Gain Less Pregnancy Weight If Obese: Docs

Inflammation, high blood sugar during pregnancy could be a factor

(NEWSER) - The shocking new autism research just keeps coming: A mother's obesity while pregnant may greatly boost the odds of having a child with autism, a study out today suggests. Compared to normal-weight study participants, those who were obese while pregnant were 67% more likely to have autistic kids and twice as likely to have kids with other developmental issues. Normally, the odds of having a child with autism are about one in 88 ; according to the study, obesity boosts those odds to one in 53. More»

Compounds may fight weight gain

(NEWSER) - Sweet news: People who regularly eat chocolate tend to be thinner, scientists have discovered. Of 1,000 subjects studied, those who ate chocolate a few times a week were on average slimmer than those who only ate it occasionally, reports the BBC . Frequency of eating chocolate appeared to be more important than amount consumed, and the link held even when taking different rates of exercise into account. Chocolate is high in calories, but may contain ingredients that somehow promote weight loss, or at least stave off weight gain, researchers speculate. More»

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»

Third-grader weighs more than 200 pounds

(NEWSER) - Last month, an 8-year-old Ohio boy was removed from his family home and placed in foster care—not because of physical abuse, but because the third-grader weighed more than 200 pounds. County case workers argued that the boy’s mother was engaging in medical neglect by not getting his weight under control, and say his weight puts him in danger of developing serious health conditions. But some say the whole thing smacks of hypocrisy, particularly when the same government that removed the boy also deemed pizza a vegetable for the purposes of school lunches. It’s “a schizophrenic stance,” one medical ethics professor tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer . 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.