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The Obesity Epidemic

Started by C Miller; Last updated Feb 24, 08 12:51 PM CST by Imperator | View history

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The Obesity Epidemic

Will America ever get off of the couch and into shape?

Stories

Stories 61 - 80 of 127

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January 2008
- Britain to Pay Citizens to Lose Flab
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jan 24, 08 10:31 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - With British waistlines bulging and no end in sight for the obesity crisis, the government has come up with a plan: offer cash incentives to workers who slim down. Employers will host competitions, with prizes going to those who shed the most, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Well@Work plan includes voucher systems and reducing the number of fast-food restaurants near schools. More »
- Obese US Facing Diabetes Crisis
  
  USA Today | Jan 24, 08 3:35 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - America is facing a diabetes epidemic—a health disaster more economically catastrophic than a Hurricane Katrina each year, USA Today reports. The disease killed 284,000 people last year, and a staggering million new cases are diagnosed each year as more Americans become morbidly obese, according to a new study by the American Diabetes Association. More »
- Surgery Kicks Type 2 Diabetes Better Than Dieting: Study
  
  New York Times | Jan 23, 08 8:35 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Surgery is better than dieting and exercise to help people suffering from type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Three of four patients—73%—who underwent "lap-banding" surgery lost 20% of their body weight and were in diabetic remission within two years, WebMD reports. That compares with a 13% remission rate for patients undergoing conventional therapy of diet, exercise, and drugs and who lost an average of 1.7% of their body weight. More »
- Why Am I Fat? One Word for You: Plastics
  
  Boston Globe | Jan 14, 08 1:30 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Early exposure to chemicals found in common plastics could predispose a person to obesity, scientists suggest. Studies have shown that animals fed the chemicals, called endocrine disrupters, are fatter later in life than those who were not, the Boston Globe reports. Diet, exercise, and genetics are key factors, but "chemicals can play a role," says one scientist. More »
- Conn. Grade School Kills Dessert
  
  CBS | Jan 11, 08 11:55 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Hoping to curb the trend toward obesity and diabetes in children, one Connecticut school has taken a drastic measure: It no longer serves sweets. The ice cream and cookies that drew huge cafeteria crowds twice a week have been replaced with fruit and yogurt, reports CBS 2 New York. The move makes parents happy, but many students are less than thrilled. More »
- This City Is Going on a Diet!
  
  Associated Press | Jan 4, 08 7:15 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Oklahoma City tipped the scales in 2007 as America's 15th fattest city—and Mayor Mike Cornett is bent on tackling his town's porkish propensities. He's challenged residents to lose a million pounds in '08, and includes shedding extra weight among his own New Year's resolutions. His program revolves around a website packed with recipes, a body mass index calculator and planned blogs. More »
- Maid Study Challenges Diet Notions
  
  NPR | Jan 3, 08 6:48 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - People can shed weight more easily if their brain tells them they can, a new study suggests. A Harvard psychologist found that when she informed hotel maids about how much exercise they get just doing their jobs, they became more fit within a month, NPR reports. A similar group of maids who did not get the same information showed no change. More »
December 2007
- Food Police Extend Reach to Canada
  
  Globe and Mail | Dec 31, 07 12:33 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - America’s war on trans fats has spread to Canada, where tomorrow Calgary will become the first city to regulate their use. Restaurants will be banned from cooking with ingredients or serving foods containing more than 2% trans fat in total fat content. Some restaurants currently offer food with trans fat levels as high as 42%, the Globe and Mail reports. More »
- Parents Blind to Their Fat Kids
  
  Associated Press | Dec 25, 07 3:20 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Nearly half the parents of severely overweight children ages 6 to 11 said their child was “about the right weight,” and only 13% recognized that their child had a severe problem, says a University of Michigan study. The results indicate parents think children will “grow out” of obesity or that something will change as they age, reports the AP. More »
- More Schools Ban Cupcakes
  
  Chicago Tribune | Dec 17, 07 10:16 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Holiday parties in classrooms around Chicago won't be covered with red and green sprinkles this year, the Chicago Tribune reports. More and more schools are banning cupcakes in favor of "healthy" things like fruit skewers fashioned into reindeer antlers. It's part of a national trend to make special-occasion snacks consistent with the healthy-eating message and more nutritious school lunches. More »
- The Skinny on Weight Loss —in Song
  
  San Jose Mercury News | Dec 14, 07 3:04 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - One of Silicon Valley's best-known female venture capitalists is producing songs geared to help women lose weight. One-time Apple exec Heidi Roizen is leaving her job as managing director of Mobius Venture Capital to devote her full energies to the CD, which include numbers like Skinny Jeans and I'm a Hottie Now , and lyrics such as: "There's a skinny girl inside me; I've just got to let her out." More »
- Country Life Often Opposite of Healthy
  
  Newsweek | Dec 13, 07 11:23 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Rural America isn’t all hearty farmland, Newsweek writes: Many country areas are “food deserts,” supplied mainly by convenience stores. With supermarkets distant and healthy food more expensive than junk, impoverished residents often become unhealthy—hungry and fat. “A nutritionist will just say, 'Buy more fruits and vegetables,' when, in fact, the buying part is not simple,” says one epidemiologist. More »
- Fat Kids Risk Adult Heart Health
  
  Washington Post | Dec 6, 07 5:29 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Overweight kids significantly increase their risk their heart disease later in life, a new study has found. Those who carried extra pounds between the ages of 7 and 13 were much more likely to develop heart disease between 25 and 71 even if they were slightly overweight and possibly even if they lost the extra pounds, according to the study in the New England Journal of Medicine. More »
- Cat Diabetes Becoming a Weighty Problem
  
  Chicago Tribune | Dec 5, 07 9:04 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - If your cat is fat, he might have an even bigger problem. The rate of type 2 diabetes among pets—particularly cats—is soaring, reports the Chicago Tribune . Experts aren't in total agreement about why, but in general they think that our furry feline companions are developing the disease for the same reasons we are: sedentary lifestyles and lots of refined foods. More »
- New Guidelines Target Child Obesity
  
  USA Today | Dec 3, 07 5:03 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The most stringent guidelines to date for combating childhood obesity recommend yearly weight checks and possibly even medication or surgery for kids who can't combat the condition on their own, USA Today reports. Doctors should also keep normal-weight kids apprised of the ins and outs of healthy living, a panel of medical experts said in a report out today. More »
November 2007
- Women Win One in Battle of Bulge
  
  New York Times | Nov 29, 07 5:30 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Obesity rates among American women have leveled off and remained steady since 1999, while rates among American men may be following suit, the CDC reported today. The study’s lead researcher called the trend “great news” for women. Officials will wait to render a final verdict for men, the New York Times reports. More »
- Kids Will Eat Healthier School Lunches
  
  Associated Press | Nov 26, 07 8:32 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Low-fat turkey hot dogs, fruits, and veggies aren't the lunchtime turn-off many assume, a study of Minnesota school districts finds. Sure, students prefer fattier lunches, but demand doesn't drop and cost doesn't rise when they're dished up healthier meals. Although labor expenses typically increase, the savings from abandoning processed foods compensates.