Weight Management

If you think you can avoid unhealthy restaurant fare by skipping nation-wide chain restaurants for smaller local eateries, a new Tufts study has a wake-up call for you.

New government data suggest that while US levels of obesity and overweight remain far too high, the rate of increase may be slowing. About one-third of adults were obese in the latest analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

In another new study on obesity, the toll of excess weight on Americans health and quality of life was reported to have overtaken that of smoking, even though tobacco still poses a greater mortality threat. The analysis of 15 years of public-health data concluded that by 2008, the obese were losing more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) through disability and limitations on activity. That contrasts with 1993, when the QALYs lost to obesity were far behind the toll of smoking.

Combining diet and exercise is the most effective formula for obese seniors who want to improve physical performance, according to a new year-long study. For older people, the findings suggest, losing weight may be just as important for fighting off frailty as for avoiding obesity-related medical conditions

Worried about your weight? Soon you may be in the minority, even as Americans grow ever fatter. A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) reports that only 50% of Americans consider themselves overweight

You already know that the omega-3 fats found in fish (DHA and EPA) are good for your heart-but how much do you need to see a benefit? A new review of eight previous studies says a daily intake of 250 mg of omega-3s seems to be the threshold

Part of the reason Americans have gotten so fat is that our jobs have grown more sedentary. In a review of energy expenditure in US private employment since 1960, scientists report that men are burning an average 140 fewer daily calories on the job; for women, its 124 fewer calories a day

America, theres even more of us to love-with dire consequences for the nations health.

Dont blame more-caloric foods for the US obesity epidemic, however

Confirming the increasing role of snacks in the US diet, research presented at the recent Institute of Food Technologists Expo