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,” and over the 95th percentile is “obese.”
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.
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting fatty and sugary foods rewire the brain in the same way drugs like cocaine and nicotine do, leading to addiction.
In recent studies, lab animals who have been fed a diet of sugary and fatty snacks show the classic signs of addiction, and brain scans of obese humans show the same disturbances in their reward circuits as the brains that are found in drug addicts.
Don’t worry if your waistline is expanding, because pretty soon, your luxury vehicle will expand with it.
During a European meeting of the International Diabetes Federation, it was announced that 366 million people now suffer from the disease — and that number is only going up.
Since diabetes is most often diagnosed in middle age, experts believe the increase in cases is at least partially due to an aging population, as well as overall population growth and rising obesity rates.
