Obesity

If you're like most people, you've probably made a New Years resolution to lose weight. Unfortunately, most people – 80 percent – tap out before they really get started. To help you maintain your goal through 2012 and for years to come, we've compiled a list of tips the experts want you to know to get on the right track to weight loss....

Childhood obesity is soaring. In fact, about a third of US children are currently overweight or obese — and a new study may reveal one big cause. Researchers found toddlers who have a poor relationship with their moms could be twice as likely to be obese by the time they turn 15, possibly because they tend to turn to food as a substitute for motherly comfort.

Who says the holidays have to be all warm and fuzzy? According to some health groups in the UK, Christmas can be the perfect time to tell a loved one he or she is overweight. It may sound rude, but experts insist the health risks involved with obesity, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke, make it worth the uncomfortable conversation.

The health risks of obesity are well-documented, but there’s a financial downside, too — data shows obese people also earn less money, especially women.

Is obesity contagious? A study back in 2007 seemed to indicate that, saying we get it from our friends. To back that up, researchers highlighted data showing members of social groups were likely to have similar rates of obesity. New research, however, seems to be changing all this by finding that social interactions may have little impact on body weight.

It’s already well-known that a sedentary lifestyle can make one heavier, but new research indicates the simple act of sitting too much can actually generate more fat in the hips and posterior.

We never used to think of chubby kids as being anything other than adorable, but researchers are now more concerned about children’s eating habits now that more Americans are being considered obese. According to a new study, 40 percent of American children enter kindergarten with a body mass index (BMI) greater than the 75 percentile. Anything over the 85th percentile is considered “overweight,” a

Researchers have used an experimental drug to help obese monkeys lose weight — and it could work for humans too. The medication, Adipotide, works by finding and sticking to proteins on the surface of blood vessels that feed white fat cells, and then releasing a synthetic molecule that kills those cells.