How to Lose Pounds Fast

People who are overweight live with this type of ridicule all the time. “There are pervasive stereotypes that obese individuals are lazy and undisciplined,” says Rebecca Puhl, director of research at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. They’re also commonly viewed as mean, stupid and unhappy. A 2008 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that almost 6% of moderately overweight men and women reported experiencing bias because of their size; the rate was 13% for individuals who were obese and 40% for those who qualified as severely obese.

People who are overweight live with this type of ridicule all the time. “There are pervasive stereotypes that obese individuals are lazy and undisciplined,” says Rebecca Puhl, director of research at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. They’re also commonly viewed as mean, stupid and unhappy. A 2008 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that almost 6% of moderately overweight men and women reported experiencing bias because of their size; the rate was 13% for individuals who were obese and 40% for those who qualified as severely obese.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – A proposed kidney transplant that won two Mississippi sisters their freedom from prison can’t take place until one quits smoking and they lose a combined 160 pounds.

Jamie and Gladys Scott had served nearly 16 years of their life sentences for an armed robbery when they were released from a sprawling prison in central Mississippi on Jan. 7. Gov. Haley Barbour granted Jamie Scott an early release because she suffers from kidney failure, but he agreed to let Gladys Scott go on the condition she follow through on an offer to donate a kidney to her sister.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A program including regular follow-ups with nurses and focused attempts to cut back on TV, fast food, and sodas appears to keep some overweight and obese kids from gaining more weight, according to a new study.

Specifically, girls in general and kids from households earning less than $50,000 were less likely to gain weight over the course of a year if they were in the program.

But it appeared to have no effect on boys, or in kids from higher income households.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Obese women who lose weight during pregnancy may have a lower risk of certain pregnancy complications, but — with the exception of extremely obese women — those benefits may be outweighed by negative effects on the baby’s birth size, a new study suggests.

The findings, published in the obstetrics journal BJOG, add to the fairly controversial idea that it can be healthy for obese pregnant women to maintain their pre-pregnancy weight, or even lose a few pounds.

St. Louis, Mo., January 5, 2011 —

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns consumers to be skeptical of advertisements promising quick and easy ways to lose weight without cutting back on calories or increasing physical activity.

At this time of year, you’re likely to see claims such as, “Lose weight without diet or exercise,” “Block the absorption of fat, carbs or calories!” or “Lose weight with our miracle diet patch or cream.”

Consumers often are lured into buying diet pills, treatments or “cures” with the promise of better health, fitness or appearance. However, many of the products are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may be ineffective or even harmful.

Banish soft drinks from school vending machines. Cut down on Happy Meals. Load school lunches with fruits and vegetables. Pull the plug on the television and shove kids outdoors.

Those are some of the weapons that schools, doctors and parents wield to prevent overweight kids from packing on more pounds.

But there’s another possibility: Surgically implant an inflatable silicone band — known as a gastric band — around the top of the stomach to restrict food intake. That way, people eat smaller meals and feel full faster.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Obese people who participate in a weight loss program based on exercise and lifestyle changes end up less depressed, according to a new review.

But how many pounds they actually shed didn’t seem to matter, and it’s not clear that weight loss itself played a role, one expert said.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for many medical conditions, including depression. Previous research has suggested that by losing even a small percentage of their body weight, heavy people can improve their physical and mental health, even if they remain obese.