On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Qsymia, the second new diet drug in a month, and the most effective of the weight-loss pills that the agency has considered in recent years.
Qsymia, made by Vivus …
Obesity
NYC’s Trans Fat Ban Worked: Fast-Food Diners Are Eating Healthier
In 2006, New York City passed a first-in-the-nation ban on trans fats in restaurant food. Here’s how it worked
Family MattersTeens
Obesity: Playing Three or More Sports Cuts the Rate of Overweight Teens
Teens who play at least three team sports are least likely to be overweight or obese, a new study finds. Makes sense, but does the required time commitment come at the expense of parental sanity?
Too Much TV Linked with Thicker, Weaker Kids
Researchers link increases in waist size and less powerful leg-muscle strength to TV watching in kids
Belviq: 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Weight-Loss Pill
With the first new weight-loss drug to be approved in 13 years, dieters have a new weapon against obesity. Is it for you?
Doctors Should Screen All Adults for Obesity, U.S. Panel Says
With more American adults qualifying as obese than ever before, doctors should be screening all adult patients for unhealthy weight, says a government panel.
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Bypass Surgery for Weight Loss Doubles the Risk of Alcohol Problems
Why the mostly commonly performed bariatric surgery in the U.S. doubles patients’ risk for drinking problems, compared with a less severe weight-loss procedure
How Does a Child’s Weight Influence Her Math Abilities?
Obese kids face a multitude of social and health problems, and now a new study from the University of Missouri finds that being overweight may even affect kids’ performance in math.
Why Sleepy People Reach for Junk Food
If you’ve ever ended up at a greasy diner ravenous at 4 in the morning, this will come as no surprise: new studies find that a sleepy brain is more drawn to junk food than a well-rested one, and that it’s also less equipped to …
Women May Suffer Fat Stigma Even After Losing Weight
Overweight women may suffer from the stigma of obesity even after they drop the pounds, a recent study found, suggesting that anti-fat prejudice may outlast obesity itself.
The New York City Soda Ban, and a Brief History of Bloomberg’s Nudges
Nothing like a tall, cool drink in the heat of summer, right? Not if it’s a sugar-sweetened soda, and not if you’re in New York City.
Blessed Are the Sleek? Why God Wants You to Be Thin
Megapastor and bestselling author Rick Warren believes he has an answer to America’s obesity epidemic — and it lies in the Book of Daniel. (The full story appears in this week’s issue of TIME, available to subscribers here.)