Obesity

Pregnancy weight gain a health concern

But increasingly, there is a new concern.

It is estimated about half of Australian women are entering pregnancy overweight or obese, with many putting on excessive weight while pregnant.

Jane Raymond, manager of Maternity and Newborn in NSW Health, said weight gain tends to be cumulative and lasting during child-bearing years..

"Pregnancy now is called an independent risk factor for obesity," Ms Raymond said.

Increasingly, research is linking a pregnant mum's weight to the health of her child.

Sugar tax would prolong Australians' lives more than two years, Melbourne researchers find

In an article to be published in the PLOS (Public Library of Science) Magazine, modelling by the university's Centre for Public Health Policy concludes that taxing foods that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats — as well as subsidising fruit and vegetables — would also save $3.4 billion in healthcare costs.

"The study suggests that taxes and subsidies on foods and beverages can potentially be combined to achieve substantial improvements in population health and cost savings to the health sector," the article reads.

Dietitians plead: Don't be afraid of eating fruit if going sugar-free, fructose-free

"I think there is a bit of confusion about where sugar is found and which are the ones we should be reducing and which are the ones we should be including," dietitian Charlene Grosse told ABC Radio Perth.

Ms Grosse said the mainstream promotion of sugar-free diet programs, constant warnings about the consumption of soft drinks and fruit juice, and reports about the impact of high-fructose corn syrup additives had fed into a belief that even fresh fruit could be bad for your health.

Intense cleanse, weight loss, kick-start: Will a detox diet really rid your body of toxins and make you healthier?

Promising to rid your body of the "toxins" resulting from poor diet and lifestyle, the claim is these diets will leave you cleansed and revitalised — and perhaps a few kilos lighter to boot.

But do these programs, which often involve consuming expensive powders and potions, really do anything to improve your health?

Want to avoid looking like Santa this festive season? Here are some ways to avoid a holiday blowout

It's no wonder the festive season is a peak time for weight gain many of us spend the entire year ahead trying to reverse.

Doctors call for sweet drink levy to tackle obesity in Australia

The Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges, representing bodies including the Royal Australian College of GPs, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, has developed a six-point obesity action plan to tackle what it calls the most pressing public health issue.

Professor Nick Talley, head of the Committee of the Presidents of Medical Colleges, said urgent definitive action was needed.

"We need leadership, not just telling people to lose weight," he said.

Should obese passengers pay more?

Airline seats have been one-size-fits-all since the beginning. Today, those 16.5 to 18-inch wide seats are anything but.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has more than doubled since 1980. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight, and over 600 million were obese. (WHO defines "overweight" as a BMI greater than or equal to 25 and "obese" as a BMI greater than or equal to 30.)

Samoans getting Zumba fit, but obesity still on the rise

Barefoot and shrieking with laughter, they run races along the sand, pushing rods of wood with wheels made from empty corned beef cans.

ABC reports when full, these cans of processed meat fill shelf after shelf in Samoan supermarkets, and are often blamed for rendering 80 per cent of adults overweight or obese.

But the active weekend scene playing out on Maninoa Beach is increasingly common in the small island nation, where physical activity rates have climbed drastically.

Why has an Indian state imposed a 'fat tax'?

The recently-elected Communist government says the 14.5% tax is aimed at making people more conscious about food choices and curbing obesity.

"This is more of a preventive measure as Kerala's food habits are changing dramatically. People are eating a lot of junk food and rejecting traditional food," says Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

Fruit to advance Pacific health

Steven Underhill from the University of the Sunshine Coast had launched a four-year study which will look at strategies, crop selection, market transport and fruit production in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.

According to RNZI, Dr Underhill said the islands did not have the abundance of locally grown fruit that people might think.