Obesity, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 4, 2014

Child Obesity Rates Lower in Communities with Casinos

Communities that open or expand a casino see a drop in the percentage of children who are obese or overweight, according to a new study of casinos in American Indian communities. The link likely stems from the increase in economic resources that follows a casino opening, the researchers said in...

Mar 18, 2014

Obesity Genes? Fried Foods Worse for Some People

People with certain genes may be more susceptible to the fattening effects of fried food, a new study suggests. In the research, people whose genes put them at high risk for obesity saw bigger changes in their body mass index (BMI) from eating fried food than people with a lower...

Mar 19, 2014

Strict Parenting Linked to Higher Obesity Risk in Kids

Children whose parents are controlling and don't communicate well with their sons and daughters may be more likely to be obese, a new study finds. Researchers found that children ages 2 to 5 whose parents set strict limits, without allowing much dialogue or showing much affection, were 30 percent more...

Apr 7, 2014

Kids' Rates of Severe Obesity Are Troubling, Researchers Say

The obesity rate in children hasn't declined in recent years, and severe obesity may even be on the rise, a new study has found. The findings follow a recent report showing a decline in obesity in young children. In the new study, which included data from about 27,000 children ages...

Apr 10, 2014

Fat and Fit? There's No Such Thing for Most People (Op-Ed)

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. The idea that people can be healthy at any weight has gained credence in recent years, despite widespread evidence that obesity creates health risks. While the idea is attractive,...

Apr 18, 2014

Katherine Tallmadge: Responding to Rush Limbaugh Attacks on Obesity (Op-Ed)

Katherine Tallmadge, M.A., R.D., is a registered dietitian, noted motivational and wellness speaker, author of Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations(LifeLine Press, 2011) and a frequent national commentator on nutrition topics. Tallmadge contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Recently, far right conservatives,...

Apr 30, 2014

Obese Women Less Likely to Breast-Feed

CHICAGO — New mothers are less likely to breast-feed if they are obese, a new study suggests. In the study of more than 66,500 new mothers in the United States, obese women were 16 percent less likely to say that they had ever breast-fed their baby, compared to normal-weight women....

Apr 30, 2014

Obese and Healthy? Maybe Not, Study Says

Obese people who don't have certain signs of heart disease now may still be at higher risk for future disease than normal-weight people, according to a new study. Researchers looked at nearly 15,000 adults in Korea, ages 30 to 59, who had no heart disease and were all metabolically healthy,...

May 20, 2014

Babies Born to Obese Women Face Increased Risk of Oxygen Deficit

Babies who are born to obese or overweight women are more likely to experience an oxygen deficit at birth than babies born to average-weight women, a new study suggests. In the study, researchers found that a baby's risk of having a low Apgar score — a measure of oxygen deficit...

May 22, 2014

US Obesity Rate Reaches New High

The obesity epidemic is showing no signs of retreat in the United States. As of this week, the nation's obesity rate for 2014 stands at 27.7 percent, according to new Gallup data. That's up from the 2013 rate of 27.1 percent, which was the highest annual rate ever measured by...

Jun 10, 2014

What, Me Fat? Most Americans Don't Think They're Overweight, Poll Finds

Although the obesity rate is increasing in the United States, Americans seem to be in denial about their own expanding waistlines. More than half of adults (55 percent) said they don't think they are overweight and aren't making an effort to shed pounds, according to a new Gallup poll. In...

Jun 25, 2014

Engineered Probiotics Prevent Obesity in Mice

Weight gain can be prevented with engineered probiotics, even when paired with a high-fat diet, at least in mice, a new study shows. Researchers genetically modified probiotic bacteria to produce a hunger-suppressing compound called NAPE, which is normally released by the cells in the small intestine after a meal and...

Jun 26, 2014

BMI May Miss 25% of Kids with Obesity

Some children who have a normal body mass index (BMI) might actually be obese, because they have extra body fat that's not picked up by the measurement, a new study says. As a result, some parents may have a false sense of reassurance that their child is not obese, and...

Jul 23, 2014

Most Overweight Kids Don't Think They're Heavy

Most children and teens who are overweight think that they are actually the right weight, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. For the report, researchers asked U.S. children ages 8 to 15 whether they considered themselves to be fat or overweight, too thin, or...

Jul 24, 2014

Many Parents Think Their Obese Child's Health Is Good

Nearly 1 in 3 parents whose children were referred to an obesity clinic did not perceive their child's weight as a health problem, a new study suggests. Researchers found that 31 percent of parents of obese or overweight children considered their child's health to be excellent or very good, and...