A recent international study fails to support the common belief that the number of calories burned in physical activity is a key factor in rising rates of obesity.

Obese people are less likely to use their seatbelts than the rest of the population, adding to the public health risks associated with this rapidly growing problem.

An Australian study has found that children are more likely to be obese if they are from low-income families, and the risk is increased further if they are from particular racial background.

According to new sudy raising children on diet foods and drinks could inadvertently turn them into obese adults. Research from the University of Alberta said that children's bodies learn to connect the taste of different foods and drinks with whether they are high or low in calories, and if they only have diet food and drink this connection becomes distorted leading them to overeat as they develop into adults.

Using the same database that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to confirm the rise in obesity rates, researchers have concluded that 100 percent juice is not associated with young children being overweight or at risk for becoming overweight.

The proportion of Americans who are severely obese -- about 100 pounds or more overweight -- increased by 50 percent from 2000 to 2005, twice as fast as the growth seen in moderate obesity, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.