New Treatment Resurrects Weight-Loss Drug

After 30 years on the rise, rates appear to be stabilizing

(NEWSER) - After rapidly rising for three decades, obesity rates in the US are apparently stabilizing—finally, the Los Angeles Times reports. New data shows just a slight rise in obesity rates since 2005, and many experts say this flattening reflects the success of efforts such as healthier school lunches and nutritional information on food packages. Of course, as one nutrition expert notes, "The bad news is we still have obesity rates that are just astronomical." Specifically, 35.7% of American adults were considered obese in 2010. More»

Holidays, relationships, and quitting smoking among the dangers

(NEWSER) - With Americans continuing to get bigger and bigger , we need all the help we can get to stay healthy—so the Daily Beast offers a warning on 15 things that might cause you to pack on the pounds:

• Holiday season: With all the food, stress, and booze associated with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, the holidays account for 51% of all weight gained during the year.
• Quitting smoking: Men are especially at risk here, with an 8% chance of adding more than 28 pounds after giving up tobacco. Women get off easier, with just a 6% chance.

...and feds think bus-testing regulations need to change to reflect this

(NEWSER) - As Americans get heftier, bus bosses are scrambling to support the extra weight. The Federal Transit Administration wants to tweak its bus-testing regulations so that they better reflect the people that will likely be riding those buses. It has proposed raising the average bus-passenger weight from 150 to 175 pounds, while boosting passengers’ average space requirement from 1.5 to 1.75 square feet. They’re also seeking to update testing procedures to be sure the buses won’t cave under the pressure of tubbier riders, AOL News reports. Click for more . More»

Study also find US has highest BMI among high-income countries

(NEWSER) - Almost half a billion adults—10% of the adult population worldwide—were obese as of 2008, a new study finds. That’s nearly twice the 1980 rate, reports Scientific American . On average, each decade has seen a body mass index inch up 0.4 to an average of 23.8 in 2008; a BMI of more than 25 is considered overweight, while more than 30 is labeled obese. "Obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are no longer Western problems or problems of wealthy nations," said a scientist. More»

Pets, wild animals, even research animals gaining weight

(NEWSER) - America is suffering from an obesity epidemic —and not just among the humans. A new study of more than 20,000 animals shows that even family pets, wild critters that live close to humans, and research animals are getting fatter, Scientific American reports. The biostatistician who published the study looked at weight changes in eight different species including primates and rodents in research centers, pet cats and dogs, and urban rats. They're all packing on the pounds. More»