The impacts of obesity on a person’s physical and mental state have caused concern on national scale. 

Obesity and diabetes share an undeniable connection, but what exactly is it? Prof. Ling Qi, nutritional sciences, and his team of researchers are trying to find out.His team is currently focusing on trying to understand the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes, Qi said. “The long term goal is to delineate a molecular mechanism that leads to the obesity associated type II diabetes,” he added.

Childhood stress may be connected to an increased risk of obesity later in life, according to a study published by a Cornell professor in January.

Prof. Suzanne Snedeker, food science, and Prof. Anthony Hay, microbiology, researched the contribution that microorganisms in the gut and environmental toxins known as “obesogens” have on ever rising obesity levels. Their work, which was published last October in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, reported a link between composition of gut microbiota, exposure to environmental chemicals and the development of obesity and diabetes. 

Elisabeth Rosen '12 digs into America's obsession with snack foods and its effect on obesity.

Two new studies examine how working moms and more well-connected communities contribute to obesity in children and teenagers.

Family dinners have transformed from home-cooked meals at the dining room table to take-out in front of the T.V., according to a recently published Cornell study, which examined the correlation between irregular work hours and family food choices.

The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was led by Prof. Carol Devine, nutritional science, and arose after a preliminary study showed that work schedules are the biggest obstacle for working parents when it comes to eating healthily.

“There are factors in people’s lives that make it difficult to adhere to nutritional regulations that the federal government has made over the years,” said Prof. Elaine Wethington, human development and co-investigator for the study.

The little orange pack of crunchy noodles glares at me. I sigh and succumb to the ugly food I’m about to put in my body. Ugh, college. There is just some moments where I have to put my forkful of dignity down and dwell in the bottom of my lowly bowl of ramen. After all, it’s really cold outside and this “soup” is really warm. Out of a moment of pure laziness, I pour the packet of preservatives into the steaming microwaved noodles and crawl into bed to write ¬reconciliation for this dreadful act to the great world of foodies.

The nation stands together in silent vigil today as Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has declared an official state of emergency. A catastrophic outbreak of the obesity epidemic has devastated the third time Fattest State in the nation. The National Guard has implemented emergency procedures including barricading all roads into and out of Mississippi in order to quarantine the state. Fully 32.6 percent of Mississipians have been diagnosed with the disease, and hundreds more become afflicted each day. "We’ve got a long way to go. We love fried chicken and fried anything and all the grease and fatback we can get in Mississippi,” said Democratic state Rep. Steve Holland, chairman of the Public Health Committee.