Heart and Gum Disease Linked by Gene: Study

By two measures, black women could be bigger without raising health risk

(NEWSER) - Black women can have larger waistlines and be larger in general than white women and still be relatively healthy, according to new research.The study of 6,400 volunteers examined abdominal obesity and body-mass index and found that black women had higher thresholds than white women for both measures before they became "high risk," Reuters reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Americans eat more than twice as much added sugar as doctors recommend, and they should cut back to battle obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, researchers say. Added calories from processed sugar should total no more than 150 for men and 100 for women, the American Heart Association said today. Soft drinks are the top factor in added dietary sugar, and the recommendations are sure to rile their producers, Reuters reports. More»

In H1N1 patients, fat had same effects as diabetes, heart disease

(NEWSER) - Scientists at the CDC have noticed a new trend in cases of swine flu: "We were surprised by the frequency of obesity among the severe cases that we've been tracking," says an epidemiologist, adding that it might be cause to make obese people a priority for a vaccine, if it becomes available. Other pre-existing conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, are known to raise the risk of flu complications, but this one has doctors a bit surprised. More»

Tweaked mice can munch carbs without getting fat

(NEWSER) - Yet another breakthrough for mice: Genetic researchers have found a way to allow them to eat all the carbs they want and not get fat, reports the Los Angeles Times. The scientists turned off a gene in the liver that plays a role in turning excess glucose into fatty acids. When two groups of mice were fed an all-carb, low-fat diet, the ones without the gene were 40% leaner and less prone to heart disease. More»

Economic troubles, lifestyle traditions distract from rampant obesity

(NEWSER) - Dietary tradition helps make Huntington, W.Va., the nation's most obese and unhealthy city, the AP reports. The five-county area, where poverty rates are high, boasts many pizza and hot dog joints—but Huntington's mayor will not follow the lead of New York City and ban trans fats in restaurants. "We want as much business as we can have here," said Mayor David Felinton, who underwent stomach surgery last year to lose weight. More»