Obesity + Original Articles

Obesity can increase your chances of experiencing dangerous complications from asthma. We tell you why. Did you know that being overweight can increase your risk of being hospitalized for asthma? This is especially true for women, although both sexes can experience the connection, which can be extremely dangerous-and sometimes fatal. A Vicious Cycle The reason why asthma and obesity co-exist isn't completely clear, but experts do know that the relationship can be a vicious cycle.

Some studies show that in heavy patients who have cardiovascular disease, obesity may play a protective role. But is this recent realization an invitation to indulge? For years, we've been warned that being overweight or obese puts us at risk for heart disease. But some studies show that in heavy patients with cardiovascular disease,  obesity may play a protective role. Obese patients with heart disease seem to do better and live longer than skinny ones, according to a review article in the May 26, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Extra poundage could actually be worsening your asthma symptoms and preventing you from feeling great. The latest research confirms that there is indeed a connection between obesity and respiratory distress. While exactly how and why the two conditions are linked is still not completely understood yet, the fact that they are related is clear and makes a good case for the importance of losing that extra weight before it is too late.

Learn more about the science behind the surgery. Obesity is a major epidemic in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), two thirds of adults in the United States are obese. If you’re among these two thirds, your risk factor for type 2 diabetes is great--and in fact, you may have diabetes and be unaware.

Learn how to address the largest threats to your child's health. In the 2008 National Poll on Children's Health adults ranked obesity as the number one health concern. For this poll conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital adults rated 20 health concerns for children in their communities along the following criteria: Big problem; somewhat of a problem; not much of a problem; and not a problem at all.

Learn more about the undeniable relationship between the two. The Link  In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) held a conference addressing the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes-due to the rising numbers of both in the United States. And as recently as the summer of 2008, Congress heard testimony from the American Diabetes Association on the same topic.

Learn more about the undeniable relationship between the two. The Link  In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) held a conference addressing the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes-due to the rising numbers of both in the United States. And as recently as the summer of 2008, Congress heard testimony from the American Diabetes Association on the same topic.

Learn about the important role that ethnicity plays in one’s chances of developing the disease. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggests that anyone 45 year old or older consider being tested for diabetes. They place a strong recommendation on being tested if you're of age and also overweight. And since the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the number of Americans that are obese at over two thirds the population, many of us should be concerned about our risk.

There’s no need to abandon carbs completely. It’s all a matter of selecting the right ones. In the wake of popular protein-heavy diets such as South Beach and Atkins, some people still consider carbohydrates to be the enemy. But it's important to remember that there actually are two types of carbs: complex carbs and simple carbs, otherwise known as good carbs and bad carbs.

“Fast food” and “healthy”: Is it possible for these two things to go together? If you've seen the movie Super Size Me, chances are, you may not have had a Big Mac since. In his 2004 documentary, Morgan Spurlock, inspired by troubling statistics on American obesity, relied on the shock value of a thirty-day McDonald's diet to show audiences what they already knew about fast food: that it's not healthy.

New research may be changing the way we view fat's relation to diabetes. Think fatty foods are bad for diabetics? A new study suggests that the opposite may be true: that extra fat in the buttocks and thighs may actually help prevent type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that injecting subcutaneous fat (fat just below the skin) into the abdomens of mice helped improve sensitivity to insulin.

Before you pop open a can, consider these more nutritious choices instead. As John Pemberton brewed up a batch of the first formulation of Coca-Cola in 1885, he probably never dreamed just how popular his drink would become. According to current company estimates, every day, distributors worldwide sell more than 1.4 billion servings of Coke, which Pemberton originally marketed as a health tonic capable of curing everything from headaches to morphine addiction.

The coming years promise to bring a great many things to the health realm. Here, some of the most startling forecasts. When it comes to the future of our overall health, some say that technology has both blessed us and cursed us. On the one hand, technological advancements continue to show us amazing ways in which we can beat diseases and improve our quality of life. On the other hand, it has encouraged a sedentary lifestyle, which has caused obesity rates (and the illnesses associated with them) to skyrocket, and it has contributed to climate changes that are threatening the stability of our ecosystems.

Get the inside scoop on how certain countries manage to stay so slim. When it comes to obesity, it might seem as if America is tipping the scales-and for good reason. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States is the ninth fattest country in the world (second only to Kuwait and some South Pacific isles).

Every year, more than 100,000 people undergo this popular weight-loss procedure. Is it right for you? Over the past decade, a slew of celebrities including singer Carnie Wilson, talk-show personality Star Jones, and NBC weatherman Al Roker have elected to undergo gastric bypass surgery to help manage their weight. The procedure, which involves stapling...

If you're having trouble shedding extra pounds, the stresses of daily life could be the culprit. If you've ever polished off a pint of ice cream when you were under pressure or consumed a whole bag of chips when you were worried, it will come as no surprise that stress can lead to weight gain. And according to new research, stress puts people at increased risk for obesity because it not only prompts them to eat more, but also because it releases certain hormones that encourage the body to store fat.

It may seem counterintuitive, but eating more of some foods can actually help you lose weight. Find out how. Eat more food, feel full all day long, and lose weight. It sounds too good to be true, like one of those fad diets that promises to help you shed 10 pounds while you watch TV. But this one is real. It's not that you can eat more Snickers, more pizza, or more sour-cream-and-onion potato chips.

Nearly six million people live with diabetes, but are unaware that they have the condition. Could you be one of them? While the exact cause of diabetes remains unknown, both genetics and environmental factors, such as obesity and lack of exercise, appear to play major roles. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, which is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

These nine foods simply aren't fair to your diet. A day at the fair conjures up ideas of friends, family, fun...and very possibly, fried foods. Although the fair has much to offer in the way of rides and activities, the truth is, many people come mostly for the food. Some stands may offer healthy choices, but they're often overshadowed by the seemingly endless supply of funnel cakes and corn dogs.

Want to fall off the weight-control wagon? Just a few of these fattening foods are all it takes. You watch your weight. You cut back on snacks. You even hit the gym twice a week. But no matter how hard you try, the pounds come creeping back. The culprit? It could be one of these inflationary foods. Each is so fattening that just the occasional indulgence could result in major weight gain--even if you do everything else right.

When you have a free afternoon do you go for a bike ride? Or do you sit in front of the TV? Your answer may reveal whether you're a couch potato. Although the term couch potato has become a joke, laziness has real, and potentially dangerous, repercussions. More than a quarter of Americans are obese, and heart disease is the leading cause of death. The risk of developing either condition can be reduced by becoming more active, which means a sedentary lifestyle can be a serious health risk.

What really goes into your burger and fries? The answers may astonish you. A hamburger, fries, and a large strawberry shake. It's the recipe for an all-American meal—one on which we spend a whopping $124 billion dollars a year, according to the National Restaurant Association. In addition to contributing to the country's obesity epidemic, our penchant for fast food may be negatively affecting our health in other serious ways.

Not getting enough z's? You could be doing serious damage to your health. With a long list of to-dos and not enough hours in the day, you might be tempted to skimp on the amount of z's you get. Besides, you can sleep when you're dead, right? But, if you sleep less than six or seven hours a night, death might come sooner than you think.

Do you find it difficult (and sometimes impossible) to skip dessert? If so, you're not alone. Obesity is on the rise in America, and the following ten desserts may have something to do with this national epidemic. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than 66 percent of U.S. adults are currently overweight, and 32 percent are obese. In fact, in 2007, Colorado was the only state that had a prevalence of obesity under 20 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, some countries are making the grade, while others are falling dangerously behind. Ready for some startling statistics? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 350 million people worldwide are obese--a dangerous trend that may increase their risk for diabetes, heart disease, and even certain cancers. But fortunately, there's a flip side: Many international hotspots boast extremely low obesity rates.

Although obesity is a national problem, certain cities tip the scales more than others. Is your city making you fat? It may sound strange, but where you live probably plays a role in your weight. While obesity isn't confined to any one part of the country, some parts of the nation are heavier than others. In fact, one study by the University of Washington found that researchers were able to predict the prevalence of obesity simply by looking at zip codes.

Sure, your diet and exercise schedules can contribute to your weight. But who knew that your job could, too? Ever-improving technology has replaced manual labor at many American jobs, making sedentary lifestyles commonplace. A whopping 60 percent of the population is overweight or obese, and occupations that require little or no movement certainly haven't helped.

With these simple subtractions, you won't even notice the calories are gone. Rather than making drastic adjustments to your diet, you may be more successful at losing weight—and keeping it off—by making smaller changes. If you cut 100 calories a day, for example, you could lose a pound a month. It sounds simple enough, but where do those 100 calories come from? Follow these 10 easy suggestions to get started.

Learn how to pinpoint and fix the seven sneakiest diet blunders. Dieting is a bit like walking a tightrope: easy to start but hard to stay on. And according to experts, the most common diet missteps are caused by things that might surprise you--your schedule, your friends, your shopping habits, even your clothes. While these sneaky saboteurs could derail your efforts, the good news is that you can stop them from undermining your long-term weight-loss goals.

Follow these tips to keep minor slip-ups from becoming major setbacks. You started your diet with the best of intentions, but then the inevitable occurred. You went to a party and polished off a plate of hors d'oeuvres. You took a trip to new city and splurged on the local fare. You woke up in the middle of the night and ate a whole pint of ice cream.

Some studies suggest our favorite foods might be as habit-forming as controlled substances. Whether you're constantly craving chocolate or have an uncontrollable urge for French fries, you probably think your food impulses are simply the result of hunger, boredom, or a lack of willpower. And some experts would agree—ultimately, you're in control of what you're eating.

Proper eating can have an enormous impact on your health. Here, a look at nutrition by the numbers. You are what you eat, but are you giving your body what it needs? An unbalanced diet can result in malnutrition on one end of the scale to obesity on the other. What's more, too much or too little of any nutrient can put you at risk for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis.

Pizza and doughnuts and burgers, oh my! These all-American treats top the nutritional hall of shame. Fried chicken, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, candy bars--these tasty treats are as American as, well, apple pie. Unfortunately, so, too, is obesity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than 66 percent of U.S. adults are currently overweight, and 32 percent are obese.

A healthy diet is essential to managing diabetes. Here, a complete guide to diabetic-friendly nutrition, including shopping tips, quick recipes, and more. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor has most likely stressed the importance of eating right to help keep your disease in check. Most experts agree that although there's no one correct diet for diabetes, people with the disease should follow the nutritional guidelines outlined in the USDA Food Pyramid.

You might be tempted to try home cholesterol tests purchased from a pharmacy or online. But are they safe and accurate? When the heart's blood vessels become clogged with cholesterol, it sets the stage for a heart attack, and this year, nearly half a million Americans will die from heart disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). What's more, due in part to rising obesity rates and the popularity of fast food, heart-attack victims are getting younger and younger.

How important is weight in determining good health? It's no secret that being fat and out of shape is a health hazard. But what if you're overweight and still physically fit? Does the fact that you're active eliminate the health risks of those extra pounds? And what if your best friend is a skinny couch potato? Which one of you is healthier? As it turns out, the "fat but fit" debate is a longstanding source of controversy among experts.

It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Find out why it's so important to get off to a good start. When you're hitting the snooze button for the third time, breakfast is probably one of the last things on your mind. After all, you still have to shower and then race to work in time to make that presentation. But according to experts, letting a hectic schedule force you to skip breakfast could compromise your health.

Some foods that seem healthy can be just as fattening as their obviously indulgent counterparts. Here are six that may be sneaking up on your waistline. Perhaps you've tried to cut calories by replacing regular soft drinks with diet sodas or by switching from subs to salads, but you haven't noticed any weight loss. You might be surprised by how quickly sneaky extras, such as lattes loaded with whip cream and bleu cheese salad dressing, can add up.

Following these simple tips can help you lower your cholesterol levels and your health risks. Everyone needs a basic amount of cholesterola waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body to function. But if your cholesterol is at an unhealthy level, it could mean you have an increased risk of developing heart disease. What can you do to keep your cholesterol at or reduce it to healthy levels? Try these nine tips: Eat a hearty bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Follow these easy tips to make exercise part of your daily routine. Let's face it: We live in an inactive nation where obesity has become a growing epidemic. Approximately 31 percent of American adults, or 59 million of us, meet the criterion for obesity, according to the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.

As obesity rates climb, health problems such as diabetes are becoming more common. Here, a look at the disease by the numbers. Diabetes, a chronic disease characterized by disordered metabolism and high blood sugar levels, was first identified as a disorder in the 16th century. Since that time, however, the condition's prevalence has grown substantially so much so that the Centers for Disease Control now recognizes diabetes as an epidemic.

From entrées and desserts to sodas and sides, Americans are supersizing. Learn how to choose healthier portions. If you think that plate of spaghetti is much bigger than it was when you were a child, you're probably right: Portion size has increased dramatically over the past 20 years. The result? A dramatic rise in the number of overweight and obese Americans. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted several studies and found alarming changes in the number of calories people consume now compared with what they ate 20 years ago.

Type 2 diabetes affects more than 18 million U.S. children and adults. Find out more about this growing epidemic, from risk factors to treatment options. Diabetes is a lifelong metabolic disorder that affects more than 20 million U.S. children and adults—about 90 percent of whom suffer from type 2 diabetes. The bodies of those affected by the disease either can't produce enough insulin or have cells that ignore the insulin.

More and more Americans are opting for bariatric surgery to shed major pounds and improve their quality of life. Find out if you or a loved one could be a candidate. As most health experts can attest, the best way to lose weight is to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. But that doesn't always work—just ask the 129.6 million Americans, or 64 percent of the population, who are currently overweight or obese.

There's no one food that can magically transform an overweight body into an ideal figure. But there are foods that are beneficial to eat on the journey to a slimmer body. There's no one food that can magically transform an overweight body into an ideal figure. Eating plans that consist solely of grapefruit aren't realistic or effective, nor are plans that promote eating only cabbage soup or special "weight-loss cookies.

Even the biggest couch potatoes can learn to love exercise. For many of us, the word "workout" conjures images of profuse sweat, intense pain, and utter confusion. The good news: You don't have to be a natural exercise enthusiast to get in shape. Even the biggest couch potatoes can learn to love exercise.

There is no guaranteed protection against breast cancer, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk. An estimated one in eight women will be afflicted with breast cancer in her lifetime. Although there is no guaranteed protection against the disease, there are things you can do lower your risk. Follow these tips to prevent breast cancer and to support finding a cure: Maintain a healthy weight.