After a quarter century of increases, obesity prevalence has not measurably increased in the past few years but levels are still high - at 34 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 and over, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, “Obesity Among Adults in the U.S. [click link for full article]

The Canadian Diabetes Association applauded the Government of Ontario’s commitment to tackle diabetes in Ontario, as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. “The Canadian Diabetes Association is pleased that the Government of Ontario understands the seriousness of diabetes and its complications,” said Karen Philp, Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Diabetes Association. [click link for full article]

The New York Times on Thursday examined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., as part of a series on the six leading causes of illness and death. [click link for full article]

Reuters on Wednesday profiled a project called the Stara School in the Kenyan slum of Kibera that works with AIDS orphans and their grandmothers, who often are left to take care of the children when their parents die. [click link for full article]

Advocacy groups have begun to lobby lawmakers as Senate Finance Committee members discuss a Medicare bill that likely will decrease reimbursements for some health care providers to finance the suspension of a 10% reduction in payments for physicians scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2008, CQ HealthBeat reports. [click link for full article]

The American Health Information Community on Wednesday recommended that HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt seek authority from Congress to mandate electronic prescribing in Medicare, CQ HealthBeat reports. [click link for full article]

Treatment with ibuprofen is associated with a significantly slower rate of decline in lung function in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis, according to a new study. Researchers found that patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who took high doses of ibuprofen had a 29 percent reduction in loss of lung function compared to those who did not use the anti-inflammatory drug twice daily over a period of two to seven years. [click link for full article]

A new classification system of rare lung diseases in infants is improving diagnosis and treatment. The system clears up considerable confusion about how to classify and treat diseases that are rarely seen by most doctors and pathologists, says Gail H. Deutsch, M.D., lead author of the multi-center study that developed the new guidelines.”Formerly, doctors used a number of different terms to label the same disease,” explained Dr. [click link for full article]

More than 850,000 of Texas’ 1.5 million uninsured children are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but are not enrolled in the programs, Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Albert Hawkins said Tuesday, the Austin American-Statesman reports. [click link for full article]

Hispanics and blacks living in Massachusetts are disproportionately affected by diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and have a higher infant mortality rate, according to a report released Wednesday by the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the [click link for full article]