Contrary to more conservative customs, exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the weight or size of the foetus. This is what has been indicated in a study carried out by researchers of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Polytechnic University of Madrid), which also shows the positive relationship between the weight of sedentary mothers before pregnancy and the body size of their babies. The conclusions appear in the International Journal of Obesity.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARNA) announced today that lorcaserin will be featured in multiple presentations at Obesity 2009, the 27th Annual Scientific Meeting of The Obesity Society in Washington, DC.

According to recent research published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA), eating rice helps improve overall diet and potentially reduces the risk for many chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes.

A mother's weight and the amount she gains during pregnancy both impact her daughter's risk of obesity decades later, according to a new study by Alison Stuebe, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. "The findings are especially important because of the growing epidemic of obesity in women," Stuebe says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today unveiled LEANWorks!, a Website designed to help businesses address obesity. LEAN stands for Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition. The new Website was announced at a National Business Group on Health meeting in Washington, D.C.

Obesity is probably the most important factor in the development of insulin resistance, but science's understanding of the chain of events is still spotty. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have filled in the gap and identified the missing link between the two.

It's not just humans that suffer from obesity - vets say that emerging obesity problems in dogs are leading to shorter lives and reduced quality of life. The warning comes in the wake of the launch of an over-the-counter weight loss treatment for humans.

A new study indicates there may be yet another reason to reduce childhood obesity - it may help prevent allergies. The study published in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that obese children and adolescents are at increased risk of having some kind of allergy, especially to a food.

Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age significantly contribute to women's decreased quality of life during their senior years, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.