News on Obesity

Experimental diet drug keeps weight off for 2 years

2011-12-13T13:30:36Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An experimental diet drug seems to help some obese people shed pounds, and keep them off for two years, researchers report.

The drug, which will be called Qnexa if it reaches the market, is a combination of the appetite suppressant phentermine and the anti-seizure drug topiramate.

...

China's obese teens seek help

2011-12-08T06:32:05Z

Chinese teenager Zhu Lindai used to weigh 152 kilogrammes (335 pounds). But since signing up to a centre in Beijing dedicated to helping obese adolescents lose weight she has shed nearly 50 kilos.

Under the supervision of an instructor, she exercises for two hours every morning and afternoon with an optional extra hour in the evening, following a strict regime of running, pilates, group gymnastics, push-ups and sit-ups.

"I used to...

Vermont keeps title of healthiest state, report shows

2011-12-06T13:30:10Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Vermont has again been named the healthiest state in the nation, topping the list for a fifth straight year thanks in part to a high rate of high school graduation and low incidence of infectious disease.

New Hampshire, Connecticut, Hawaii...

Obese people use more meds: study

2011-12-02T11:30:30Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese adults in the United States use a number of prescription drug types more frequently than normal-weight adults, says a new study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Contr...

British women top EU obesity chart

2011-11-24T10:30:21Z

British women and Maltese men topped European obesity ratings according to data released Thursday that also undermined popular belief that all French women are thin.

The figures released by the European Union's statistics agency showed the proportion of obese adults ranging from eight percent to 23.9 percent for women and 7.6 percent to 24.7 percent for men.

Though a worry for public health, the rates are well below ...

Drug helps fat monkeys slim down - are people next?

2011-11-09T17:30:11Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - An experimental drug that chokes off the blood supply to fat cells helped obese monkeys slim down, a sign that it may work in people, too, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The drug, known as Adipotide, takes a different approach from other weight loss medicines, which have generally tried to control appetite, alter the abso...

Behavioral therapy for obesity may help family too

2011-11-09T15:00:09Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When obese people lose weight with behavioral therapy, their family members may get a bit trimmer as well, a new study suggests.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one option for managing obesity, though it's not widely available. It focuses on changing people's thoughts and attitudes on eating and other lifestyle habits, and giving them practical ways to make ...

Commercial diet schemes better than doctors' help

2011-11-04T08:30:09Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Commercial weight-loss programmes such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World are more effective and cheaper than family doctor-based services led by specially trained staff, according t...

Move to better area tied to less diabetes

2011-10-19T14:30:22Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - They say "You are what you eat." Maybe it should also be, "You are where you live."

A new study has found that the affluence of your neighborhood is linked to your risk of obesity and diabetes. People living in a high-poverty area were more likely to be obese and more likely to have diabetes than those in a low-poverty census tract.

The researchers character...

Obese mothers put children at higher risk of asthma

2011-10-10T03:30:08Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Pregnant women who are obese put their children at higher risk of developing asthma compared to mothers of normal weight, a large study in Sweden has found.

The study, which covered over 129,000 mothers in Stockholm and their 189,000 children, found th...

Reality TV experience shapes trainer's view

2011-10-10T02:30:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Trainer Kim Lyons already had a decade of fitness experience behind her but she says the lessons she learned while working on a reality TV show shaped her professional philosophy.

Before joining "The Bigg...

Western fast food, waistlines surge in India

2011-10-09T02:30:18Z

Every lunchtime at a McDonald's on the corner of one of central New Delhi's biggest streets, queues of hungry young patrons, often four-wide and unruly, snake towards the counters.

The majority of those standing in line are under 30, most are in Western rather than Indian dress, and almost all in their choice of conversation and style are identifiably part o...

Obesity rate declines slightly, study finds

2011-10-08T13:30:08Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The percentage of Americans of "normal weight" has slightly increased in the past year, but overweight and obese people still command a solid majority, according to a new study.

In the third quarter of 2011, 36.6 percent of Americans were of normal weight, compared with 35.6 percent a year ago, the Gallup-CHICAGO (Reuters) - The percentage of Americans of "normal weight" has slightly increased in the past year, but overweight and obese people still command a solid majority, according to a new study.

In the third quarter of 2011, 36.6 percent of Americans were of normal weight, compared with 35.6 percent a year ago, the Gallup-Gallup poll showed Friday.

Some 36.6 percent were a normal weight, up a percentage point from a year earlier, while 35.8 percent were overweight, down from 36.0 percent, and 25.8 percent were obese, down from 26.6 percent.

Black Americans, th...

Study finds some Americans slimming but most overweight

2011-10-07T13:00:19Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Some Americans are losing weight resulting in more people of "normal weight," according to a new study, but it is not clear if the trend will last.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found that for the first time in three years there are more normal...

We're gluttons for negative rankings

2011-10-04T02:30:24Z

Been to a buffet lately? Or how about the buffet of buffets?

Las Vegas is famous for 24-hour buffets, as well as fine dining, so it might come as no surprise that we're close to the top of another list: America's 20 Most Gluttonous Cities.

The Daily Meal website ranked U.S. cities using the number of grocery stores and supermarkets, fast-food e...

Behavioral therapies work for weight loss: review

2011-10-03T14:30:16Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diet changes, exercise and other behavioral tactics do help obese adults shed some pounds -- with or without the help of medication, according to a study published Monday.

In the new review, of 58 clinical trials, researchers found that behavioral programs helped obese people lose an average of 7 pounds more over 12 to 18 months, versus people who received no spec...

Obesity debate rages on talk of Christie White House bid

2011-10-02T15:30:10Z

(Reuters) - Speculation that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will enter the U.S. presidential race has led to a feverish debate about the possibility of having the fattest man in the White House since the corpulent William Howard Taft squeezed behind the big d...

Obese may be less able to control food impulses: study

2011-09-19T15:30:08Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Thin people may be able to summon more mental defenses to resist tempting, high-calorie foods than obese people, researchers said on Monday.

Brain scans of thin people who looked at pictures of high-calorie foods showed increased activity in a region of the brain used for impulse control, but obese people showed little activit...

Michigan to track childhood obesity as part of health push

2011-09-14T12:00:11Z

(Reuters) - Michigan's Republican governor said on Wednesday he will ask doctors in the state to begin reporting information on their young patients' body fat levels to a government registry as part of a broader effort to improve the health of state residents.

Governor Rick Snyder said physicians will now be asked to include information on the ...

Weight Watchers works, scientific study finds

2011-09-07T16:30:27Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Overweight patients told by their doctors to go to Weight Watchers lose around twice as much weight as people receiving standard weight loss care over 12 months, according to the findings of a study published on Thursday.

In the first randomized controlled trial -- considere...

Experimental obesity drug beats placebo again

2011-08-31T11:00:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older drugs, a new clinical trial confirms -- though whether the medication will ever reach the market remains up in the air.

Last October, the Food and Drug Administratio...

Fat camp shows China battling the bulge

2011-08-26T09:30:15Z

BEIJING (Reuters) - On the grounds of the Bodyworks weight loss campus in Beijing, 30 tubby men and women sweat profusely, gasping for air as they pound the treadmills in an exercise room.

They represent a shocking new statistic in the world's most populous country. According to some estimates, a third of Chi...

Obesity surge in Britain 'could cost £2bn'

2011-08-26T06:30:28Z

A staggering 26 million Britons will be obese by 2030, placing a huge strain on health services, according to studies published on Friday highlighting the growing global obesity pandemic.

Based on present trends, obesity rates in Britain will rise from 26 percent to 41-48 percent in men, and from 26 percent to 35-43 percent in women over the next two decades.

By 2030, as many as 11 million more British adults will be...

Obesity to worsen, weigh heavily on healthcare costs

2011-08-26T00:00:10Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Obesity is most widespread in Britain and the United States among the world's leading economies and if present trends continue, about half of both men and women in the United States will be obese by 2030, health experts warned on Frid...

Obesity costs set to surge, with US in lead - Lancet studies

2011-08-25T20:30:20Z

One in every two American adults will be obese by 2030, adding hugely to the country's health costs, according to studies published on Friday that highlight the growing burden of the world's obesity pandemic.

On present trends, 50-51 percent of American men and 45-52 percent of American women will by 2030 have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, adding as many as 65 million to the country's population of obese adults, says one of the papers.

Twenty-four million of these 65...

Can chewing more help you eat less?

2011-08-02T20:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - People who chew their food more take in fewer calories, mainly because more chewing is related to the levels of hormones that regulate appetite, according to a Chinese study.

Chewing food 40 times instead of a typical 15 times caused the study participants to eat nearly 12 percent fewer calories, the study -- published in the Reuters) - Companies that have pledged not to market unhealthy food and drinks directly to children may be turning to product placement on television shows instead of traditional ads to target youngsters, a new study showed.

This type of disguised advertising, including high exposure to sugary soft drinks on prime-time TV, is a major contributing factor to childhood obesity, accordin...

Michelle Obama happy with McDonald's menu shift

2011-07-26T14:30:43Z

US fast-food giant McDonald's unveiled a revamped menu Tuesday in a move to offer healthier options and join the fight against obesity, drawing praise from First Lady Michelle Obama.

The chain will add a serving of fruit or vegetable to its "Happy Meals," which are aimed at children, and shrink the portion of French fries.

The new French fry ...

Exclusive: Soda makers escalate attacks over obesity

2011-07-19T14:00:14Z

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. public awareness campaigns about sugary soft drinks are under legal attack by beverage makers, which have sued New York City's hea...

State ranks 39th in obesity, but Nevadans still putting on pounds

2011-07-15T02:30:12Z

Nevadans have been putting on the pounds, but they're not alone. A new report says the state's obesity rate has increased more than 90 percent in the past 15 years, but 17 other states have seen similar or larger increases.

The report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future," says Nevada is the 39th most obese state in the nation, with an obesity rate of 25 percent.

Fifteen years ago, the state had an obes...

State should take obese kids from parents: US doctors

2011-07-13T17:30:24Z

The government should have the right to remove severely obese children from their parents' home and place them in foster care, two US doctors argued in a controversial editorial published Wednesday.

"State intervention may serve the best interests of many children with life-threatening obesity, comprising the only realistic way to control harmful behaviors," wrote Lindsey Murtagh of the LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The number of obese U.S. adults rose in 16 states in the last year, helping to push obesity rates in a dozen states above 30 percent, according to a report released on Thursday.

By that measure, Mississippi is the fattest state in the union with an adult obesity...

Overweight men have poorer sperm count

2011-07-04T17:30:24Z

Overweight or obese men, like their female counterparts, have a lower chance of becoming a parent, according to a comparison of sperm quality presented at a European fertility meeting Monday.

In what they described as the largest study of its kind, doctors looked at sperm samples from 1,940 men and matched them to the donor's weight.

The benchmark was the body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat among adults. Under this, normal weight is defined as a BMI of 18.5-25; overw...

Fertility treatment less successful in obese women

2011-07-01T10:00:16Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be half as likely as their normal-weight counterparts to have a baby, a study at one U.S. medical center suggests.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that of ...

Pediatrician group urges ban on junk food ads

2011-06-27T14:30:43Z

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. pediatricians want to ban junk food ads aimed at children, saying that they conspire with sedentary activities like watching television and playing video games to make kids fat.

"Congress and the Federal Trade ...

Industry role in child obesity less prominent on TV

2011-06-21T14:30:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Television coverage of childhood obesity is less likely than print media to focus on the role of the food and beverage industry, according to a new report in the journal Pediatrics.

On the other hand, TV networks more often mention solutions on the personal level, like exercising and eating healthy foods.

That is concerning, researchers say, because spotligh...

Prolonged bottle-feeding tied to children's obesity

2011-06-08T20:30:11Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Two-year-olds who are still using bottles are more likely to be obese by kindergarten, a U.S. study said, raising the possibility that weaning babies from the bottle at an earlier age may help prevent excessive weight gain.

The study of nearly 7,000 U.S. children, published in the United States often ditch their ethnic diets for high-calorie American fare, partly because it is cheap and easy to find but also as a way to fit in, a new study shows.

Immigrants who eat American are consuming, on average, 182 extra calories and seven additional grams of saturated fat compared to immigrants who stick to their traditional diet, leaving the fast-food immigrants more likely to become obese an...

Excess weight in elderly makes daily tasks harder

2011-05-16T16:30:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older adults who are obese are more likely to develop problems with day-to-day activities, such as bathing, getting dressed, and going to the bathroom, a new study finds.

The more excess weight they are carrying, the more likely they are to report new disabilities, according to surveys of more than 20,000 adults 65 and older.

Interestingly, being overweight ...

Extra weight piles on knee arthritis risk: study

2011-04-18T11:00:38Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Being overweight doubles a person's risk for osteoarthritis of the knees and being obese quadruples it, according to a new review of past studies that was designed to calculate how many knee arthritis cases would be avoided in a normal-weight world.

"It's very challenging for doctors to treat this disease. Therefore prevention of this disease becomes very importan...

Two-drug obesity treatment effective: study

2011-04-10T18:30:21Z

A new treatment for obesity that combines two existing drugs resulted in twice as much weight loss as the only approved long-term anti-obesity medication, according to a study released Monday.

A mix of Phentermine and topiramate, sold under the brand name of Topamax, was shown in clinical trials to be twice as effective as orlistat, which is commercialised in some countries as

Obesity declining among Australian preschoolers

2011-04-06T11:30:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fewer Australian preschoolers are overweight in recent years compared with the late-1990s -- and the social disparities in children's obesity risk seem to be shrinking, a new study finds.

The results, reported in the International Journal of Obesity, offer some rare good news in the global battle of the bulge. Young children, the researchers say, could well be "am...

China toddler fights fat in land of little emperors

2011-04-01T06:00:26Z

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - In a sleepy riverside village in Southern China, three-year-old Lu Zhihao tears around his home; his belly, arms and legs wobbling with fat as he stuffs a pear into his mouth.

"I want to be superman," said the toddler, a typically cheeky kid, but one scaling i...

US NIH obesity plan focuses on real-world research

2011-03-31T13:31:10Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. health officials Thursday announced a new effort to curb America's obesity epidemic by moving science from the lab into clinical trials to find practical ways for prevention and treatment.

"This plan is a bold blueprint that will encourage the research community to examine the epidemic of obesity from diverse perspectives...

Painful, itchy skin linked to obesity in kids

2011-03-31T13:30:56Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Small children who are obese may be more likely to develop severe eczema, a painful, extremely itchy skin condition, a new study says.

Compared to children who weren't obese, kids who became obese between the ages of 2 and 5 years old had more than three times the risk of developing the condition. If they were even younger when they became obese - babies or toddle...

Obesity fight begins at home: Michelle Obama

2011-03-24T14:30:37Z

US First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity took a personal turn when she said she is paying more attention to a key body fat measurement for her own daughters.

Obama said she was surprised to learn that her daughters' body mass index, or BMI, numbers were "creeping upwards," she wrote on yahoo.com's website.

"I didn't really know what BMI was," she said.

"I certainly didn't know that even...

Facial expressions, weight may sway kids' eating

2011-03-23T09:30:31Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If you want your kids to eat their broccoli, you might try smiling when you eat your own veggies, a small study suggests.

The French research team asked 120 adults and children to look at various photos of people eating. In the kids, the effect of the photos was much more complicated than in the adults.

In general, adults paid attention to body weight. That ...

"Apple" obesity heart risk theory goes pear-shaped

2011-03-10T16:30:16Z

LONDON (Reuters) - New research is challenging previous medical notions that "apple-shaped" people with more fat around their waist are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than "pear-shaped" people with fatter bottoms and hips.

A study of 220,000 people published Friday confirmed that being obese -- having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more -- is a major risk factor for heart dise...

Obesity, body temperature may not be linked:study

2011-03-08T18:30:07Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - People with extra body fat may not have a lower core body temperature than thinner folks, according to a study -- contradicting one theory on what could lead some people to gain more weight.

The idea stems from the fact that a cooler core body temperature would mean there is less heat to shed and thus fewer calories being burned, which animal research has suggested...

Cooler body temperature may not feed obesity

2011-03-08T12:30:38Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to one theory on obesity, people with extra body fat may not have a lower body temperature than thinner folks, a new study finds.

Many factors, from super-sized fast-food portions to increasing time in front of computers, have been blamed for the rising rates of obesity worldwide.

But physiological factors also may make some people more vulnerable t...

Don't worry, be happy and live longer: studies

2011-03-02T09:00:24Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Today's lesson: be happy, live longer. Now science seems to back the glass half-full approach.

A review of more than 160 studies on the connection between a positive state of mind and overall health and longevity has found "clear and compelling evidence" that happier people enjoy better health and longer lives.

In fact, evidence linking an upbeat outlook and enjoym...

Don't worry, be happy and live longer: scientific studies

2011-03-01T12:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Today's lesson: be happy, live longer. Now science seems to back the glass half-full approach.

In fact, evidence linking an upbeat outlook and enjoym...

Michelle Obama gets a Republican boost on obesity

2011-02-27T16:30:28Z

Two Republican heavyweights came to the defense of First Lady Michelle Obama Sunday, breaking ranks with some of their party's top stars who have taken jabs at her campaign against obesity.

Mike Huckabee, a formerly overweight talk show host who is a possible presidential contender, took issue with conservative critics who say the first lady is unduly i...

Girls with migraines pack on extra pounds

2011-02-25T10:30:17Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Girls who get migraines appear more likely than their peers to gain extra weight during adulthood, scientists say.

They found that four of every ten women with childhood migraines had added at least 22 pounds since age 18, compared to three of ten women who never had the throbbing headaches.

Migraines have been linked to obesity before, but the new results h...

Home temperature, sleep loss tied to obesity: study

2011-02-23T21:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Cooler homes and a better night's sleep might help rein in the current obesity epidemic, according to an Italian study.

When researchers led by Simona Bo at the University of Turin in Italy followed more than a thous...

Home temperature, sleep loss tied to obesity

2011-02-23T11:00:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Could we all help rein in the obesity epidemic by turning down our thermostats this winter? Maybe or maybe not -- but a new study suggests that environmental factors ranging from diet, to sleep to home temperature are related to the risk of becoming obese.

Junk food and physical inactivity usually catch most of the blame for the obesity problem weighing down much ...

Americans unswayed by menu calorie counts

2011-02-16T14:30:41Z

The high calorie counts of the artery-clogging fast foods were right in front of their eyes, but adults and teens in a recent US study went ahead and ordered burgers anyway.

So said researchers at New York University whose findings were published this week in the International Journal of Obesity, just as a major policy to display calorie counts on menus is taking effect across the CHICAGO (Reuters) - Requiring fast-food restaurants in New York City to post calorie counts on menus did little to cut the number of calories children and teens consumed, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They found that children and adolescents noticed the calories posted on ...

Plus-sized athletes to US first lady: Fat can be fit

2011-02-13T03:32:14Z

A lifelong acolyte of exercise and fitness, Sandy Shaffer works out three times per week, eats a diet loaded with fruits and vegetables, and somehow finds time to teach a weekly aerobics class, but at five-foot, five inches (1.65 meters) and 320 pounds (145 kilograms), Shaffer also is considered obese.

But the plus-sized sports enthusiast insists that the label says little about the generally excellent state of her health.

Teen obesity could shrink Australian lifespans

2011-02-09T02:30:10Z

Health experts warned that Australia's life expectancy could be sent into reverse after a new study found alarming levels of obesity among teenagers.

Nearly a quarter of 13-to-18-year-olds are overweight or obese, according to the survey of 12,000 secondary school students, which said Australia was facing a "chronic disease time-bomb".

"If ever there was a wake-up call for Australians, this is it," said Reuters Life!) - Children in an intensive obesity program that included exercise and coaching on health and nutrition for their parents were able to slim down and keep weight off a year after the program ended, a U.S. study said.

Obesity programs aimed at youth have generally not shown much long-term success, both in keeping children involved during the program and sti...

South Asia faces rising incidence of heart disease, diabetes

2011-02-08T21:00:10Z

HONG KONG (Reuters) - South Asia is facing a health crisis, with rising rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and patients facing impoverishment as they pay for treatment out of their own pockets, the World Bank said on Wednesday.

Although the regio...

Program helps obese kids keep weight off long-term

2011-02-08T11:00:06Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids in an intensive obesity program were able to slim down and maintain a healthier weight a year after it ended, according to a new study.

Obesity programs aimed at youth have generally not shown much long-term success, both in keeping kids involved during the program and still motivated afterwards.

The results are noteworthy for two reasons, according to ...

Child obesity 'linked to working mothers'

2011-02-04T11:32:10Z

The more mothers work during their children's lifetimes, the more likely their kids are to be overweight or obese, according to a US study published on Friday.

Researchers from American University in Washington, Cornell University in New York state and the

Global obesity rate doubles since 1980: study

2011-02-04T07:33:18Z

More than half a billion adults are clinically obese in a near-doubling of the numbers of dangerously overweight adults since 1980, doctors warned on Friday.

Nearly one in nine of all adults -- are clinically obese, according to research by a team from Imperial College London, Harvard and the Worl...

'Tsunami' of obesity worldwide: study

2011-02-03T16:30:37Z

A "tsunami of obesity" is unfurling across the world, resulting in a near-doubling of the numbers of dangerously overweight adults since 1980, doctors warned on Friday.

More than half a billion men and women -- nearly one in nine of all adults -- are clinically obese, according to research by a team from Imperial College London, Harvard and the Britain is having to buy new ambulances and upgrade others to cope with a growing number of fat patients as an obesity crisis grips the country, a report said Thursday.

Every ambulance service in Britain has had to buy extra-strength wheelchairs and wider stretchers while reinforcing existing vehicles at a cost of millions of pounds (dollars, euros), the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday declined to approve a weight loss drug by the California pharmaceutical company Orexigen, saying it must conduct more studies to rule out heart risks.

The surprise announcement sent Orexigen stock plunging and came ...

U.S. rejects Orexigen diet drug over heart risks

2011-02-01T05:00:14Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators rejected Orexigen Therapeutics Inc's weight-loss drug and requested a clinical trial to resolve heart safety concerns, dealing a huge blow to what stood to be the first new diet pill in a decade.

Its shares tanked 73 percent to $2.44 on the news on Tuesday. The U.S....

Some people choose smaller meals when offered

2011-01-27T15:00:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Offering downsized meal portions in addition to normal ones at cafeterias may help some people cut their calorie intake, Dutch researchers say.

They say the smaller portions could work in other settings, too, and might help curb obesity, although it's too soon to know if people compensate by eating more the rest of the day.

The report, published the Internat...

More weekend sleep may equal leaner children: study

2011-01-25T19:30:24Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A lack of shuteye over the weekend could be piling extra weight onto U.S. children, a sixth of whom are already obese, a study says.

The research, published in Pediatrics, followed the sleeping habits of 300 children between 4 to 10 years of age for a week and found that obese children slept fewer hours, and had more irregular sleep patterns, than thei...

Smoking explains why Americans don't live longer

2011-01-25T14:30:48Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Smoking and, to a smaller degree, obesity explain why Americans do not live as long as the French or Japanese, U.S. experts reported on Tuesday.

Even though just 20 percent of Americans smoke now, more than 40 percent of U.S. adults smoked in 1960 and the population is still paying the price, the report from the United States, but at a slower rate than in countries like Japan and

2011-01-25T08:30:28Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The definition of a 'healthy' waistline may have a bit more wiggle room for African-American women than for white women, a new study suggests.

As it stands, men are considered to have abdominal obesity when their waistline tops 40 inches; for women, the threshold is 35 inches. Abdominal obesity, in turn, raises a person's risk of diabetes and heart disease.

...

Industry debuts new U.S. food labels, critics pan

2011-01-25T08:30:12Z

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. grocers joined with food and drink makers to unveil a new system on Monday for putting nutritional information on packages ahead of plans from U.S. regulators, who have called for clear and accurate labels to help fight obesity.

Critics were quick to qu...

WHO recommends food marketing curbs for child obesity

2011-01-21T16:00:09Z

GENEVA (Reuters) - Governments must work with industry to restrict advertising of foods high in salt, sugar and dangerous fats targeted at children to tackle an epidemic of obesity and other diseases, health officials said on Friday.

The call is part of a focus on combating non-communicable diseases -- cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease -- that are a growing cause of premature death in...

First Lady enlists Wal-Mart in war against obesity

2011-01-20T19:30:27Z

First Lady Michelle Obama enlisted the help of supermarket giant Wal-Mart on Thursday as she ramped up her fight against the scourge of childhood obesity in the United States.

Obama stood beside the vegetable section in a Washington Wal-Mart as the largest US retailer unveiled its "Nutrition Cha...

Evidence suggests role for chemicals in diabetes

2011-01-13T20:30:06Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Evidence strongly suggests that some chemicals, especially chemicals in cigarette smoke, might cause some cases of diabetes and obesity, U.S. government researchers said on Thursday.

A committee appointed by the National Toxicology Program went through studies looking at links between diabetes and obesity and chemicals such as arsenic, chemicals found in p...

Boston debuts ambulance for obese patients

2011-01-11T13:30:11Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Boston emergency services debuted a specialized ambulance designed to carry obese patients on Tuesday, and the retrofitted vehicle was promptly needed on two calls, authorities said.

The ambulance is equipped with a special stretcher that can hold 850 lbs and a hydraulic lift with a 1,000 lb capacity, said Captain Jose Archila of...

Can New Jersey's Chris Christie overcome his weight?

2011-01-10T12:00:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a rising star of the Republican Party seen as having a shot at a White House run, raising questions whether his obesity could impede his chances.

American views on overweight candidates may help determine the political future of Christie, an alternative to fit...

Study suggests economic insecurity boosts obesity

2011-01-07T07:00:10Z

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - The stress of being exposed to economic insecurity may mean people living in countries with so-called "free market" economies are more likely to become obese, British researchers said on Friday.

In a study in the journal Economics and Human Biology, Oxford University researchers foun...

FAQs on Our Public College Rankings

2011-01-05T11:30:21Z

Here are answers to your questions about how we pick the schools on our list.

Why isn’t my school on the list?

As with any ranking, our lists exclude schools that do not meet our criteria. We start with data on more than 500 public institutions and sort the schools based on quality measures -- such as the admission rate, the test scores of incoming freshmen, and four- a...

Americans 'under illusion their diet is healthy'

2011-01-04T09:30:42Z

Nine in 10 Americans say their diet is healthy but only a quarter limit the amount of fat or sugar they eat, and two-thirds don't eat enough fruit and vegetables, a poll published Tuesday found.

"Americans tend to give themselves high marks for healthy eating, but when we asked how many sugary drinks, fatty foods, and fruits and veggies they consumed, we found that their definition of healthy eating was questionable," said Nancy Metcalf of Reuters Health) - A new survey of chest pain reports worldwide finds that the most afflicted country is the African nation of Chad, where 24 percent of the population has chest pain.

The study, which included 52 countries, also showed that the fatter you are, the more likely you are to develop chest pain, or angina pectoris.

Angina shar...

Britain unveils industry-backed healthy-eating plan

2011-01-02T11:00:09Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government unveiled a 250 million pound ($390 million) industry-financed plan to promote good eating on Sunday under which millions of people will receive vouchers offering discounts on healthy foods.

The coalition government is promoting the scheme as part of its Change4Life programme, aimed at combating ...

Little screening of kids for obesity complications

2010-12-23T09:00:24Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Only a minority of obese youths are screened for diabetes, liver problems and high cholesterol, electronic medical records from an Ohio healthcare system show.

Researchers say the findings are a call for action, since such complications could be part of the reason why heavy kids appear to have shorter lives than their slimmer peers.

Other expert...

Obese New Zealanders put the squeeze on cemeteries

2010-12-17T04:30:31Z

New Zealanders' expanding waistlines are creating a weighty problem for funeral directors, who cannot fit cadavers in their crematories and have resorted to selling double burial plots, reports said Friday.

Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand president Tony Garing said the size of the standard coffin had increased as obesity rates soared.

"Caskets are getting wider to accommodate people, ...

Poverty equals obesity? Study bucks common wisdom

2010-12-14T14:30:39Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women who are poor are much more likely to be obese but men are not, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday in a report that contradicts some common perceptions.

They found income does not greatly affect whether a man is obese but that education seems to affect both sexes.

"Among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels,...

US panel approves first obesity drug in a decade

2010-12-07T16:30:48Z

An advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday gave its approval to an anti-obesity drug, in what could be the first new approved drug for losing weight in more than a decade.

Contrave, a drug developed by the California-based

More than half of European adults overweight: study

2010-12-07T16:30:46Z

More than half of European adults are now overweight and too many children smoke or are obese, raising the risk of cancer or heart attacks, a European health report showed Tuesday.

Just over 15 percent of adults in the European Union are obese, a rate that has more than doubled over the past 20 years in most EU states, the study found.

The obesity rate ranges from less than 10 percent in Reuters) - More than half of adults in European Union are overweight or obese, piling pressure onto their own health, their nations' health systems and the wider economy, the OECD and the EU Commission said on Tuesday.

In a report...

Food Labeling Sebelius

2010-11-12T10:35:38Z

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks during during a global obesity summit, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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CHILD OBESITY

2010-05-03T15:37:57Z

U.S. map shows childhood obesity prevalence by state.

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Vancouver Olympics Sebelius

2010-03-27T04:55:21Z

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 ...

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

2010-03-27T10:02:54Z

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/Michelle Obama speaks about childhood obesity to the National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

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