Atkins Diet Tougher on Heart After Weight Loss

In the “maintenance” phase that occurs after initial weight loss, the popular Ornish and South Beach diets seem to be easier on the heart than the high-fat, low-carbohydrate Atkins regimen, a new study finds. Unlike numerous studies that have evaluated diets to see which might be better at achieving weight loss, this study, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, looked at what... Read more

Weight loss easier when you get paid for it

Losing weight is easier when there is money on the line, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. They said weight-loss programs that reward people with money — and remind them of the cash they stand to lose if they fail — provided a powerful incentive to lose weight compared with more conventional approaches. Dr. Kevin Volpp of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine was looking for... Read more

Medicare wants limits for weight loss surgery

Medicare, the U.S. government’s largest payer of health care, said on Monday it does not plan to cover weight-loss surgery in diabetic patients who are not dangerously overweight, saying there is not enough evidence to show it can improve their health. Medicare and some private insurers already pay for the surgery, which ranges from $15,000 to $35,000 for more complicated gastric bypass, for... Read more

Weight loss surgery may improve IVF outcomes

Preliminary findings from patients who underwent obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, at Washington University in St. Louis, indicate that this procedure used to induce weight loss may improve the ability of morbidly obese women to conceive after undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Meanwhile, a second study conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, suggests... Read more

How to Beat the Holiday Weight Gain Odds

From ‘food pushers’ to parties that tempt your senses, here’s how to overcome holiday diet temptations. Just when you’re finally getting your weight under control, boom! It’s the holidays, and food is everywhere. From the office to the factory, from the office supply store to the drugstore (not to mention parties and family events galore), it seems as if the Thanksgiving-to-New... Read more