obese

Two out of five men and almost a third of women around the world are now overweight, a major population study has shown. Almost a quarter of men and 27 percent of women are fat enough to be considered obese, according to the findings. Doctors assessed 168,159 people aged 18 to 80 in 63 countries across five continents. A tape measure was used to record the waist circumference of all those Read more...

Here is food for thought from Prevention Magazine: Being overweight doubles some cancer risks. Studies show being overweight triggers high levels of leptin and estrogen. Excess hormones can spur growth in abnormal cells and set the stage for tumors. Here is a roundup of recent research: Risk of the most common adult leukemia nearly doubled in overweight women (more than 144 pounds for the Read more...

Charlotte, N.C. - Obese people have a blind spot when it comes to their own weight problem, according to a study that showed only 15 percent of people in that category view themselves as obese. Such a lack of self-awareness can be deadly. "If somebody doesn't perceive themselves to be obese, they are most likely not going to pay attention to any public health information about the Read more...

Atlanta - After a century of nearly uninterrupted medical improvements and longer lives, it looks like the baby boomers could screw things up. A new government study shows deaths from heart disease, cancer and stroke continue to drop, but it also shows that half of Americans ages 55 to 64 -- including the oldest of the baby boomers -- have high blood pressure, and two in five are Read more...

If pounds are sticking, look to the starch in your food. A new study says processed foods high in sugar and starch may trigger a sugar "high" that drives the desire for more food. Writing in the journal Pediatrics, U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers who studied eating habits of obese teen-age boys found that foods rich in starches and sugars tended to spur eating binges, Read more...

America's 50 most-populated cities just got graded on two weighty issues: fatness and fitness. The biggest and beefiest? Philadelphia, Kansas City and Houston, says a ranking by Men's Fitness magazine. And the leanest? San Diego, Minneapolis and Seattle. Author Keith Gibbons reviewed America's 50 most populated cities and graded them in 14 categories. Personal indicators, of course, Read more...

If you exercise and diet to maintain a normal weight, all your efforts will be worth it. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say the more overweight you are, the younger you will be when heart disease strikes. The Duke study looked at more than 9,000 heart patients over 12 years, charting their age and weight when they first came to Duke for symptoms of heart disease. The study Read more...