Many factors lead to the frustrating cycle of weight gain and weight loss — but the driving force may be fat cells keeping a memory of obesity.
That’s according to a recent study that was first published in the journal Nature last fall.
Researchers say that fat cells influence abnormal metabolic pathways in the body long after pounds are shed, which could make it more likely for people to regain weight.
STUDY DIRECTLY COMPARES ZEPBOUND AND WEGOVY FOR WEIGHT-LOSS RESULTS
The team of Swiss scientists were curious whether regaining weight after slimming down is due to «metabolic memory,» where the body remembers and strives to return to its former state of obesity.
They analyzed chemical markers on fat cells in mice who were fed a high-fat diet. Next, when the mice were fed only a standard meal, the researchers analyzed their fatty tissue after they had lost weight, according to the study write-up.
The team then compared these samples to a lean mice group that was fed a standard meal to s..

While cases of measles continue to spread throughout the U.S., Hawaii is reporting a new type of infectious spread.
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise at a «worrying rate» in the Aloha State, the State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) confirmed last week in a news release.
As of May 15, there have been 108 cases of pertussis reported, already exceeding the 84 total cases in 2024.
CDC REMOVES COVID VACCINE RECOMMENDATION FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN
The DOH labeled pertussis a «highly contagious respiratory disease» that spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms often resemble a cold but can progress to «intense coughing fits.»
For children, these coughing fits can be followed by a «deep breath» that makes a «whooping» sound.
«Health complications can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated,» the DOH warned.
Complications can include pneumonia, s..

The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer recommended for healthy children or pregnant women, according to new guidance from health officials.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared a video on X Tuesday announcing that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has removed the vaccines from the CDC's recommended immunization schedule for those groups.
US SEES CASES OF NEW COVID-19 VARIANT LINKED TO SURGE IN CHINA: REPORT
«Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another COVID shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,» said Kennedy in the video, in which he appears alongside FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya.
«That ends today — it's common sense and it's good science,» Bhattacharya added.
Makary also chimed in, noting that there's no evidence healthy kids need the COVID vaccine and that most countries have stopped recommending it for children.
C..

An exercise that takes a more mild approach while offering all the fat-burning benefits of a more grueling workout might sound too good to be true.
But some claim that the trending «Zone 2» training, commonly known as the «fat-burning zone,» offers just that.
What is this form of exercise — and can it work for anyone?
STUDY REVEALS EXERCISING EVERY DAY MAY NOT BE NECESSARY: 'BETTER THAN NONE'
«Zone training is generally defined by someone's proximity to their maximum heart rate,» Carmine Ciliento, a fitness manager at Crunch Fitness in New York, told Fox News Digital.
The zone-based training method measures how hard the body is working and how it's using energy.
Different zones burn different compounds in the body, according to Ciliento.
«Zone 2 is working out at about 60% to 70% of someone’s maximum heart rate,» he said.
STAY FIT IN YOUR 40S AND BEYOND WITH THESE SMART WORKOUT TIPS
The most common way to determine heart rate is to subtract a person's age from..

Recent studies have found that some beers brewed in the US have high levels of «forever chemicals» and are considered above the allowed EPA limit.
A team from the ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology conducted a study to find out how polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or «forever chemicals» get into beers and how much they contain.
«As an occasional beer drinker myself, I wondered whether PFAS in water supplies was making its way into our pints. I hope these findings inspire water treatment strategies and policies that help reduce the likelihood of PFAS in future pours,» research lead Jennifer Hoponick Redmon said.
ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN
While breweries have water filtration and treatment systems, these are not designed to prevent PFAS from entering into the batch.
By modifying an EPA testing tool for analyzing levels of PFAS in drinking water, Redmon and her team tested 23 beers.
NOT ONLY DOES BEER TASTE GREAT, THERE ARE HEALTH ..

Vitamin D might be doing more than just supporting bone health — it could also help the body age slower, according to a new study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham (MGB) and the Medical College of Georgia.
The study, published this month in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reveals that taking vitamin D supplements may protect against biological aging by slowing the shortening of telomeres, the tiny caps on DNA that naturally erode as people grow older.
Conducted as part of a nationwide four-year trial, the study tracked over 1,000 U.S. adults (men over 50 and women over 55) and found that daily vitamin D3 could reduce biological wear and tear, equivalent to nearly three years of aging, according to a press release from MGB.
COLORECTAL CANCER RISK REDUCED BY THIS COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY SUGGESTS
Participants were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or a daily dose of vitamin D3 (2,000 IU) and omega-3 fatty acids (1 gram).
Telomere length in white blood cells wa..

Weight-loss medications continue to grow in popularity as an anti-obesity tool — but are some more effective than others?
The question was explored in a new study published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers compared the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide (brand name Zepbound) and semaglutide (brand name Wegovy) in a 72-week clinical trial.
WEIGHT-LOSS MEDICATIONS MAY ALSO BENEFIT COMMON MEDICAL PROBLEM, STUDY FINDS
The randomized, controlled trial — called SURMOUNT-5 — included 751 people throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico who had obesity but not type 2 diabetes.
«Doctors, insurance companies and patients are always asking, ‘Which drug is more effective?’» said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, in the release. «This study allowed us to do a direct comparison.»
«The results are consistent with — in fact, almost identical to — what we’ve s..