Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise Against Binge Eating Disorder

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• August 30, 2022
• Full Page

Electrically stimulating the brain's "reward" circuity may hold promise as a treatment for binge eating disorder, a small pilot study suggests.

Don't Let Heartburn Ruin Your Holiday Feast

• December 18, 2021
• Full Page

Like Mr. Grinch, heartburn can crush your holiday, but there are easy ways to prevent it.

"Heartburn is caused by acidic stomach content moving into the esophagus, or gullet, which is much less resistant to acid," said Dr. James East, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic ...

Kids Piled on Extra Pounds During Pandemic

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• August 31, 2021
• Full Page

New research confirms the pandemic has not been good for the waistlines of children.

During lockdowns, American kids gained more weight than before the pandemic, and the number who became obese also increased, researchers report.

"This increased weight gain occurre...

Fast-Food Companies Spending More on Ads Aimed at Youth

• Robert Preidt
• June 17, 2021
• Full Page

The U.S. fast-food industry has boosted spending on ads targeting kids, especially Black and Hispanic youth, new research shows.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on ad spending and TV ad exposure for 274 fast-food restaurants and found that annual spending hi...

Sluggish Coworker? Maybe They 'Pigged Out' Last Night

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• April 12, 2021
• Full Page

Midnight snacks might feel satisfying in the moment -- but they can also knock people off their game at work the next day, a new study suggests.

The study, which followed nearly 100 employees, found a connection between "unhealthy" eating in the evening and under-perform...

Do You 'Wolf Down' Your Food? Speedy Eaters May Pack on More Pounds

• Serena McNiff HealthDay Reporter
• April 7, 2021
• Full Page

Are you the type to linger over a meal, or do you tend to eat quickly without giving it much thought?

New research confirms that you're better off going the slow route, because fast eaters tend to consume more and be more vulnerable to gaining weight and becoming obese. ...

Pandemic Has Many Kids Struggling With Weight Issues

• Cara Murez
• March 22, 2021
• Full Page

Kids and teens are already struggling to learn outside the classroom during the pandemic, but lockdowns and quarantines are also making it hard for them to control their weight, child health experts say.

Lost routines, economic insecurity and grief are making things more...

Social Media, Binge Eating Often Go Together for Kids

• Robert Preidt
• March 3, 2021
• Full Page

Could endless hours spent scrolling through social media and watching TV trigger binge eating in preteens?

Apparently so, new research suggests.

"Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food ad...

Feeling SAD? Here Are Ways to Ease Winter Blues

• February 6, 2021
• Full Page

The COVID-19 pandemic can make mental health struggles even worse for some people with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

SAD is a type of depression triggered by the shorter daylight hours and gray skies of winter. It causes symptoms such as overeating, social withdrawa...

Losing Some TV Ads Might Reduce Childhood Obesity

• Steven Reinberg
• October 14, 2020
• Full Page

Limiting TV ads for sugary, salty and high-fat foods and drinks might help reduce childhood obesity, British researchers suggest.

They looked at advertising of these products between 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. If all such ads were withdrawn during those hours, the number ...

Do Fasting Diets Really Work? New Study Finds Little Benefit

• Amy Norton
• September 29, 2020
• Full Page

More and more people are turning to "intermittent fasting" to lose weight, but the jury is still out on whether the tactic works.

In a new clinical trial, researchers found that one type of intermittent fasting did help overweight and obese adults drop a couple of po...

Working Off Your Quarantine Weight Gain

• Steven Reinberg
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

Life in lockdown has led many to overeat and gain weight, a phenomenon referred to as the "COVID-15."

But some small changes can get you back into shape, a weight management specialist suggests.

"COVID-19 changed how we eat, what we eat and how we spend o...

What Difference Do Calorie Counts on Menus Make?

• Robert Preidt
• June 15, 2020
• Full Page

Calorie labeling requirements for menus in U.S. restaurant chains could save tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health care and other costs, a new study claims.

Researchers created a model to assess what would happen if the labeling rule led to mod...

Eating Before Bedtime Might Pack on the Pounds

• Steven Reinberg
• June 11, 2020
• Full Page

If you have a late dinner and then head to bed, beware: You may gain weight while you sleep, a new study suggests.

That's most likely because your metabolism slows, boosting blood sugar and other chemicals that contribute to weight gain and type 2 diabetes, research...

As a Nation's Worth Grows, So Do Waistlines

• Robert Preidt
• May 27, 2020
• Full Page

Fatter wallets lead to fatter people, according to a new study.

Researchers examined the link between nations' wealth and their obesity rates. They discovered citizens get plumper as their country gets richer.

"As most people currently live in low- and midd...

Tips to Keeping Slim When You're Stuck at Home

• Robert Preidt
• April 18, 2020
• Full Page

Beware of your fridge, pantry and couch during the coronavirus pandemic.

Being cooped up at home with easy access to food can lead to overeating. Couple that with routine housekeeping, working from home, homeschooling your kids and tending to loved ones, and it's a s...

'Stress Eating' While Social Distancing? Here's Tips to Avoid It

• Steven Reinberg
• April 2, 2020
• Full Page

Trapped in the house with a cupboard full of food: Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic can spawn an unintended side effect -- stress eating.

It may be tempting to ease your anxiety with your favorite comfort foods, but emotional eating can hurt you physica...

How Does Social Media Shape Your Food Choices?

• Robert Preidt
• February 10, 2020
• Full Page

For better or worse, your social media friends might be influencing your eating habits, British researchers report.

They asked nearly 400 college students to estimate how much fruit, veggies, snacks and sugary drinks their Facebook friends ate each day.

Tho...

Consumers' Orders Changed Slightly After Calorie Counts Added to Menus

• Robert Preidt
• October 31, 2019
• Full Page

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, researc...

Stress in Pregnancy May Affect Baby's Sex, Preterm Delivery Risk: Study

• Robert Preidt
• October 16, 2019
• Full Page

Physical and mental stress during pregnancy may influence the baby's sex, and physical stress may increase the risk of preterm birth, a new study suggests.

Researchers assessed 187 healthy pregnant women between 18 and 45 years of age. About 17% were mentally str...

Are You Eating More Calories Than You Think?

• Len Canter
• October 15, 2019
• Full Page

You've worked hard to curb mindless eating by not watching TV with a bag of chips in your lap, and you log everything you do eat in your smartphone app. But you could still be taking in more calories than you realize.

The fact is that throughout each day, you're bom...

You've Lost the Weight -- Now Keep It Off to Keep Diabetes at Bay

• Serena Gordon
• October 9, 2019
• Full Page

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 pr...

The Scoop on Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt and Snow Cones

• Steven Reinberg
• June 7, 2019
• Full Page

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 consu...

How to Prevent Sneaky Summer Weight Gain

• Robert Preidt
• May 27, 2019
• Full Page

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...

Are Diets High in Processed Foods a Recipe for Obesity?

• Amy Norton
• May 16, 2019
• Full Page

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 --...

Body Adapts, Recovers From Occasional 'Pigging Out,' Study Finds

• Serena Gordon
• May 13, 2019
• Full Page

It's almost time for long summer weekends and backyard barbecues. And you may be wondering if a day or two of burgers and beers does any long-term damage to your body.

A new Australian study suggests that if you normally have a healthy lifestyle, you can relax and en...

How to Help Your Kids Achieve a Healthy Weight

• Robert Preidt
• March 21, 2019
• Full Page

Obesity can lead to physical, social and emotional struggles for kids, so parents need to help their children maintain a healthy weight, experts say.

"Children with obesity are more likely than their classmates to be teased or bullied and to suffer from low self-este...

Slim Down by Counting Bites Instead of Calories

• Len Canter
• January 24, 2019
• Full Page

Weight loss wisdom suggests chewing every bite 15 or more times to give your brain time to process what you're eating and send the signal that you're full. Now a group of studies has found that counting the bites themselves could be an effective way to lose weight.

K...

The Skinny on Schools' Efforts to Promote Healthy Eating

• Robert Preidt
• January 3, 2019
• Full Page

Schools that promote healthy eating may reduce kids' risk of obesity, new research finds.

Their study of nearly 600 middle schoolers in New Haven, Conn., found that such efforts limited increases in kids' body mass index (BMI -- an estimate of body fat based on heigh...