LONDON (Reuters) - People with extra copies of certain genes are much more likely to be very skinny, scientists said Wednesday in the first finding of a genetic cause for extreme thinness.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older drugs, a new clinical trial confirms -- though whether the medication will ever reach the market remains up in the air.

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of extreme thinness that can lead to a syndrome in children called "failure to thrive," according to a new study.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The experimental weight-loss drug lorcaserin may spur modest weight loss without the heart risks of some older drugs, a new clinical trial confirms -- though whether the medication will ever reach the market remains up in the air.

BEIJING (Reuters) - On the grounds of the Bodyworks weight loss campus in Beijing, 30 tubby men and women sweat profusely, gasping for air as they pound the treadmills in an exercise room.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Obesity is most widespread in Britain and the United States among the world's leading economies and if present trends continue, about half of both men and women in the United States will be obese by 2030, health experts warned on Friday.

A staggering 26 million Britons will be obese by 2030, placing a huge strain on health services, according to studies published on Friday highlighting the growing global obesity pandemic.

BEIJING (Reuters) - On the grounds of the Bodyworks weight loss campus in Beijing, 30 tubby men and women sweat profusely, gasping for air as they pound the treadmills in an exercise room.

One in every two American adults will be obese by 2030, adding hugely to the country's health costs, according to studies published on Friday that highlight the growing burden of the world's obesity pandemic.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The heavier a woman is, the more trouble she may have getting pregnant and having a baby through in vitro fertilization, or IVF -- and may lose the baby more often, according to a U.S. study.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The heavier a woman is, the more trouble she may have getting pregnant and having a baby through in vitro fertilization, or IVF, suggests a large U.S. study.

LONDON (Reuters) - Exposing eggs to high levels of saturated fatty acids of the type commonly found in the ovaries of obese women and those with diabetes can harm the development of the embryo, according to research published Wednesday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Exposing eggs to high levels of saturated fatty acids of the type commonly found in the ovaries of obese women and those with diabetes can harm the development of the embryo, according to research published on Wednesday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (Reuters) - Pastor Michael Minor stirred a bit of controversy at his northwest Mississippi church when he banned fried chicken from the fellowship hall.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eating healthier food can add almost 10 percent to the average American's food bill -- and that is just to boost a single nutrient like potassium.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Companies that have pledged not to market unhealthy food and drinks directly to children may be turning to product placement on television shows instead of traditional ads to target youngsters, a new study showed.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - People who chew their food more take in fewer calories, mainly because more chewing is related to the levels of hormones that regulate appetite, according to a Chinese study.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Dieting to lose weight may not help older overweight adults to live any longer, but losing a little weight on purpose also does not seem to cause any harm, according to a study.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Dieting to lose weight may not help older overweight adults live any longer, suggests a new study.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - U.S. hospitals are not doing enough to encourage mothers to breast-feed their newborns, raising the risk of childhood obesity, diabetes and other conditions, according to a federal study released on Tuesday.