More than a billion people around the world are overweight and 400 million are obese according to the World Health Organization. Two thirds of American adults are now overweight or obese. U.S. health officials are so alarmed that they called an unprecedented conference on obesity in America.

Jo Chiti has battled weight for most of her life. “When you’re heavy as a woman, it’s depressing. It affects you emotionally,” she said.

Chiti stopped eating high fat foods, began exercising…and lost 18 kilograms. New research shows that obesity costs the United States $147 billion a year, or $1,400 a year more, for an obese person than for someone of normal weight.

The policy highlights of this Weight of the Nation conference are designed to scare people in power. And since everyone in Washington is obsessed with cost, the big news out of the conference this morning is the latest estimate of obesity’s direct costs from obesity cost guru Eric Finklestein  $147 billion per year. His calculations are exacting, although it is extremely difficult in reality to make such a snapshot estimate of something so complicated as obesity. This is one reason why researchers in the field tend to focus on suffering and disparities within populations, rather than aggregate cost. But policy-makers take their cues from numbers, and the CDC has an agenda to sell too. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, given the problem at hand, but it’s an example of how it is impossible to separate science and values.

Healthy habits are the key to teen weight loss. Show your teen the way with this practical plan for success.

Teenage obesity is a dangerous — and growing — problem. There’s no magic bullet for teen weight loss, but there’s plenty you can do to help. Start by encouraging your teen to adopt healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Jeff Katke, the CEO of Metagenics, Inc., a maker of nutraceuticals, medical
foods, and the popular ProteinFusion Peanut Butter Crunch Bars said today that
"adequate testing for contamination may be more expensive but it`s worth it to
protect consumers."