Obesity in America Headlines

Diet-Exercise Combo Best for Obese Seniors

For obese seniors, dieting and exercise together are more effective at improving physical performance and reducing frailty than either alone. Although weight loss alone and exercise alone improve physical function, neither is as effective as diet and exercise together, which improved physical performance in seniors by 21 percent. (Washington University in St. Louis, 3/30/11)

Simple Tools Help Parents Understand a Child’s Risk of Obesity, Make Positive Changes

According to a study performed in the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, researchers confirmed previous reports that parents of overweight or obese children do not recognize their child’s weight problem. But this time, by arming pediatricians with a “toolkit,” an easily used chart and a series of questions and suggestions, the researchers addressed several problems. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 7/12/10)

Too Much Weight May Delay Infants’ Ability to Crawl, Walk

Those cute little rolls of fat some infants have may actually slow their ability to crawl and walk, according to a new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study, published recently online in The Journal of Pediatrics, shows that infants who are overweight may be slower than thinner babies to develop motor skills. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3/30/10)