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Weight-loss programs a waste of time: Expert opinion

According to obesity expert and University of Melbourne professor of medicine Joseph Proietto the high failure rate of weight-loss programs could be explained by growing evidence that an obese person’s body is programmed to regain any weight that is lost. He said that authorities are wasting money on campaigns urging people to exercise and eat healthy food since obesity is “''physiologically defended”.

31 Jul 2011

Study examines effect of unhealthy food outlets on adolescent junk food consumption

Got lots of fast food restaurants and other outlets that sell junk food in your neighborhood? Then your teen is more likely to nosh regularly on burgers and fries and wash them down with a soda.

28 Jul 2011

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery can lead to effective weight loss

Imperial College London. The findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology, suggest a new mechanism by which some types of bariatric surgery lead to long-term weight loss.

28 Jul 2011

Longer looks: Penalties for doctors who keep patients waiting

When she makes a doctor's appointment, Cherie Kerr makes it clear that she better not be kept waiting long. She said she usually tries to schedule the first appointment of the day, or the first one after lunch. But if the doctor is going to be late, she insists the staff give her a call -- lest the office be billed for her time in the waiting room.

15 Jul 2011

Researchers identify obesity-related paradoxes among Chinese youth

Teenaged boys from well-off Chinese families who say they are physically active and eat plenty of vegetables but few sweets are more likely to be overweight, according to a study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

12 Jul 2011

Jamie Oliver’s healthy school meal efforts analyzed

Jamie Oliver’s campaign against fast food in schools cost £500million to taxpayers and resulted in fewer pupils eating school lunches, it emerged yesterday. More than half of primary pupils and around two-thirds of secondary school youngsters are still rejecting the well known television chef’s healthier menus it was revealed.

7 Jul 2011

Australian Medical Association calls for ban on junk food ads aimed at kids

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called on the federal government to ban fast food ads to help solve the problem of childhood obesity in Australia.

28 Jun 2011

Snack-based diet can increase risk of obesity

A high-fat diet can be bad for your health. However, a snack-based "cafeteria"-style diet of highly palatable, energy-dense foods is even worse, according to new research.

17 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Confronting 'giant' Medicare choices; first lady's anti-obesity campaign; Calif. insurance rules

Sometimes life presents you with a basic philosophical choice. Americans are going to have to confront a giant one over the next several years. It starts in the wonky world of Medicare. ... Democrats have much greater faith in centralized expertise. ... [Republicans] have much greater faith in the decentralized discovery process of the market.

8 Jun 2011

Experts urge McDonald’s to stop marketing junk food to kids

McDonald’s has incurred the wrath of over 550 health professionals and organizations who have signed a letter to McDonald's Corp. asking the maker of Happy Meals to stop marketing junk food to kids and retire Ronald McDonald.

17 May 2011

Increased automobile usage linked with surging levels of obesity

Junk food, video games and a lack of exercise all have received their fair share of blame for the spiraling epidemic of obesity in the U.S. But according to a University of Illinois researcher, public health enemy No. 1 for our supersized nation may very well be the one staple of modern life most Americans can't seem to live without one (or more) of: the automobile.

12 May 2011

Junk food ads to be banned to slow childhood obesity rates

Health experts and anti-obesity groups have called for a total ban on junk-food advertising during peak children's viewing times. This comes in the wake of the release of the research finding of the Obesity Policy Coalition that conducted a telephone survey of 1,521 adults says that 84 per cent of consumers believe children should be protected from unhealthy food advertising.

8 May 2011

Legislative approaches needed to address obesity epidemic in Canada

With the increase in numbers of overweight children and young adults, Canada and other developed countries are facing an obesity epidemic and legislative approaches are required to address this issue, states an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

28 Apr 2011

New study: Warning labels on junk food more effective than 'fat' tax

Warning labels on junk food would be more effective than a "fat" tax for deterring overweight people from making unhealthy purchases, a new University of Alberta study has found.

8 Apr 2011

Ontario's doctors praise Consumer Protection Amendment Act

Ontario's doctors would like to congratulate NDP MPP Rosario Marchese, Trinity-Spadina, on the introduction of Consumer Protection Amendment Act, which would limit commercial advertising for unhealthy food or drink directed at children under the age or 13.

1 Apr 2011

Target parents to tackle childhood obesity: Study

A new study has shown that educating parents on healthy eating could be more effective at reducing childhood obesity than physical activity. The study came from researchers from the universities of Newcastle and Wollongong who found that targeting parents rather than children is the key to combating childhood obesity. The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

30 Mar 2011

Decline of obesity in pre-school kids: Study

According to a new study from the Deakin University, obesity in Victorian pre-school children has dropped. Results have shown that rates of obese and overweight toddlers fell by more than 3 per cent for three-and-a-half year olds, down from 18.5 per cent to 15.4 per cent. For two-year-olds rates have dropped 1 per cent to 12.4 per cent.

27 Mar 2011

High sugar, high fat diets during pregnancy may cause infants to become junk food junkies

A new research report published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that pregnant mothers who eat high sugar and high fat diets have babies who are likely to become junk food junkies themselves. According to the report, which used rats, this happens because the high fat and high sugar diet leads to changes in the fetal brain's reward pathway, altering food preferences.

24 Mar 2011

CPCS to host event on March 21 to explore feeding children in new parenting culture

Members of the University of Kent's Centre for Parenting Culture Studies will host an event on Monday 21 March to explore 'Feeding children in the new parenting culture'.

8 Mar 2011

Australian teenagers could see declines in life expectancy and more heart problems: Study

Experts warn that the present generation of Australian teenagers could be the first with a decline in life expectancy and an increase in heart disease. This comes from the first comprehensive national study of young Australians since 1985 that shows that a quarter are overweight or obese.

8 Feb 2011