Teens struggling with their weight may already have heart damage. Overweight adolescents without symptoms of heart disease are already suffering cardiac damage.

One in three adults around the world has elevated blood pressure, a World Health Organization (WHO) report has indicated. The report also emphasized increasing rates of diabetes and obesity.

Researchers already knew that overweight moms generally gave birth to children who became overweight too. But the health impact of obesity during pregnancy doesn't stop there.

An individual's risk of sudden cardiac death isn't just tied to whether they are overweight or obese. It's also associated with the specific part of the body carrying the added weight.

Consuming a high fat diet doesn't just cause you to pack on the pounds. It also may prematurely damage your blood vessels, which could lead to high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.

The debate rages on… are diet drinks okay when trying to cut calories when you're losing weight? Or do they put you at higher risk for heart disease, as some recent studies have claimed?

Weight loss, especially in the belly, is key to improved blood vessel function. The improved blood flow was noted regardless of whether the pounds were shed from a low-fat or low-carb diet.

The obesity epidemic especially afflicts low-income people - who are also less likely to receive good health care. But at least one experimental program offers some positive results.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel has approved investigational diet drug Qnexa designed to treat obesity in adults. The panel had previously rejected the weight loss drug in 2010 based on safety concerns.

Among the most common pieces of advice offered by doctors to their patients: start running, biking, walking, swimming, playing tennis or whatever it takes to get in regular exercise.