Red wine ingredient slows aging process, study shows.

It's not exactly a fountain of youth, but a substance found in red wine, grapes and nuts can prevent many age-related problems in mice, an intriguing new study reveals. . . . MORE DETAILS

Some seek guidelines to reflect Vitamin D's benefits.

A flurry of recent research indicating that Vitamin D may have a dizzying array of health benefits has reignited an intense debate over whether federal guidelines for the "sunshine vitamin" are outdated, leaving millions vulnerable to cancer and other ailments. . . . MORE DETAILS

Diet-sized snack packs turn off willpower.

Grocery aisles are full of small "diet packs" of candy, advertised as a guilt-free way of helping you eat less. But researchers suspect they make people drop their guard and eat more. . . . MORE DETAILS

Feasting and fasting.

It was clear from a wide-ranging survey of nutrition issues at last month's Pacific Health Summit in Seattle, Washington, that behavioural change is a key element in tackling the twin crises of under-nutrition and obesity--all too easily forgotten in the competition for the world's attention. . . . MORE DETAILS

Mother's junk food 'harms child'.

Eating a poor diet when pregnant or breastfeeding may cause long-lasting health damage to the child, animal studies suggest. . . . MORE DETAILS

Cancers linked to lifestyle still on rise, especially in Scotland.

Cancers linked to lifestyle are rising across much of Europe, with Scotland seeing some of the highest rates of the disease, research suggested yesterday. . . . MORE DETAILS

Chef proves school lunch can be healthy, cheap.

The introduction of healthy school lunch programs is one major reason France has been able to curb childhood obesity rates after two decades on the rise, according to two recent studies. . . . MORE DETAILS

Exercise recommendations may not curb kids' weight.

Health experts generally recommend that children get at least one hour of moderate exercise each day, but that may not be enough to counter the problem of childhood obesity, a UK study suggests. . . . MORE DETAILS

Call to rethink child BMI testing.

Using a child's body mass index (BMI) as a measure of the success of exercise targets may be misleading, say experts. . . . MORE DETAILS

Children's food 'poor' at attractions.

Theme parks, museums and other leading holiday attractions are serving up child meals loaded with sugar, salt and fat, a survey has found. . . . MORE DETAILS

Population-wide approach needed to curb obesity.

A broad range of policy and environmental initiatives at the local, state and federal levels aimed at increasing physical activity and healthful eating is needed to reduce rates of obesity in the United States, according to an American Heart Association. . . . MORE DETAILS

7 Valley counties found unhealthy.

People in the San Joaquin Valley are more likely than others in the state to live in unhealthy neighborhoods, and the state needs to make those communities a health priority, according to a report released Tuesday. . . . MORE DETAILS

Diabetes: underrated, insidious and deadly.

The disconnect between perception and reality in the health risks of diabetes is worrisome at a time when national diabetes rates are surging. Almost 25 percent of those aged 60 and older had diabetes in 2007. . . . MORE DETAILS

Burger King looks to woo mom with healthy kids meal.

After watching its rival McDonald's market itself as a "healthy" fast-food chain to entice moms, Burger King is launching a marketing and promotional campaign Monday targeted to moms. . . . MORE DETAILS

Stay alert to quality of air.

It's seven weeks into smog season, and Atlanta's smog alerts are becoming disturbingly frequent. Since smog season began, the metro area has already seen more than 15 days of smog violations for ozone and particle pollution. . . . MORE DETAILS

Drug makers say FDA safety focus is slowing new-medicine pipeline.

Over the years, the FDA's approach to drug safety has swung like a pendulum. Now, pharmaceutical companies are struggling to adjust to the FDA's tougher stance. . . . MORE DETAILS

Report card says Canada's standing slipping.

A recent report charged that Canadians generate more waste per person that any other country, and that only Australia produces greater per capita greenhouse gas emissions. . . . MORE DETAILS

Diabetes a growing minority problem.

The nation's escalating diabetes problem, which disproportionately plagues certain minority communities, will never be solved by tackling only the medical aspects of the disease, Alameda County's health director said Friday. . . . MORE DETAILS

U.S. program targets obesity at grassroots level.

A new program developed by the U.S. government is tackling the obesity epidemic by helping "tween" girls and their parents make small but important changes to build a healthier lifestyle. . . . MORE DETAILS

Youth eating disorders as bad as cancer, conference told.

Youth with eating disorders sometimes end up worse off than children with leukemia, but people still aren't treating the issue seriously, delegates at the 85th annual Canadian Paediatric Society conference were told Thursday. . . . MORE DETAILS

Phys-ed won't cut kids' fat, study says.

Pumping up the volume and frequency of physical education classes doesn't make a difference when it comes to childhood obesity, a B.C. study has found. . . . MORE DETAILS

Some obese children have trouble just walking: study.

Obese children have a really hard time even walking for several minutes on a treadmill, according to a new study. . . . MORE DETAILS

Put bike riders in the recycling bin.

Cycling is trumpeted as a panacea for all the world's ills from obesity to global warming. . . . MORE DETAILS

Diabetes up 15% in U.S. to 24 million.

The number of Americans with diabetes increased by 15 percent in two years to nearly 24 million, public health officials reported yesterday. . . . MORE DETAILS

Pregnancy pounds may affect kids' weight.

Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy might raise their child's future risk of becoming overweight, a new study suggests. . . . MORE DETAILS

Australians lead world's second-longest lives.

Australians are living longer than ever as death rates from the big killers of heart disease and cancer fall and smoking continues to wane in popularity. . . . MORE DETAILS

Junk food sales ban now in B.C. hospitals.

Beginning this month, visitors to B.C. hospitals will find it difficult to trade a loonie for a bag of greasy potato chips or a can of sugary soda from public vending machines--as efforts continue to fight obesity. . . . MORE DETAILS

Obesity battle continues.

About 9 million, or 16 percent, of children between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight under the standard used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--three times the percentage in 1980. . . . MORE DETAILS

Corn syrup tries to sweeten its image.

High-fructose corn syrup has been taking heat as a possible cause for the obesity epidemic, so producers are investing in building a more natural reputation for the sweetener. . . . MORE DETAILS

Houston's obese turning to online loans to pay for surgery.

As obesity continues to compromise the lives of many adults, a growing number of morbidly obese adults are getting into debt by self-financing their bariatric surgeries, which cost roughly $25,000. . . . MORE DETAILS