everywhere in our society today -- and this is how it is met by a remarkable number of people.</p><p>People who would find slurs against other groups unthinkable still seem to think nothing of correcting, lecturing, and even humiliating complete strangers who are overweight.</p&...

Bugs in the gut can cause obesity: study

2010-03-05T17:15:57Z

<div><p>The bugs that help digest food may also cause the body to pack on the pounds if they are not properly regulated, a new study has found.</p><p>That is because if the wrong kinds of bacteria take over they can cause a low-level inflammation that leads to a pre-diabetic condition and an elevated appetite, the study published Thursday in the journal Science found.</p><p>"It has been assumed that the obesity epidemic in the developed world is driven by an i...

Obesity and depression are a two-way street

2010-03-05T11:15:19Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who are obese are at increased risk of becoming depressed, and people who are depressed are at increased risk of becoming obese, Dutch researchers have found.</p><p>"There is a reciprocal association over time between depression and obesity," Dr. Floriana S. Luppino, of Reuters) - Germs that make their home in the gut may help cause obesity and a range of health-threatening symptoms that go along with it, researchers reported on Thursday.</p><p>It could be that certain bacteria cause inflammation that can affect appetite as well as inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn's disease and colitis, the researchers reported in the journal Science.</p>&...

First lady tours Miss. schools to tout health

2010-03-03T15:45:21Z

<div id="subtitle">First lady goes to Miss., No. 1 in childhood obesity, to promote health, physical activity</div><div><p>First lady Michelle Obama visited Jackson on Wednesday and watched children play on swings and a jungle gym at a school whose programs have been lauded for fighting obesity by keeping kids active.</p><p>It was the first of her two stops in Reuters Life!) - New York City's obesity rate has climbed in recent years, but with lower income neighborhoods hit hardest while wealthier areas like Manhattan's Upper East Side and Chelsea remain slim, a new study found.</p><...

Obesity hits New York's poor neighborhoods hardest

2010-03-02T13:32:54Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New York City's obesity rate has climbed in recent years, but there are large variations across the city's neighborhoods, with lower income areas hit hardest, a new study finds.</p><p>Between 2003 and 2007, the prevalence of obesity citywide increased from 20 percent to 22 percent, according to the study, published...

Hot tip: Target inflammation to ease obesity ills

2010-03-01T12:33:27Z

<div id="subtitle">HEALTHBEAT: Anti-inflammatories for diabetes? Scientists hunt what makes obesity cause disease</div><div><p>What if you could be fat but avoid heart disease or diabetes? Scientists trying to break the fat-and-disease link increasingly say inflammation is the key.</p><p>In the quest to prove it, a major study is under way testing whether an anti-inflammatory drug — an old, cheap cousin of aspirin — can fight the Type 2 diabetes spurred by obe...

Vancouver Olympics Sebelius

2010-02-27T14:16:38Z

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is seen during an interview in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. Sebelius is tapping a number of Olympic athletes for the First Lady's "Let's Move" campaign against childhood obesity. Sebelius is tapping a number of Olympic athletes for the ...

Mexico's First Lady meets with Michelle Obama

2010-02-25T22:45:09Z

<div id="subtitle">Mexico says first lady met with Michelle Obama, discussed obesity, migrants, addictions</div><div><p>The Mexican government says first lady Margarita Zavala has met with Michelle Obama during a visit to the White House.</p&g...

Schwarzenegger, Clinton attend obesity summit

2010-02-24T08:15:33Z

<div id="subtitle">Gov. Schwarzenegger, Bill Clinton attend summit in LA to discuss solutions to obesity crisis</div><div><p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former President Bill Clinton are in Los Angeles to discuss solutions to America

Scottish Government Annouce Plans To Deal With The Time Bomb Of Obesity

2010-02-22T10:31:34Z

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 22: A man stands outside a food shop in Glasgow City centre on February 22, 2010 in Glasgow, Scotland. The Scottish government announced plans today to tackle the nation's obesity problem, after projected reports suggesting that nearly half the population could be classed as obese by 2030. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the National Governors Association on of her initiative 'Let's Move' which fights childhood obesity Washington DC, USA - 20.02.10