If money is always low and stress or depression is always high, moms may be overfeeding their babies - and thereby increasing their kids' risks of obesity. A recent unpublished study being presented at a conference found that the unhealthy practice of adding cereal to babies' bottles tends to occur more often among low-income mothers who are single and/or showing symptoms of depression or high stress. Don't add cereal to your baby's bottle. Lead author Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, a an associate professor of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital...

Think outside the bun for some finger lickin ' good food. Head for the border and have it your way. And if you recognized all those taglines , you might be more likely to be obese. Although past research has shown a link between TV watching and obesity, less evidence exists regarding possible links between obesity and fast food advertising. But an unpublished study recently presented at a conference offers just that. Limit your child's access to fast food. Auden McClure, MD, an assistant professor of the Department of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, led the ...

Researchers are learning more about how obesity develops from complex factors beyond just eating too much. One factor may be a fear of not having enough food for one's children. A recent study reveals that food insecurity, or the anxiety about whether a person will have enough food to be sure their family is well fed, might play a part in why some children go on to become severely overweight. Follow your doctor's recommendations on feeding your baby. Rachel Gross, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Children's...

Caffeine can be a legal way to enhance athletic performance, though studies have shown mixed results. Genetic variation may be the reason caffeine does not work the same for everyone. Many studies have shown that caffeine can increase a person’s athletic performance, but these studies have also shown that these effects are not universal throughout the participants. A new study examines the link between caffeine’s effects and genetic differences between people. Caffeine may give you an extra edge in sports. Dr. Christopher J. Womack, PhD, a researcher and professor at Jam...

Melanoma, one of the most common cancers affecting Americans, casts a shadow over people at risk for this disease. However researchers are finding new ways to lower melanoma rates. A recent cohort study examining the use of vitamin A supplements provided evidence that may help researchers find ways to reduce melanoma rates among high-risk populations Taking multivitamins containing Vitamin A might reduce risk of melanoma. The author of this study was Maryam Asgari , MD, a researcher with Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit managed care consortium headquartered in Oakland, Californi...

Regular physical activity benefits the body in many ways, from weight loss to improved blood pressure. Those with the sickle cell trait might find an added benefit -- longevity and fewer complications. Unlike sickle cell disease, a painful inherited condition in which red blood cells are an abnormal crescent shape, those with the sickle cell trait inherit only one copy of the disease and have a mixture of normal and misshapen red blood cells. They tend to suffer from an increased risk of sickness and higher death rate. Ask your doctor about exercise if you suffer from sickle cel...

Drinking too much sugar-sweetened soda may increase your risk of having a stroke -- even if it's a diet soft drink. Coffee, on the other hand, was associated with a lower risk of stroke. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and beverages have previously been tied to diabetes, weight gain, hypertension, high cholesterol, gout and coronary artery disease. Women appeared to be at a higher stroke risk as compared to men. Consume more fruits and vegetables to lower stroke risk. Adam Bernstein, MD, ScD , study author and research director at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute, said that...

It is not easy being obese. Children who are overweight have it especially difficult because little kids can be pretty mean. In fact, little bullies can actually make the weight problem worse. A new study shows that overweight and obese children may be liked less in school. The overweight children could respond to the negative social atmosphere by becoming less active and eating more. Limit TV and videogames: keep your child active! The study was led by Amanda Harrist , PhD, of Oklahoma State University. “If overweight children are disliked at school, they may be less like...

True or false : Chocolate is good for you. Yes, it's a trick question, so a couple of nutrition researchers set out to find out what kind of benefits chocolate does offer. One of the ingredients in chocolate thought to offer some health benefits are flavanols , which are antioxidants that appear to help reduce inflammation. Although various studies have shown a link between how many flavanols a person consumes and their reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, this association does not mean eating chocolate will prevent a heart attack. Consider eating a daily piece of dark chocol...

Half of all Americans take at least one dietary supplement with the belief that it enhances health and may prevent disease. Yet when it comes to cancer prevention, high-dose supplements may cause more harm than good, according to a recent analysis.