Australia's largest disease prevention groups are calling for mandatory restrictions on unhealthy food advertising to children to be introduced without delay in the wake of evidence that industry self-regulation has failed to reduce children's exposure to unhealthy fast food advertising.

Public health researchers have identified a link between men being overweight or obese at age 18 and death from cancer in later life. The study shows the link is apparent even if they reduce their weight during middle age.

In an analysis of data from several studies, watching television for 2-3 hours per day or more was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause death, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA.

A new study uncovers a brain mechanism that could be targeted for new medications designed to help people quit smoking without gaining weight. This research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, shows that a specific subclass of brain nicotinic receptor is involved in nicotine's ability to reduce food intake in rodents. Prior ...

Deaths from pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) are on the rise and may be linked to obesity, according to a letter to the editor in the latest Medical Journal of Australia.

Formoterol, a new generation asthma medication, shows great promise for improving fat and protein metabolism, say Australian researchers, who have tested this effect in a small sample of men.

"Overweight and obese people appear to really have options when choosing a weight-loss program, including a low-carb diet, and even if it means eating more fat," says the studies' lead investigator exercise physiologist Kerry Stewart, Ed.D.

One in four Australians aged 18 years and over were obese in 2007-08, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Overweight or obese women with less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D who lose more than 15 per cent of their body weight experience significant increases in circulating levels of this fat-soluble nutrient, according to a new study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Experts agree that obesity prevention should begin before children enter school. But due to a lack of conclusive data, healthcare providers often have trouble advising parents about which interventions are the most beneficial. A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that limiting prolonged bottle use in children may be an effective way to help prevent obesity.