Obesity Is a Socially Transmitted Disease

Study says social networks strongly influence behavior

(NEWSER) - If your friends all jumped off a bridge, you'd probably listen to your mom and not follow them, but how about if they started exercising? New research into social networks—in 3D, not on MySpace or Facebook—shows people are more likely to quit smoking or lose weight if someone close to them does likewise. The search for other applications is on, reports the Washington Post. More»

New study suggests chemicals' effects linger for generations

(NEWSER) - Can the recent increase in autism, obesity, and anxiety disorders be traced back to chemical exposure? That's what a new study involving pregnant rats suggests, AFP reports. Pregnant rats who were exposed to the common fungicide vinclozolin had descendants who, three generations later, weighed more, were less sociable, and displayed more anxiety and stress than descendants of rats who had not been exposed. That's significant because, the lead author explains, "We are now in the third human generation since the start of the chemical revolution, since humans have been exposed to these kinds of toxins." More»

Diabetes, prediabetes rates in teens take big jump: study

(NEWSER) - Turns out the kids aren't alright: Some 23% of American teenagers have diabetes or prediabetes; 10 years ago, that number was 9%, a new study says. Researchers stumbled on the find while analyzing data on nearly 3,400 adolescents, trying to explain their susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Teen rates of high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity were all about the same—but the diabetes numbers jumped out, the Washington Post reports. More»

Here's a tip: No one cares about your food

(NEWSER) - If you want to avoid driving away all the Twitter followers you've accumulated, you may want to take a look at this list from Katie Heaney on BuzzFeed of 11 things that will really, really annoy them:

• Using your followers as Google: If you want to know what restaurant to visit in a new city, just look it up yourself.
• Tweeting about what you're eating: Absolutely no one cares, unless you're a famous chef. Assuming you're just a normal person, "just put food in your mouth about three times a day, chew it quietly, and swallow. There are no other necessary actions."

Study suggests nighttime fasting is effective

(NEWSER) - Want to lose weight, but can't bear to give up french fries? Well, there might be a "diet" of sorts that lets you indulge—provided you do it early. A new study has found that eating early, and then fasting at night, could be a powerful weight-loss strategy, the LA Times reports. "We have come up with something that is a simple alternative to calorie counting," the biologist who led the study boasted. More»