Looking beyond obvious causes of obesity like overeating, scientists said on Wednesday they may have found a gene that also plays a role, one that helped our ancestors survive famines.

Targeting this thrifty gene and others with diagnostic tests and drugs offers another way to fight the global epidemic of obesity, the researchers said.

Mice bred to lack this gene, known as CRTC3, can eat a high-fat diet without gaining weight, while normal mice on the same diet grow plump, the researchers found.

And Mexican Americans who have an especially potent version of this gene are more likely to be obese than others, Dr. Marc Montminy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and colleagues reported in the journal Nature.

The gene did not appear to have the same effect in whites, which supports what scientists know — that obesity is very complex. But CRTC3 is clearly important.

tehran times : Too fat? Study fingers one “thrifty gene” suspect

The more obese a person is, the poorer his or her vitamin D status, a new study by a team of Norwegian researchers suggests.

The study found an inverse relationship between excess pounds and an insufficient amount of vitamin D, which is critical to cell health, calcium absorption and proper immune function. Vitamin D deficiency can raise the risk for bone deterioration and certain types of cancer.

Obesity May Interfere With Vitamin D Absorption

McDonald’s is being sued by a group of consumers and nutrition advocates who want to force the fast food chain to stop using toys to entice children to buy meals they say are unhealthy.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which filed the class action suit in a California court Wednesday, claims that McDonald’s violates the state’s consumer protection laws by using toys to market Happy Meals to young children.

The suit was brought on behalf of Monet Parham, a mother of two in Sacramento, and other plaintiffs, the CSPI said. “I object to the fact that McDonald’s is getting into my kids’ heads without my permission and actually changing what my kids want to eat,” Parham said in a statement.

CSPI threatened to sue McDonald’s in June, but the company refused to discuss ways to avoid a law suit, the group said.

McDonald’s pledged to fight the suit in a statement.

“We are proud of our Happy Meals and intend to vigorously defend our brand, our reputation and our food,” said company spokesperson Bridget Coffing. “We are confident that parents understand and appreciate that Happy Meals are a fun treat, with quality, right-sized food choices for their children that can fit into a balanced diet.”

McDonald’s hit with class action over toys – Dec. 15, 2010

Your socioeconomic background has less impact on your chances of obesity if you’re a man than if you’re woman, according to a new analysis from the National Center for Health Statistics. Women who were better educated and wealthier were less likely to be obese than their less educated and poorer counterparts, but the same effect was not seen in men.

Interestingly, for men of color — blacks and Mexican Americans — higher income actually increased the odds that they were obese.

Study: The Complicated Link Between Wealth and Obesity – TIME Healthland

Once a mainstay of the school day, physical education classes have fallen by the wayside for many American students, despite a massive push by doctors, nutritionists and even the first lady to get children more active.

But physical education advocates say more and more students are being allowed to opt out of gym class in favor of activities like marching band, ROTC, even an extra art class.

Students in some school districts are even allowed to complete their physical education requirements online ; They promise to exercise on their own time and just click their way through to course completion.

Students Opting Out of Phys Ed Classes Despite Obesity Epidemic – ABC News

Before dipping your hand into that bowl of M&Ms at the holiday party, think about what you’re about to do. A lot. A new study finds that people who imagine themselves consuming many pieces of candy eat less of the real thing when given the chance. The finding, say experts, could lead to the development of better weight-loss strategies.

To Eat Less, Imagine Eating More – ScienceNOW

First Lady Michelle Obama plans to warn in remarks Monday that the nation is seeing “a groundswell of support” for curbing childhood obesity, and she is unveiling new ammunition from current and retired military leaders.

“[M]ilitary leaders … tell us that when more than one in four young people are unqualified for military service because of their weight,” the first lady says in prepared remarks, “childhood obesity isn’t just a public health threat, it’s not just an economic threat, it’s a national security threat as well.”

Michelle Obama has new warning on obesity – Mike Allen – POLITICO.com

FAST-food giant KFC has sparked outrage from health experts by offering Christmas gift cards worth up to $500 as the nation battles an obesity crisis.

KFC outlets have been promoting the cards, ranging in value from $10 to $500 and to be used within 12 months, as a “thoughtful gift idea for any occasion”.

A $500 card could purchase a fat banquet of 14 buckets of “Original Recipe” chicken pieces, containing 4.5kg of fat and 1.8kg of saturated fat; 63 maxi serves of “Popcorn Chicken” 2.8kg of fat and 1.25kg saturated fat or 78 “Original Works Burgers” 1.6kg fat, 592g saturated fat.

The “tasty new gift idea” has attracted outrage and disbelief from health experts in Queensland struggling to combat a growing obesity epidemic.

Fury over $500 KFC gift cards as nation battles obesity crisis | News.com.au

Even though the statistics about overweight Americans are true (around a whopping 68 percent), a recent study examined what the average European looks like and it’s not what you might expect.

The study revealed that more than half of most adults in Europe believe that they are overweight. The report which was recently issued introduces a new idea that Americans previously thought differently. Over the last twenty years or so, the obesity statistics have been rising in countries all over Europe.

Obesity Hits Europe: Fat Problem

Call it the McVictim syndrome. Too many pundits, public health experts and politicians are working overtime to find scapegoats for America’s obesity epidemic.

The McVictim syndrome spins a convenient — and unhealthy — narrative on America’s emerging preventable disease crisis. McVictimization teaches Americans to think that obesity is someone else’s fault — and therefore, someone else’s problem to solve.

The truth: In the vast majority of cases, obesity is a preventable condition. So those of us in the medical community must be candid with overweight patients about the risks they face and the rewards of better health choices. But it’s also time for American policymakers to show the same level of candor.

Food; health; obesity; No one’s a ‘victim’ of obesity – latimes.com