Kids Get Graded on Obesity

Toddlers with poor relationships with mom may suffer in terms of health

(NEWSER) - Most parents have gotten an "I hate you!" tossed their way. But if your toddler really seems to mean it, Mom, you may want to figure out how to improve the relationship. A study set to be published next month found that toddlers who were ranked as having the worst emotional relationship with their moms were more than twice as likely to be obese at age 15 than those with a good relationship, reports the Daily Mail . More»

New research is focusing less on the bathroom scale

(NEWSER) - Those carrying 10 to 15 extra pounds might be able to stop feeling guilty about the bathroom scale. A spate of studies show a little extra weight isn't such a bad thing, the Wall Street Journal concludes. In fact, it might even ward off diseases such as osteoporosis and help people look younger by, in the words of a dermatologist, "adding volume" to the face. More»

In fighting obesity, little things don't count for much

(NEWSER) - Obesity experts would beg to disagree with the first lady, who said last month that it's the "small changes that add up" in fighting childhood obesity. Contrary to what Michelle Obama and many dieters believe, the body is actually wired to adapt to minor lifestyle changes—one less cookie a day, a few extra minutes of walking—to prevent these changes from making you lose weight. Small steps may prevent weight gain, but it takes big moves to take off pounds. More»

Michelle Obama's project exaggerates the issue, for starters

(NEWSER) - Kate Harding loves 90% of Michelle Obama's childhood obesity initiative—but she has a real problem with the 10% that is "whipping up fear and disgust of the very fat children you're supposedly trying to help." Her objections, in Salon :

• Exaggeration: Childhood obesity is painted in the most frightening possible way. ("Our children may live shorter lives than their parents.") The truth is, childhood obesity levels are no longer rising—so enough with the "fear-mongering."

Study shows you can be 'obese' at a normal weight

(NEWSER) - You don't have to look fat to be fat, a new study suggests. A report from the Mayo Clinic finds that people of a normal weight with a high percentage of body fat are at greater risk for heart problems than those with lower fat. In cases of "normal weight obesity," healthy-looking bodies essentially "behave like they are obese," says the lead researcher. Up to 30 million Americans may fall into this category—but many won't know it. More»