Millions of people the world over suffer today from obesity, yet there is no "magic bullet" that has yet provided a universally accepted solution. However, a young researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem feels he has come up with a practical weight loss solution for the obese person without his having to feel hungry.

Jaswinder K. Sethi and Antonio J. Vidal-Puig review current knowledge on how fat tissue works in our bodies. They describe the biochemicals released by fat tissue and how they help keep the internal environment of the body stable by either storing fat or burning it to produce energy.

Macrophages - the scavenger cells of the body's immune system - are known as troublemakers for the role they play in obesity, but Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have found that the cells can also be saviors when it comes to metabolism.

Vertical work-stations, incorporating a treadmill, could help obese employees shed up to 30 kg in weight every year, suggests a small study published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

A RAND Corporation study issued today says school playgrounds and athletic facilities can be important tools in the fight against childhood obesity, but many are locked and inaccessible to children on weekends - especially in poor and minority neighborhoods.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today launched an observational study to evaluate the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery in adolescents. Bariatric surgery restricts stomach size and can decrease the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. The Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) study will help to determine if it is an appropriate treatment option for extremely overweight teens.

Childhood obesity is increasing among the general population in Canada, but the statistics are even more alarming among First Nations, Inuit and Mйtis children. In a study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health, University of Alberta researchers found that up to 65 per cent of Cree preschoolers in northern Quebec communities were overweight or obese.

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.

The first-ever Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management and Prevention of Obesity in Adults and Children, published April 10, 2007 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), recommend that waist circumference be measured in all Canadian adults, and that a national surveillance system be developed that incorporates this measurement along with height and weight.