With obesity on the rise, so too is the diet and weight loss industry, currently valued at US$70 billion in the US alone. But most of us are still confused about the factors that lead to weight gain. Three commonly attributed factors are our genes, our microbiome (gut bugs) and our energy intake (kilojoules). So let’s examine how much each of these is to blame.

Australia has nearly five million dogs, with nearly 40% of Australian households owning one. But it seems that 40% of Australian dogs are not walked enough and that a similar percentage of dogs are overweight or obese. With colleagues at the University of Sydney, we are interested in collecting more recent data on these trends.

So why do we need to walk our dogs? And how much is enough?

Most parents will tell you their kids love juice. It tastes good, often comes in convenient and child-friendly packaging, and seems much healthier than soft drinks, sports drinks or other sweet beverages. It comes from fruit, after all. But we also know it’s high in sugar, and so can contribute to obesity and dental problems.

We asked five experts in nutrition, dietetics, medicine and dentistry whether or not we should let our kids drink juice.

Diet usually matters more for weight loss than exercise, but it turns out that Biggest Loser contestants who managed to keep the weight off have to exercise a lot. But if you and I aren't Biggest Loser contestants, does that mean anything for us?

This world must be a special kind of hell if just smelling food is enough to make you gain weight. The latest headlines on obesity research are saying just that -- but smelling is probably only making "you" fat if "you" are a very particular type of mouse.

In Australia, one in every two people has a chronic disease. These diseases, such as cancer, mental illness and heart disease, reduce quality of life and can lead to premature death. Younger generations are increasingly at risk. Crucially, one-third of the disease burden could be prevented and chronic diseases often share the same risk factors. Here are 10 things Australia needs to do in order to improve the general health of the population.

Each month, 11.5 million Australians consume fast food. Alongside traditional burger, fried chicken and pizza chains, new chains are positioning themselves as healthier alternatives to the typical, energy-, saturated fat-, sugar- and salt-laden meals on offer at traditional chains. Unfortunately, many of these outlets are not living up to their claims.

A friend reckons he has it good. His partner cooks a bacon-hash-brown-fry-up for breakfast every day. “Are you sure?” I said. “Because that’s exactly what I would feed my partner if I wanted to bump him off!”

It is easy to fall into the trap of giving people you love lots of ultra-processed, high-kilojoule, nutrient-poor foods because they like them. But immediate pleasure comes at a cost.

The obesity epidemic is growing at an alarming rate and in Australia, over 63 per cent of adults are overweight. That's 2 in 3 adults. With so many people carrying excess bulk, it's not just a health issue, it's an employment issue as well. In light of recent developments, we answer the question: is it legal to be sacked for being overweight?

Australia is one of the fattest nations on Earth. While eating habits play a large role, your job can also have an adverse effect on your waistline -- especially if it involves long stints of inactivity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has allegedly conducted a poll to uncover which industries have the most overweight workers. Here are the results.

Are you a "carb craver" or "chocaholic"? We often use language associated with addiction to describe our relationships with food. But is it really possible to be addicted to certain types of food? Let's take a look at the scientific evidence.

The average Australian's fruit-and-veg intake falls well below nutritional recommendations, a new Roy Morgan Research poll has found. Of the 14,000 Australians polled, just two per cent eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. A whopping 46 per cent of participants admitted to eating just one piece of fruit or less per day.

Over the past three decades, the Australasia region has outpaced other regions of the world with the largest absolute increase in adult obesity. Poor diet and high body mass index have overtaken tobacco as the leading risk factors for disease and early death in Australia.

A new study has shown that travelling to work via public transport is healthier than using your car -- at least when it comes to your waistline. On average, people who drive to work tend to be around 3kg heavier than those whose commute is more active. In other words, that five-minute walk to the bus stop really does make a difference.

Divorce can be an emotionally traumatic time for kids -- but did you know it can also affect them on the outside? A new study involving more than 3000 children found that marital splits can lead to a higher risk of overweight and obesity. In other words, while a loveless marriage isn't healthy, at least your kids will be.

A yoghurt investigation by consumer watchdog CHOICE has found many brands that market themnselves as low fat, healthy and calcium-rich are actually no better than a dairy-based dessert. Some breakfast yoghurts contains as much as eight teaspoons of sugar and over 1300 kilojoules of energy.

We live in a world of improbable bodies; they populate our television screens, magazines and billboards. If you're like most Australians, you might sometimes get the feeling your body isn't normal. But don't fret -- it's all the virtual bodies around us that aren't.

A new global study of international obesity rates has painted a porky picture of Australasia, which is now the fastest growing region in the world. Since 1980, Australian and New Zealand obesity rates have leapt from 16 per cent to a whopping 29 per cent. In Australia, an estimated 11 million adults are now overweight along with nearly a quarter of our kids.

The idea that people can be healthy at any weight has gained credence in recent years, despite widespread evidence that obesity creates health risks. While the idea is attractive, it's also dangerous because it can lull people who need to lose weight now into a false sense of security.