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News Articles: Obesity

Children share apples in Sydney, Australia.

Tagged as: 

  • Children's Health

New childhood obesity guidance raises worries over the risk of eating disorders

Many eating disorder specialists oppose the new guidance's focus on weight loss and BMI, and say it minimizes the risk of disordered eating and will perpetuate deep-rooted, damaging stigmas.

February 15, 2023
|
By:
  • Kaitlyn Radde
As soda consumption has dropped in the West, companies are making an effort to woo new customers in other places. This Coke bottle ad is in Mozambique.

Tagged as: 

  • Global Health

Junk food companies say they're trying to do good. A new book raises doubts

As the marketing of soda and fast food ramps up around the world, the companies involved forge partnerships to help the poor. The new book 'Junk Food Politics' casts a critical eye at their efforts.

February 01, 2023
|
By:
  • Pien Huang

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients

Most doctors get little training in the science of obesity or how to counsel people with the disease. As a result, many patients experience stigma in the exam room.

January 31, 2023
|
By:
  • Yuki Noguchi
Wegovy has been called "a major breakthrough" given how well it works to reduce body weight. But the injection drug is extremely expensive and when people can't afford to stay on it, they experience rebound weight gain that's hard to stop.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Wegovy works. But here's what happens if you can't afford to keep taking the drug

The new weight-loss drugs can be life-changing for people facing health conditions worsened by obesity, but price and spotty insurance coverage may keep them out of reach.

January 30, 2023
|
By:
  • Allison Aubrey
More than 14.4 million children and teens are living with obesity. New guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends early treatment.

Tagged as: 

  • Children's Health

Childhood obesity requires early, aggressive treatment, new guidelines say

Instead of "watchful waiting," the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends intensive lifestyle and behavior therapy for young kids, and for older children, medication.

January 09, 2023
|
By:
  • Kaitlyn Radde
An overweight woman does cardio exercise on an elliptical while a physical fitness trainer encourages her.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Obesity rates are down slightly in Georgia, but rising nationwide

The State of Obesity report from Trust for America’s Health looks at factors like poverty, access to healthy food and walkability in communities. It found Georgia made slight improvements in obesity rates since last year’s report. 

September 28, 2022
|
By:
  • Ellen Eldridge
A Planet Fitness employee cleans equipment before a gym's reopening in March in Inglewood, Calif., after being closed due to COVID-19. Reduced access to recreation likely has contributed to weight gain during the pandemic.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Obesity Rates Rise During Pandemic, Fueled By Stress, Job Loss, Sedentary Lifestyle

New data shows the pandemic exacerbated an already fast-growing problem, tipping more Americans' weight over the scales into unhealthy territory.

September 29, 2021
|
By:
  • Yuki Noguchi
Health conditions exacerbated by obesity include heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, according to the CDC. Researchers say the newly approved drug Wegovy could help many who struggle with obesity lose weight.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

Obesity Drug's Promise Now Hinges On Insurance Coverage

Clinical trials show Wegovy triples the average weight loss seen with other drugs. Whether it will reach many patients largely depends on whether insurers decide to cover it.

July 06, 2021
|
By:
  • Yuki Noguchi
A health care worker at a drive-through site in Greenville, Miss., administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot in January. Mississippi was one of the first states to add a body mass index of 30 or more (a rough gauge of obesity) to its current list of qualifying medical conditions for vaccine eligibility.

Tagged as: 

  • Health

High Obesity Rates In Southern States Magnify COVID-19's Threat

In the U.S. South — home to nine of the nation's 12 heaviest states — obesity is playing a role not only in COVID-19 outcomes but in the calculus of the vaccination rollout.

March 11, 2021
|
By:
  • Sarah Varney

Tagged as: 

  • Global Health

Latin America Is Facing A Hunger Pandemic

A new report describes a region where hunger and malnutrition are sharply increasing — and only likely to get worse as COVID-19 pushes more people into poverty.

December 09, 2020
|
By:
  • Jason Beaubien
A person buys soda at a convenience store in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, on April 13. The country has high levels of obesity and medical conditions that health authorities warn are related to a diet high in soda and processed foods.

Tagged as: 

  • World

'We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors

"The damage of this kind of diet is even more visible because of the pandemic," says a Oaxaca legislator who spearheaded a law against the sale of junk food and soda to minors. The idea is spreading.

September 14, 2020
|
By:
  • James Fredrick

Obesity Negates A Woman's Natural Protection Against Heart Disease

In this week's Medical Minute, Dr. Joseph Hobbs, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University,...

July 01, 2020
|
By:
  • Drew Dawson

Strengthen Muscle Most Important To Overcome Hazards Of Obesity

In this week’s Medical Minute, Dr. Joseph Hobbs, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University,...

April 28, 2020
|
By:
  • Drew Dawson

Obesity, Diabetes, And Cognitive Decline

In this week’s Medical Minute, Dr. Joseph Hobbs, chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University,...

April 27, 2020
|
By:
  • Drew Dawson
Though Georgia does not mandate physical education in middle and high school, leaders in the Fayette County School District have enacted policies to make sure children in the county have access to proper diet and exercise.

Fayette County Challenges Georgia's Childhood Obesity Problem

Georgia ranks 8th in the nation for high obesity rates in children aged 10 to 17, a recent study done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows. But...

December 15, 2019
|
By:
  • Jade Abdul-Malik
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