A Stanford team published their discovery of a hormone that signals when the body needs more fat stores. It sends its message in response to two external signals that we already knew could make people fatter.


A Stanford team published their discovery of a hormone that signals when the body needs more fat stores. It sends its message in response to two external signals that we already knew could make people fatter.
Every day of my 1980s childhood began with orange juice, which my mom served because it was considered a good way to get our daily vitamin C. Since then, nutritionists’ thinking has changed. Daily consumption of fruit juice has been linked with childhood obesity and dental cavities, and kids are thought to be better off getting their vitamins from whole fruits. Yet some health policies haven’t kept up.
Women who are obese when they become pregnant are more likely than other expectant mothers to have a stillborn baby. A new Stanford study gives the first detailed information about which obese women are at greatest risk and which stages of pregnancy are most likely to be affected.
With her graduation just around the corner, a new job, and plans for college in the fall, Megan Acaccia has a lot to celebrate.
But just a year ago, things did not look so bright for the 18-year-old San Jose native. At 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing more than 300 pounds, Megan was morbidly obese. She was so bullied at school that she stayed at home for a month, and she suffered through bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, and night sweats. Requiring seven kinds of daily medications, she battled hypertension, arthritis, acid reflux, polycystic ovary syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea—all a result of her excess weight.