While cutting out carbs leads to more weight loss, a low-fat diet helps people lose the flab which is most damaging to health, researchers found.

Beer gut: It's right there in the name - but it seems that beer might not be as bad for the waistline as previously thought.

Australian scientists have isolated the gene behind obesity and type 2 diabetes, which could lead to a "skinny" pill to prevent the disease.

A step-by-step guide to the dramatic way a can of Diet Coke affects the body from 10 minutes after the first sip until an hour later.

Junk food advertising aimed at kids plays a part in this epidemic. "Why would the industry spend money on pester power if it didn't work?" writes Geoff Simmons. "Anyone who denies this is an idiot or a lobbyist."

An Auckland woman who posted photos of her remarkable weight loss on Instagram has hit back at commenters accusing her of "faking" it.

Being told to "sit still" in the classroom may soon be a thing of the past.

Kiwis want greater government controls on junk-food promotions to children, with 72 per cent calling for stronger restrictions, says a survey.

A leading Pacific doctor is supporting calls for island countries to consider a fat tax on junk food to tackle the ticking time bomb of obesity in the region.

Scientists have discovered that obese people can imagine smells more vividly than those who are slim.

Marriage can boost your health in a number of ways but it appears there is one measure where it lets you down – your waistline.

A sugar tax is out according to Dr Jonathan Coleman who says there's no evidence it works. That's wrong, writes Dita De Boni.

In a move that has fired up parents, teachers in the UK have won the right to inspect pupils’ lunchboxes and confiscate unhealthy snacks.

An over-supply of high-energy, high-calorie foods in many countries has been today shown by New Zealand researchers as a likely driver of rising global obesity.

The kind of food Facebook is advertising to teenagers is the subject of a study being done at the University of Auckland.

Not everyone enjoys eating first thing in the morning. But your first choice of foods may contribute to an overall healthy diet.

Scientists believe the online training game may help to change bad eating habits and combat obesity.

Two of the nation's best chefs back the idea of a 'sugar tax' in NZ, but opinions were divided when it came to adopting Jamie's concept in their Auckland eateries.

Being obese could actually improve the chances of survival after a heart attack because excess fat appears to fight heart disease, a study has shown.

Living next to a busy road could increase the risk of obesity, the first research into the effects of noise pollution on waistlines has found.

A broad range of public health experts concerned about New Zealand's growing obesity rates want a clampdown on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

Editorial: Force-feeding has never been a feature of the humble dairy, yet suddenly it finds itself in the business of public health.

Student Tom Spector explains how he became a McDonald's regular, and why his diet might help to cure obesity.

Research has established that, over time, we learn to associate the flavour of a food with its energy content. This learning is important because it comes to determine how and what we eat.

Life and Style columnist Lee Suckling tackles your modern etiquette and ethical predicaments, one reader-submitted query at a time.

Junk food kills the gut bacteria that can help keep people thin, while Belgian beer and coffee increase them, a new book by a leading academic claims.

People who switched from driving to work to using public transport, cycling or walking lost significant amounts of weight, a study has found.

Taking vitamin D supplements has been found to aid weight loss in obese and overweight people, Italian researchers have found.

In the face of a soaring global epidemic of type 2 diabetes and obesity, the food industry is at last on the back foot.