The adult obesity rate is at or above 35% in seven states and at least 30% in 29 states, according to the most recent Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data issued by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The rates increased in Iowa, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and South Carolina between 2016 and 2017, and remained stable in the rest of states.

A measure gaining traction in New York City would require restaurants to serve healthy beverages rather than sugary drinks in kids’ meal combos. The Healthy Kids Meals Bill announced this week by NYC Speaker Corey Johnson would make water, milk and 100% fruit juice the standard beverages in restaurant offerings aimed at children.

The California Medical Association (CMA) and the California Dental Association (CDA) are fighting back against a bill passed recently in the state that blocks local sugary drink taxes with a ballot measure of their own – one that would implement a statewide ban on sugar-sweetened drinks.

A new compilation of articles published in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, describes an effort led by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop and evaluate clinical decision support (CDS) designed to assist primary care clinicians’ with care of their working patients using CDS tools in electronic health records.

An initiative to raise national awareness of prediabetes encourages viewers to take a one-minute prediabetes risk test to know where they stand and discover how they can decrease their risk of developing type 2 diabetes — and it does so with some adorable helpers.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is reminding Americans that being overweight increases the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). People affected by obesity have an 83 percent higher risk of developing CKD compared to those who have a healthy weight.

Deaths from chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing among both women and men all over the world, according to a recent Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet.

Women who put in long hours at work face a much higher risk of serious diseases, according to new research from the Ohio State University.

The Philadelphia City Council last week approved a tax on sweetened beverages – a move that many expect to be copied by other U.S. cities. The 1.5 cent per ounce tax applies to both regular and diet soda, as well as juice containing less than 50 percent fruit juice, sports drinks and energy drinks.

More than a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, according to a new study in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.