To understand more about the mystery of obesity, it's important to understand how fat cells are born, nurtured and matured. And the enlightenment that will flow from understanding obesity may sweep away mysteries relating to the generation of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which seem to be so much more prevalent among people who are obese.

So it was with delight that scientists greeted a recent study identifying precursor cells that develop into full-blown fat tissue. The research, performed on "skinny" mice genetically modified to have no fat deposits, showed that injecting one particular type of cell into the mice caused them to form fat. (Read more about Precursor Fat Cells May Shed Light on Diseases)

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Overeating can cause the brain to lose control and cause damage potentially leading to diabetes, heart disease, and other ills - according to new U.S. research.

Eating too much appears to make a usually dormant immune system pathway in the brain, sending out immune cells to attack and destroy non-existent invaders. The finding could help explain why obesity causes so many different diseases, and also may offer a way to prevent obesity itself. (Read more about Calorie Overload Creates Brain Imbalances)

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Instead of getting on a fad diet, only to crash and burn a few weeks later, it's best to eat wholesome, natural foods in five or so small meals a day, according to anti-aging expert Dr. Maoshing Ni.

Dr. Mao, as the doctor of Chinese medicine and author of the best-selling book Secrets of Longevity is known, says a good weight-loss diet includes lean proteins, such as chicken breast; legumes, such as split peas and lentils; and whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Fad diets, he says, almost inevitably deny a person some important nutrients, leading to cravings all too often cause the dieter to regain his weight - and perhaps even more. He advocates eating the following as part of a sensible weight-loss program: (Read more about Five Foods to Slim By)

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If you have high cholesterol and you're brimming with confidence in synthetic pharmaceuticals, then statin drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor and Levitor are for you.

If, however, you lean toward medicating your body with natural products, there are a variety of items that have been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol - without the serious side effects of statin drugs that include severe memory loss, muscle cramps, liver toxicity, hair loss, heartburn and nausea. (Read more about Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs)

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Sixty-six percent of Americans are overweight, and 32 percent are obese, so many citizens have now gotten serious about losing weight. But many times a dieter or exerciser can hit a weight-loss plateau that's seemingly impossible to get beyond.

Therefore, here follows seven areas to focus on to flank excess weight and, hopefully, lead to big improvements in health. (Read more about Seven Breakthrough Strategies for Weight Loss)

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Exercise may not halt the aging process, but mounting evidence suggests people who stay active can slow its effects. The latest issue of Mayo Clinic Women's Healthsource offers 8 benefits to regular exercise.

It Provides Energy: Feeling tired and lethargic is largely a result of being inactive. Endurance exercises like walking, swimming, jogging, biking, and rowing improves stamina and energy. Even after a few weeks in a walking program, people have more energy for activities.

It Improves Mental Health: There's considerable evidence that regular physical activity can help reduce stress, manage mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, improve sleep quality, boost mood, and enhance the overall feeling of well-being. (Read more about 8 Ways Exercise Keeps You Young and Healthy)

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In America, it is estimated that 45 percent of women and 30 percent of men diet to lose weight. A recent study, published in the scientific journal Hypertension and led by David Gutterman has found low-carbohydrate diets to be significantly higher in total grams of fat, protein, dietary cholesterol and saturated fats than low-fat diets. Dr. Gutterman states, "While a low-carb diet may result in weight loss and an improvement in blood pressure, the higher fat content is ultimately more detrimental to heart health than the low-fat diet suggested by the American Heart Association." (Read more about For Heart Health Low-Fat Better Than Low-Carb Diets)

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Emily Loewenstein is one energetic weight watchers instructor. She has reason to be: she lost 70 pounds on the program.

Tom Pimpinelli has also had tremendous success losing weight.

“I did very well. Two pounds a week. I dropped from 268, my lowest was 214 or 212,” says Tom.

Tom and Emily are great stories.

But according to studies in respected medical journals like the Journal of the American Medical Association, Weight Watchers, on average, provides a loss of between six and thirteen pounds after one year.

That’s roughly a half pound to a pound a month, or less.

In this study, after the second year, the average person ended up only six pounds down; They had, in fact, gained some of the weight they lost back.

One expert told us, after five years, most people will have gained back most or all of the weight they lost.

“The people who seek help are the people who feel that they can’t do it on your own. Many of them have tried it before by one program or another and they have failed, and they try another program and they fail,” says Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunier, an obesity expert at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center. (Read more about Weight Watchers)

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The fattening of America is so out there, so obvious, the question has become how do we get the message that we need to reverse the trend?

Perhaps, the message is sinking in, at least among women.

New research released by the CDC shows, among women, no significant increase in obesity was observed between 1999 and 2004…roughly a third of females remain obese (Read more about Women, Obesity Rates, and the Fountain of Youth)

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So just in case you thought the skinny on low fat diets was a big fat pile of confusion, there’s a new study out today: and it comes to the conclusion that the alternative low carb diets may be putting folks at risk for cardiovascular disease.

We’re talking about the types of diets like the Atkins diet: a low carb, high protein, and often higher fat diet.

They’re a popular way to lose weight. (Read more about Low Carb Diets)

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