Children's Health: Low-income communities more likely to face childhood obesity ♦ Study examines the downside of larger families ♦ Preschoolers who eat their veggies just as likely to eat junk food

Low-income communities more likely to face childhood obesity Race matters less than expected in study showing relationship between poverty and obesity. Although obesity rates were higher among African-American and Hispanic kids, the relationship disappeared when factoring in family income,

Even children with higher IQs behave better when their sleep apnea is fixed Many doctors will ask about quality of sleep when children have problems at school, but new research shows it's just as important to pay attention to how high achievers are sleeping.

Study examines the downside of larger families Large families often capture the public's attention, from 'The Brady Bunch' to '19 Kids and Counting.' But new research by economists offers strong evidence that children in larger families are more likely to fall behind in cognitive achievement and have behavioral and other problems.

Preschoolers who eat their veggies just as likely to eat junk food Public-health experts have long expected that kids who eat more carrots and apples are less likely to eat a lot of candy and fries, but new research is calling that into question.

Weight Loss Research: Are you hardwired to enjoy high-calorie foods? ♦ Obesity: Is junk food really to blame? ♦ Standing and exercise linked to lower odds of obesity

Are you hardwired to enjoy high-calorie foods? Research links genes to heightened brain reward responses to foods high in fat and sugar Researchers have identified two genetic variants that interact to alter the brain responses to high-calorie foods, a tie that could aid in the development of targeted treatments for obesity and overweight. Researchers found that two gene variants - FTO and DRD2 - influenced activity in the brain reward system when looking at pictures of high-calorie foods

Standing and exercise linked to lower odds of obesity While sedentary behavior (such as watching TV and commuting time) has been linked to negative health effects, it is unclear whether more time spent standing has protective health benefits. New research shows that standing for at least one-quarter of the day has been linked to lower odds of obesity.

Obesity: Is junk food really to blame? Soda, candy, and fast food are often painted as the prime culprits in the national discussion of obesity in the United States. While a diet of chocolate bars and cheese burgers washed down with a Coke is inadvisable from a nutritional standpoint, these foods are not likely to be a leading cause of obesity .

Bariatric surgery is safe option for managing type 2 diabetes in overweight or mildly obese patients Weight-loss surgery, long considered a treatment largely reserved for people with severe obesity, may also be a good and safe option for the treatment of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes in those who are overweight or have mild to moderate obesity.

Weight Loss Research: Your family can make your fat ♦ Critical windows to turn away junk food craving ♦ Commercial weight-loss programs - Most don't work

Critical windows to turn away junk food craving Researchers have shown there are two critical windows during the developmental pathway to adulthood when exposure to junk food is most harmful, particularly for female offspring.

The brain-belly connection: Scientists find key genetic triggers in weight-regulating brain cells The little voice inside your head that tells you to eat, or stop eating, isn't a little voice – it’s actually a cluster of about 10,000 specialized brain cells. And now, scientists have found tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this “voice”, and keep it speaking throughout life.

Stress and obesity: Your family can make your fat A new study suggests a relationship between long-term exposure to three specific types of family stressors and children becoming obese by the time they turn 18.

Few commercial weight-loss programs show reliable evidence of effectiveness: Most don't work In a bid to help physicians guide obese and overweight patients who want to try a commercial weight-loss program, researchers reviewed 4,200 studies for solid evidence of their effectiveness but concluded only a few dozen of the studies met the scientific gold standard of reliability

4/24/14 Health News: Florida Citrus Greening Decimates Crops ♦ Ban on junk food in schools ♦ 60% of China Underground Water.is poluted ♦ Touchscreens Are Contaminated With Pathogens

Florida Citrus Greening Decimates Crops

Florida’s citrus growers are fighting to keep their trees alive. Since 2005, when the deadly citrus greening disease was first discovered in Dade County, it has become the single largest threat to Florida’s entire $9 billion industry. Continue Reading

India: Ban sought on junk food in schools

The Centre for Science and Environment Director-General, Sunita Narain, has demanded that all junk food be banned from unaided and private schools across the country. Food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) should not be available in educational institutions and within 500 yards of them.Continue Reading

60% of China Underground Water.is poluted

Water quality measured in 203 cities across the country last year rated "very poor" or "relatively poor" in an annual survey released by the Ministry of Land and Resources, the official Xinhua news agency said late Tuesday. Continue Reading

Virtually All Touchscreens Are Contaminated With Pathogens

Virtually all smartphones and tablet computers used by healthcare workers are contaminated with at least 1 organism, research from a German hospital shows. "We might be transferring these pathogens to patients, increasing their risk for infection," said investigator Romy Wendler Continue Readings