Obesity is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in North America. In the UK, about 46% of men in England and 32% of women are overweight and these numbers are on the rise. The World Health Organization has even gone so far as to label obesity as an “epidemic”.

If going vegetarian sounds doubtful to you, consider these facts. A pig is much smarter than a dog, and even smarter than a three year old child. Furthermore, eating meat products, especially pork , can be detrimental to your health meat contains high levels of bad cholesterol and saturated fat.

Beans are a miracle food. They not only come in many flavors, shapes, and sizes but can be a great addition to almost any meal. People who eat beans have been shown to measure smaller in the waist, weigh less, and have a significantly lower risk for obesity, breast cancers, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

For many people the reason for being thin is strictly a cosmetic one. It is perceived as healthy and fits into the cultural context of what is considered attractive. But there are better reasons to avoid being overweight. Being obese puts you at a serious risk of developing disease. Staying within healthy parameters will diminish your risk and can help you feel better emotionally and physically. That’s not to say that you should be out starving yourself in order to achieve an acceptable weight, but is worth knowing where you stand in relation to body mass and risk factors.

Scientists in the UK claim they have developed a 3D scanner that can accurately determine if a person is truly obese.

Adults aren’t the only ones who have to keep track of liquid calories, children do too, especially if they are prone to weight problems. Parents should be monitoring (as best they can) the amount of pop and sugary drinks kids intake each day, and that includes fruit juice as well. An Australian study puts the spotlight on this issue.

Gone are the days where all families eat at the dinner table, children grow up cooking alongside their parents and one generation shares family recipes with the next. Life seems to be more hectic than ever and kids don’t often get the chance to develop good cooking habits, which affects their health in the long run. And for some, bad eating results in obesity and other poor health conditions. 

British men are turning to cosmetic surgery to tackle the embarrassment of "man breasts" or "moobs," fuelling a near-doubling in the number of people sculpting their bodies through liposuction, says The Sunday Times of London. According to one theory, the condition, called gynaeomastia, may be caused by an excess of female hormones in tap water. Moobs can also be caused by obesity or weight gain.

U.S. sociologist Barry Glassner, author of the bestselling book The Culture of Fear, has written The Gospel of Food: Everything You Think You Know About Food Is Wrong. His words are a good reminder to you to get your hands out of the cookie jar!

Working out and having fun - isn’t that what it’s all about? Well rarely do people report having a great time sweating it out at the gym, but there is a new concept in weight loss that may have you and your kids dancing around the house as you shed pounds.

One day you may be able to control your appetite with chewing gum. Researchers in London have found an appetite-suppressing chewing gum made with the hormone called pancreatic polypeptide (PP), which mimics the body's "feeling full" response.

Sleeping more can help you lose weight. This doesn’t mean you can sleep on the couch for hours on end. But research shows that sleep deprivation can cause hormonal and metabolic changes that can lead to weight gain. Plus, when you’re feeling sluggish, you’re more likely to crave more fuel and increase your empty calorie intake with items like chips or cookies..

It sometimes takes a little tinkering in your diet to succeed at losing weight. Follow these Absolutely Effortless Diet Tips and fit into a new you!