Most studies have found that programs that offer money to try to change bad habits, like smoking or not exercising, don’t work very well or for very long. However, the chance to win or lose $20 a month persuaded dieters in a yearlong study to lose an average of 9 pounds each. This was four times more weight than participants who were not offered a monetary reward. Dr. Steve Driver of the Mayo Clinic, a study leader, said that incentives are “not like training wheels where people learn healthy... 

Acting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshalls seized dietary supplements that were tainted from the Hollywood, Florida firm Globe All Wellness LLC. The FDA Office of Compliance director Howard Sklamberg said a number of the products that were seized contain the active ingredient sibutramine hydrochloride that is found in Meridia the obesity drug. Meridia was taken out of market in the U.S. back in December of 2010 after data from clinical trials demonstrated the medication increased... 

Lap-Band, the once-popular weight-loss device, has experienced several years of falling sales, dramatic loss of market share, and several controversies over its effectiveness and safety.  Lap-Band maker Allergan announced that it is seeking a buyer for its obesity business, which includes Lap-Band.  The company has already hired an investment banking firm and was sending letters to other medical device companies and private equity firms that may be interested in the purchase. The Lap-Band is a... 

Scientific studies are increasingly showing that sleep plays a role in maintaining a healthy body weight.    Jean-Philippe Chaput, a specialist in preventive medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and his co-author, Dr. Angelo Tremblay, of the department of kinesiology at Laval University in Quebec City, wrote in a commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, that inadequate sleep is among these factors. Inadequate sleep seems to influence body weight... 

Older men who choose bariatric surgery to lose weight may not see reductions in medical costs in the following years.  Improvements in health and enhancements in quality of life after the surgery were not measured by the study.  The new study’s findings runs counter to the widely accepted claim that significant weight loss from bariatric operations leads to significant reductions in medical expenses. Nearly 113,000 Americans undergo bariatric surgery every year.  The most common form of bariatric... 

The Health Board of New York City approved a measure on Thursday that limits the size of sugary drinks in movie theaters, restaurants and street carts. City officials said the measure was an attempt to rein in the high rates of obesity in the city. The measure approved by the city’s health board was the first ever approved anywhere in the U.S. of its kind. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had championed the restrictive measure and its approval is sure to spark even more debate across the nation... 

Experts have long asked the irksome question of why so many of us who work out remain so heavy. It seems reasonable to believe that frequent physical activity should burn fat and make us slim.  An active lifestyle involves considerable physical activity and, therefore, should burn many calories. However, repeated studies have shown that many people lose little or no weight on an exercise program.  A groundbreaking new study addresses the issue.  The study was published in the journal PLoS One. Anthropologists... 

The Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the first new prescription diet pill in 13 years.  The approved drug is known as lorcaserin and will be sold by Eisai Inc. under the name Belviq.  An advisory committee to the F.D.A. recommended approval of Belviq by a vote of 18 to 4. The new drug was developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals of San Diego, founded in 1997.  Belviq is the first drug to reach the market for the company.  Arena successfully came back with new data addressing the F.D.A’s... 

Qsymia, formerly known as Qnexa, won Food and Drug Administration approval on Tuesday as a diet drug. The latest move by the regulatory agency is intended to help find patients and their doctors’ additional tools that are needed to fight the problem of excessive weight gain. Obesity rates in the U.S. and the world are continuing to rise and create high medical costs. In February, an FDA advisory panel had voted 20 to 2 in favor of approving the weight-loss drug. It was the first time in over 10... 

According to a new report released, the high cost of obesity added $190 billion to the annual national healthcare budget. It has overtaken smoking as the public health enemy number one in the United States. The high cost connected to obesity comes from different sources, such as the increased insurance premiums people had to pay to subsidize the added medical charges incurred by the obese as well as the impact of added weight on energy costs. The extra weight carried by vehicles is responsible for...