BBC News, November 15, 2010
People who are overweight have a greater sense of smell for food, a study has found.
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth say their early findings may go towards explaining why some people struggle to stay slim.
Experts already know that part of the brain that processes information about odour is also connected to the feeding centres of the brain.
The latest research is published in the journal Chemical Senses.
In the UK, a quarter of adults are obese and doctors fear that the incidence will only rise in the …

News Watch International, Joanne Franco, November 1, 2010
A new ruling in Brazil has shaken up the legal world as well as the world of fast food. A former franchise manager for a McDonald’s location in Brazil sued his former employee for his obesity that he says is a direct result of his employment. In a stunning ruling, the court ordered that McDonald’s was liable and ordered the company to pay the man $17,500 in damages.
The man, who asked to remain unnamed, said that during the 12 years that he worked …

The New York Times, Jane E. Brody, October 18, 2010
Esther Tuttle is nearing the end of the 10th decade of a remarkably productive and adventurous life. If all continues to go as well as it has to date, next July 1 she will join the rapidly growing clan of centenarians, whose numbers in the United States have increased to 96,548 in 2009 from 38,300 in 1990, according to the Census Bureau.
At age 92, Mrs. Tuttle (best known as Faity, her childhood nickname) wrote a memoir with the prescient title “No …

Reuters, September 23, 2010
Overweight youngsters may face discrimination at school and in relationships but a U.S. study has found they can also receive harsher treatment at home — from their own parents.
Studies have shown parents are less likely to help overweight or obese offspring pay for college but researchers from the University of North Texas in Denton have also found parents may be less willing to help their overweight child buy a car.
“No one is going to be surprised that society discriminates against the overweight, but I think it is …

FoxNews, Hollie McKay, September 16, 2010
When it comes to (over) weight-related shows on American television, there is quite the buffet selection.
We have NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” and “Losing it With Jillian”; ABC Family’s drama “Huge”; TLC’s “One Big Happy Family; Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva”; Fox’s “More to Love;” CBS’s new sitcom “Mike & Molly;” The Style Network’s “Too Fat For 15”; VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club” – and that’s just to name a few.
“These shows are exploring an issue that’s on the minds of millions of Americans every day – …

Inc.com, Courtney Rubin, August 24, 2010
A nail salon in Georgia has kicked up controversy for charging a woman an extra $5 because she was overweight and could damage its chairs.
Michelle Fonville, 40, went to the Natural Nails salon in suburban Atlanta’s DeKalb County to have an eyebrow wax and a burnt orange polish applied to her fingers and toes. When she went to pay, the bill she received looked excessive to her.
“I said to the clerk I thought I had been accidentally overcharged,” she told ABC News’ Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV. “I honestly thought it was …

Fooducate, August 18, 2010
Americans are struggling with their weight, we all know that. A recent survey by Kelton Research on behalf of Nutrisystem reveals some interesting numbers and facts. The phone survey took place between April 10 and April 21, 2010 among 1,001 adults age 18 and over.
Feeling fat. Nearly a third of Americans confess to being self-conscious about their bodies.
Feeling Sexy. A majority of Americans (66 percent) who say they need to lose weight to feel sexier than they currently do, think it will take an average of 23 …

Listen to radio clip on BBC.co.uk , August 17, 2010
The man behind the UK’s first weight loss camp says reality diet shows, like Celebrity Fit Camp and Biggest Loser, are misleading.
Professor Paul Gately, who runs the Carnegie Weight loss Camp in Leeds, told BBC Radio 5 live’s Gabby Logan: “I don’t think these shows add anything to what we already know.”
He said they show a “very dramatic change that for most people is completely unsustainable”.
via BBC News – Professor claims weight loss TV shows are counterproductive.

The Washington Post, Josh Tapper, August 10, 2010
A resident of the Rainbow Retirement Community in Great Falls, Mont., for 30 years, Breuning swears by a simple regimen: exercise, eat (but only two meals per day, plus one baby aspirin), work, repeat.
Of course, at 113, Breuning doesn’t work much these days. He performs light, upper-body calisthenics for 10 minutes each morning, listens to radio news (his deteriorating eyesight prevents him from reading), entertains a continuous stream of visitors and retires by 8 p.m. Despite some wear and tear, Breuning, who uses …

Excessive work on a computer, including staring at the screen for a long time, creates a craving for sweet treats like chocolate and biscuits.
The mental stress of computer work triggers changes in blood sugar and hormone levels that trick the brain into thinking it has worked off lots of calories that need to be replaced. Watching television has the same effect, experts at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm have said.Office workers who want to keep trim should take regular screen breaks, and even consider typing while standing up, …