Regulating the foods and beverages sold outside of federal meal programs at schools may help curb the child obesity epidemic, suggests a U.S. study released Monday.
Researchers found that fifth graders in states with strong “competitive food laws” packed on fewer pounds than did kids in states with no such legislation.
“I definitely see this as encouraging evidence that the laws can have a positive impact,” said Daniel R. Taber of the University of Illinois at Chicago, who worked on the study. “But we need to recognize that it is not going …

Fast food and inactivity are just a few of the factors that have contributed to the obesity epidemic in the U.S.
A new study looked at the obesity trend in different states. Based on a new government survey by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 12 states have very high obesity rates.
In particular the Body Mass Index (BMI), compiled with a person’s height and weight, helps measure obesity. Individuals are considered obese if they weigh thirty pounds or more than the recommended BMI healthy weight. The …

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a mechanism that can give energy-storing white fat some of the beneficial characteristics of energy-burning brown fat. The findings, based on studies of mice and of human fat tissue, could lead to new strategies for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Cell.
Humans have two types of fat tissue: white fat, which stores excess energy in the form of triglycerides, and brown fat, which is highly efficient at dissipating stored energy as …

The next time one of your friends asks if he or she looks like they put on some weight, you may want to consider being honest with them — even if the answer is yes.
If so, you will be doing your part to help break through our collective denial about our tendency to gain weight. A new study suggests that most of us are clueless about whether we are gaining or losing weight. The findings appear in Preventive Medicine.
Many study participants said they lost weight from 2008 to 2009, but …

Cutting back on calories is the cornerstone of any successful weight-loss plan, but as dieters can attest, that’s easier said than done. So it’s encouraging to learn that three simple strategies can provide a boost: Eat regular meals, write down everything you eat, and avoid restaurants and takeout at lunchtime.
These three habits were each linked to greater weight loss in a new study of 123 overweight and obese middle-aged women, all of whom managed to shed at least a few pounds over a one-year period.
Women who reliably ate breakfast, lunch, …