A study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published by Wiley-Blackwell finds that overweight mothers have a higher chance of delivering a second large baby after having a first macrosomic baby.

Gaining or losing weight in between pregnancies can have major health implications for an unborn baby, warn two senior obstetricians in today’s BMJ.

People wondering about excessive weight gain might look to their relationships with family and friends for one clue, suggests new research reported July 26, 2007, in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Scientists at the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Wisconsin have discovered that a gene that participates in the regulation of the body's biological rhythms may also be a major control in regulating metabolism. Their finding shows that mice lacking the gene Nocturnin, which is regulated by the circadian clock in the organs and tissues of mammals, are resistant to weight gain when put on a high fat diet and also are resistant to the accumulation of fat in the liver.

Swedish researchers have found a way to increase the weight of people with Alzheimer's, by improving communication and patient involvement, altering meal routines and providing a more homely eating environment

British researchers have discovered an obesity gene that may help explain why some people get fatter than others. But as we hear from VOA's David McAlary in Washington, they say it is not alone responsible for the epidemic of weight gain sweeping the globe.