Weight-loss surgery has many benefits for obese patients, but it might not cut the cost of their overall health care, a new study finds.

Called bariatric surgery, these procedures help patients lose weight by restricting the size of the stomach, thus limiting how much someone can eat.

Surgery not only leads to significant weight loss, but also to better survival and bet...

From Halloween through New Year's, holiday weight gain affects people the world over and, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it can happen with any major holiday, not just the winter ones.

As you might know firsthand, it's a lot harder to lose that weight than to put it on. So even if you start every new year with just an extra pound or two,...

If you're an obese heart patient, weight-loss surgery might be good medicine for you.

New research suggests it significantly reduces the risk of heart failure and fatal heart attack in this vulnerable group.

"Our findings suggest, for the first time, that bariatric [weight-loss] surgery can prevent the development of systolic heart failure and remarkably reduce death from re...

Calorie labels in fast-food restaurants appear to help customer trim purchases, but only up to a point, a new study says.

Customers ate slightly fewer calories after a fast-food chain started including calories on its menus, but the impact weakened over time, researchers found.

"Our findings suggest that calorie labeling may be most effective as a short-term strategy for red...

"I'd love to exercise more, but I just can't find the time."

It's a common refrain from many Americans but, for most, it might also be untrue, a new survey finds.

Researchers at the nonprofit RAND Corporation polled more than 32,000 Americans over the age of 14.

The survey found that, generally, people have an average of more than five hours of leisure time per day...

Adults who pack on pounds between their mid-20s and middle age have an increased risk of premature death -- and the same is true of those who lose weight from middle to late adulthood, according to a new study.

The findings suggest that maintaining normal weight throughout adulthood reduces the risk of early death, the China-based researchers said.

They analyzed data from mo...

Weight-loss surgery before pregnancy may lower obese women's odds of having a baby with major birth defects, new research suggests.

For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 33,000 births in Sweden between 2007 and 2014.

Of these, nearly 3,000 children were born to mothers who had a type of weight-loss surgery called gastric bypass before getting pregnant. T...

The most common misconception about weight training is that it adds bulky muscle mass, a fear of some women. While elite male lifters can -- and want to -- get very developed, for most people the result is simply well-toned muscles.

Other benefits are increased mobility, more support for your joints and the ability to stay self-sufficient into your late years.

As an added b...

The health of people with type 2 diabetes often improves dramatically with a 5% to 10% weight loss -- but to sustain the benefits, you need to keep the weight off, new research claims.

After losing weight with a yearlong intervention, blood sugar and blood pressure levels go down and cholesterol results improve. People who kept at least 75% of that weight off for another t...

British researchers have good news for people with type 2 diabetes -- you don't need to lose a ton of weight to make a difference in your health.

In fact, they found that losing just 10% of your body weight during the first five years you have the disease can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes. That weight loss would be 18 pounds for someone who weighs 180 pounds.

It...

If you're overweight but have dodged chronic health issues like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, you might not think that losing weight is a priority. But an analysis of five years of records on 3.5 million people -- underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese -- has found reason for concern.

The researchers discovered that even if people didn't have any metabolic diseas...

Four of America's biggest health organizations are banding together to urge parents to better monitor the drinks their young kids sip each day.

The take-home message from the new "Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids" guidelines: Cut down on sugary sodas, juices and the like, and favor breast milk or cow's milk for youngsters instead of trendy plant-based milks.

"As a pediatrician,...

The number of U.S. states with adult obesity rates above 35% reached an all-time high of nine in 2018, a new report says.

In 2018, the nine states with adult obesity rates above 35% were: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and West Virginia.

That's two more than the year before. As recently as 2012, no state topped 35...

Could your genes be keeping you from losing weight?

While you shouldn't use a family tendency toward wide hips or an apple shape as an excuse to stray from a healthy diet, acceptance can help you reassess your personal ideal and make you happier with your body.

Hundreds of genes have been linked to weight. Some affect where fat is distributed on your body while others impac...

When summer fruits and vegetables start to disappear from grocery stores, and the action shifts indoors to watching sports and munching on unhealthy snacks, it helps to have a diet plan in place to avoid weight gain.

First, remember that farmers' markets are still open across the country. You can buy local as long as you make the shift from summer crops to fall ones. That means tomato...

Excess weight, especially a "spare tire" around the middle, increases the risk of an earlier death for Hispanics, a large new study suggests.

The study found that for every 5 point increase in body mass index above 25, the risk of dying prematurely went up by 30%.

Body mass index (BMI) is an estimate of a person's fat levels based on height and weight. BMI that fall...

Want to reduce your risk of dementia? Take care of your heart.

That's the takeaway from a new study that suggests good heart health in middle age could lower your odds for problems with thinking and memory later in life.

The study included nearly 7,900 British adults who did not have heart disease or dementia at age 50. Over an average 25-year followup, 347 cases of dementia...

Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can lead to unhealthy post-pregnancy weight for moms, and a higher risk of obesity and related conditions in their children. But not gaining enough weight has consequences, too.

Historical studies on children born during times of famine show they have twice the risk as the general population of developing schizophrenia and other mental illnesse...

It's not only women who agonize over their excess pounds. Stigma about being overweight can cause physical and emotional harm to men, too.

"It's often assumed that conversations about weight loss, poor body image, and dieting are more salient for women. Men are frequently overlooked, but that does not necessarily mean that men are less affected by weight stigma or less likely to inter...

It's not easy maintaining a healthy weight. Even when you manage to drop a few pounds, they often return.

Why would the body seem to encourage obesity?

New research suggests the answer lies far back in human evolution, with an anti-starvation mechanism that primes the body to store fat.

The key to this mechanism is a protein dubbed "RAGE," according to New York Un...

Losing weight is one thing, but keeping it off is another. Now, a new study suggests that exercising at the same time each day is key.

The research, on 375 adults who maintained a weight loss of 30 or more pounds for at least a year, showed that consistent timing of exercise was linked with higher physical activity levels overall. The most common time to exercise? Early morning.

Women, beware: Sleeping with a light on or the TV going in your bedroom could make you put on weight.

That's the finding of new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. While the study doesn't prove that sleeping with a light on causes weight gain, it suggests the two may be linked, the researchers said.

"Turning off the light while sleeping may be a useful tool...

Eight of every 10 American households buys sodas and other sugary drinks each week, adding up to 2,000 calories per household per week, new research shows.

To put that in perspective, 2,000 calories is equal to the recommended average caloric intake for an adult for an entire day.

With the obesity epidemic continuing for Americans young and old, it's still tough to get the m...

Cold, sweet ice cream cones are a favorite summertime treat -- but don't overdo it.

They're high in calories and less nutritious than you probably think. That goes for frozen yogurt and flavored snow cones too, according to Suzy Weems, a professor of family and consumer sciences at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Many people think ice cream is a good source of vitamin D an...

While taking vitamins may be fine for teens and young adults, supplements for weight loss, muscle-building and added energy may trigger severe medical problems, new research suggests.

Regulations to keep these potentially harmful products out of the hands of young people are urgently needed, the study authors said.

"The [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] has issued countles...

New research illustrates a heartbreaking, vicious cycle: Teasing kids about their weight not only bruises their self-esteem, it also appears to trigger more weight gain.

In fact, middle schoolers who reported high levels of weight-related teasing had a 33% higher jump in their body mass index per year compared to peers who weren't teased about their weight. The ridiculed kids also...

Clean-air taxi rules in New York City increased cabs' fuel efficiency and reduced air pollution, a new study says.

Legislation introduced in 2006 required at least 9% of new medallions, or licenses, for yellow cabs be set aside for hybrid or compressed natural gas vehicles. It also encouraged companies to purchase low-emission taxis.

Between 2009 and 2015, the fuel effic...

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer vacation -- a season of potato salad, ice cream and, if you're not careful, unwanted weight gain.

But it is possible to avoid packing on the pounds. Just hop on the scale every day, researchers suggest.

The new study included 111 U.S. adults, who weighed themselves every day from mid-November 2017 to early January 2018 and r...

Despite an epidemic of childhood obesity, the cholesterol levels of American kids have been improving over the past 20 years, a new study shows.

Researchers found that since 1999, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol among U.S. children and teens have declined, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol have risen.

That's the good news, researchers report in the May 21 issue of the <...

Just a few extra pounds during adolescence may translate into higher odds for heart disease in adulthood, a new study of young men suggests.

It included about 1.7 million Swedish men who began military service at ages 18 or 19 between 1969 and 2005. They were followed for up to 46 years.

During the follow-up, nearly 4,500 were diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, an uncommon heart...

The earlier you have weight-loss surgery, the better, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that weight-loss surgery is more effective in reversing diabetes and high blood pressure in teens than in adults, which suggests it would be better for severely obese teens not to wait until adulthood to have the procedure.

For the study, investigators analyzed data from severely ob...

Researchers have long believed the obesity epidemic is at least partly related to the proliferation of highly processed foods. Now, new research suggests the connection is real.

In a tightly controlled lab study, scientists found that people ate many more calories -- and gained a couple of pounds -- when they spent two weeks on a highly processed diet, versus when they ate a diet rich...

More than 20 million babies are born across the globe weighing far less than they should, and the problem isn't limited to low-income countries, new research shows.

In 2015, nearly three-quarters of infants with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) were born in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. But low birth weights persist in high-income countries in Europe, North America, Au...

Low-carb, vegetarian, Mediterranean -- whatever your diet, it's important to get enough protein.

Although research hasn't yet pinpointed one perfect formula, experts say that the typical "recommended" daily minimums aren't optimal, and that it helps to factor in your weight and activity level to determine how much protein you personally need.

A good baseline for peop...

THURSDAY, May 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Could people struggling with obesity make headway in their efforts to shed pounds without having to go under the knife?

New preliminary research suggests it's possible: A non-surgical procedure may help moderately obese people lose weight -- and keep it off.

Unlike standard weight-loss surgery, endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) r...

Profoundly obese people are prone to an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, but new research suggests that weight-loss surgery can improve the odds that a procedure to restore a normal heart rhythm will work.

When atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, cannot be controlled by medications, a procedure called ablation can help. It targets the nerves in the heart where atrial fibr...

Expectant mothers and doctors have focused a lot on how much a woman gains during pregnancy, but new research suggests how much a woman weighs before getting pregnant may be far more important.

The study found that the more a woman weighed at the start of her pregnancy, the more likely she was to experience complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational d...

Parents and doctors often overlook how overweight kids are, which could leave youngsters at increased risk for health problems linked to excess weight, British researchers say.

They reviewed 87 studies that included nearly 25,000 children, age 19 and younger, and their parents.

The researchers found that 55% of parents underestimated how much excess weight their children...

Being obese and commuting by car can be a deadly mix, a new study warns.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 163,000 adults, aged 37 to 73, in the United Kingdom. The participants were followed for an average of five years.

Compared to people of normal weight who walked or cycled to work (active commuters), those who were obese and commuted by car had a 32% higher ris...

Starting at age 7, kids can get stuck in a vicious cycle of obesity and emotional problems that is hard to escape, British researchers say.

Investigators are not sure what triggers the struggle, but new study findings suggest that, over time, youngsters who are obese are likely to develop anxiety and moodiness, while those with emotional problems are more apt to become obese.

Even though marijuana triggers the "munchies" in many people, adults who use the drug tend to weigh less than nonusers, a new study finds.

The finding stems from data on the weight of 33,000 Americans, 18 and older. Researchers found that all gained weight over three years. However, those who used pot bulked up less than those who did not.

The study also found that new and p...

Young people with Down syndrome or other cognitive impairments are just as successful in shedding excess pounds after weight-loss surgery as their peers, a new study finds.

Researchers reviewed outcomes for 63 young people, aged 13 to 24, who had bariatric surgery at Children's National Health System in Washington, D.C. All were severely obese, and all had been diagnosed with cogniti...

As obesity becomes epidemic among Americans, many could over- or underestimate their odds for piling on the pounds. But a new genetic "score" might take the guesswork out of all of that, researchers say.

Using information on more than 2 million gene variants linked to body weight, the scientists created a so-called polygenic score that may help quantify a person's obesity risk.

Mindlessly switching from your smartphone to other media devices and back again might lead to added pounds, scientists say.

A small, new study found that heavy-duty media multitaskers also tended to be heavier, weight-wise.

It's possible that these devices are actually changing the brain, theorized lead author Richard Lopez, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Rice Uni...

Pets make us healthier. They can raise our spirits, extend our lives, lower our blood pressure and make us more active, research shows.

Do we do the same for them? If not, we may not be keeping up our end of the bargain.

The annual survey by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), released in March, showed 60 percent of cats and 56 percent of dogs in America wer...

If you've lost a bunch of weight and want to keep those pounds from piling back on, you'll need to make regular physical activity a part of your life.

New research looking at people who lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for a year or longer found that regular exercise was key.

"These people rely on physical activity to maintain their weight rather than restricting cal...

Eating habits and physical activity have a greater impact on weight-loss surgery's long-term success than measures like counting calories, a new study finds.

Researchers also found that evaluation of patients' mental health and eating habits before weight-loss (bariatric) surgery did not help predict who would be successful in keeping weight off years afterwards.

"Bariatric ...

Need another reason to stay slim? People who are overweight have a greater risk of dying from pancreatic cancer, especially those who are carrying extra pounds before age 50, a new study suggests.

"No matter what the age, there was some increase in pancreatic cancer deaths associated with excess weight. But the association was stronger for excess weight measured in people's 30s and 4...

Maybe you rush around with work and activities during the day, then settle in for a large, relaxing meal in the evening. But new research says the later in the day you eat, the more weight you're likely to pack on.

That's the takeaway from a week-long study involving 31 overweight and obese patients, mostly women.

"We evaluated meal and sleep timing in patients with overweig...

For people who carry too much weight and suffer from migraines, dropping some pounds might help ease their pain, new research shows.

"When people lose weight, the number of days per month with migraine decreases, as does pain severity and headache attack duration," said lead researcher Dr. Claudio Pagano. He is associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Padova in It...