Switching Gears: More Commuters Bike to Work
November 29, 2010
NPR
Allison Aubrey
Researchers from Rutgers University found that cities with the highest rates of commuters who walk or cycle to work have obesity rates that are 20 percent lower and diabetes rates that are 23 percent lower than less active cities. Research shows that the extra physical activity that people get from walking and biking to work or school is not offset by less recreational activity but that active commuters actually double the amount of their total physical activity. And as a result, cities with lots of "active" commuters tend to be healthier.
Next Up in the Culture Wars: Food Fights
November 27, 2010
The Washington Post
Brent Cunningham and Jane Black
The debate over the importance of local and sustainable food continues, and these authors note that those who can afford healthy food do not always purchase it because they do not think it is important. To them, food has become a front in America's culture wars and the crusade against fast and processed food is an obsession of "elites," not "real Americans."
Divided We Eat
November 22, 2010
Newsweek
Lisa Miller
What one eats for dinner has become the definitive marker of social status, but Miller writes that the most nutritious diet-fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish and grains-is beyond the reach of the poorest Americans. The article claims that it is economic elitism for nutritionists to uphold this diet as an ideal when many in the U.S. cannot afford it and instead eat what they can, though it is not always nutritious.
Even Preschool Girls Favor Being Thin, Study Finds
November 17, 2010
LiveScience
Jeanna Bryner
Girls as young as 3 years old are already emotionally invested in being thin, to the point where some even will avoid touching game pieces that depict an overweight individual, suggests a small study on preschoolers. According to researchers from Pepperdine University, the finding is troubling since the pressure to be thin has been linked with a higher risk of eating disorders and depression.
Weight Loss in Pregnancy Linked to Benefits, Risks
November 17, 2010
Reuters
Amy Norton
Obese women who lose weight during pregnancy may have a lower risk of certain pregnancy complications, but, with the exception of extremely obese women, those benefits may be outweighed by negative effects on the baby's birth size, a new study suggests. The findings, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, add to the idea that it can be healthy for obese pregnant women to maintain their pre-pregnancy weight.
Can Laws Fix the Obesity Crisis?
November 16, 2010
Newsweek
Kate Dailey
This article says that policies and laws that are designed to improve wellness, reduce health care premiums, and help citizens lose weight and eat healthfully are unproven and untested in large part because the programs are often difficult to evaluate. While government agencies-as well as businesses and private institutions-are all looking for ways to battle the obesity crisis, no one has yet figured out successful interventions that both improve health and save money. The article says that part of the reason public health officials don't know how to tackle the obesity crisis is due in part to the fact that researchers are still unsure what's causing it.
Heavy Teens' Weight Spirals Later
November 10, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, half of obese adolescent girls and one-third of obese teen boys become morbidly obese by their early 30s. Other studies have found that heavy children are more likely to be heavy adults, but this is one of the first to show what happens to teens that are obese as they reach adulthood.
Obesity is Contagious Among Friends, Study Suggests
November 9, 2010
USA Today
Nanci Hellmich
A new study from Harvard University suggests that the more obese people you have contact with, the more likely you are to become obese, confirming previous research that gaining weight may be socially contagious. The findings are reported online in the Public Library of Science journal Computational Biology.
U.S. Obesity Rate May Hit 42 Percent by 2050
November 5, 2010
HealthDay
Kathleen Doheny
Despite reports that the rate of obesity among U.S. adults might be slowing down, a group of researchers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology predict that adult obesity rates will rise for another 40 years before reaching a plateau, where 42 percent of adults will be obese.
