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September 27, 2012 Critics say the ads, created by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, are condescending and could have a negative effect on people who are overweight. But the company stands by the ads, saying the obesity problem is so big, they needed to take dramatic action.

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September 18, 2012 In a study, researchers found that among white kids and teens, higher BPA levels were associated with more than twice the risk of obesity. But higher BPA levels didn't affect childhood obesity risk for blacks and Hispanics.

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September 17, 2012 Kids' high salt consumption is putting them at risk for illnesses linked to high blood pressure. The association between salt and blood pressure was highest in kids who are already overweight, the CDC says.

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August 22, 2012 Two studies suggest that antibiotics early in life may contribute to childhood weight gain. Experiments in mice and a look at the weight of more than 11,500 British babies point in the same direction.

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August 13, 2012 Fifth- through eighth-graders gained less weight in states that limit junk food sales in schools, compared with kids in states without such laws. That's according to a new analysis published online in Pediatrics.

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May 21, 2012 The proportion of 12- to 19-year-olds who report having diabetes or "prediabetes" increased from 9 percent in 1999 to 23 percent in 2008, according to a paper published in the journal Pediatrics. "This report really sounds the alarm," says one researcher.

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May 14, 2012 With the rising incidence of obesity comes a rising incidence of the health-related problems it causes. Pediatricians report seeing high blood pressure, heart disease and even certain cancers — diseases previously considered problems among adults only — in children as young as 3.

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May 7, 2012 More than two-thirds of the mothers participating in a recent study were inaccurate in their assessments. And the biggest problem was moms who thought their overweight toddlers were just fine.

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May 4, 2012 The bake sale, a staple of school fundraising for generations, is getting squeezed. The epidemic of childhood obesity is leading some districts to restrict the kinds of foods sold or to ban the sales altogether, Bloomberg Businessweek's Stephanie Armour explained on Friday's Morning Edition.

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April 12, 2012 Children and teens are going to have to cut calories or get a lot more exercise to stop the obesity trend, new research says.

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January 17, 2012 The obesity epidemic appears to have reached a plateau, according to the latest federal statistics.

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December 19, 2011 KHNAbout half of African-American women in the U.S. are obese, compared to 30 percent of white women. Black women not only carry more weight, but they start piling on extra pounds years before their white counterparts. Around age 8 or 9, girls become less active, and the decline is steepest for black girls.

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December 16, 2011 Teenagers were less likely to buy a sugary soft drink if they knew it would take 50 minutes of jogging to burn off the calories. Researchers in Baltimore slapped signs on the drink coolers in corner markets to see what information would encourage healthier drink choices.

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December 13, 2011 KHNAdolescents covered by Medicaid may have an easier time getting weight-loss surgery paid for. The surgery costs upwards of $20,000 and it's not entirely clear which adolescents would benefit most from it.

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December 12, 2011 First lady Michelle Obama helps children set world record in jumping jacks. More than 300,000 people jumped to set a record for the Guinness Book of World Records on October 11 and 12, 2011.

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