FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- The risk for childhood obesity may begin even before a child is born, say researchers who found that women who are overweight or obese before becoming pregnant are more likely to have overweight or obese toddlers and preschoolers.

Hispanic preschoolers born to overweight/obese mothers were twice as likely to be overweight or obese compared to their...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- The increasing availability of direct-to-consumer genetic screening tests in the United States increases the risk that consumers will order inappropriate tests or misinterpret the results, warns the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

In the absence of federal regulations governing genetic testing, consumers should get...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Many people who aspire to leadership actually want to help others, according to a new study that challenges the widespread belief that most leaders are selfish and egoistic.

A team of European researchers used economics-based games to study the personality traits of people who choose to be leaders and found that they were more likely to be rated as...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Swimmers who dip into the pollution-free waters of sub-tropical beaches, such as those in southern Florida, face an elevated risk for developing gastrointestinal and/or respiratory illnesses, a new study indicates.

The study, which involved tracking 1,300 South Florida beach-going residents, was released online in advance...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Genetics may determine to what extent you're swayed by the alcohol consumption of people around you, new research suggests.

A study published in a recent issue of Psychological Science found that people with a particular genetic profile are far more likely than others without the gene to drink more when they see someone else drinking...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- The new Affordable Care Act is likely to help 30 million women obtain better health insurance or coverage if they don't already have any, a new report shows.

Under the new provisions, which are already taking effect, 15 million uninsured women will gain access to health coverage and 14.5 million underinsured women will get...(click link above to read more)

THURSDAY, July 29 (HealthDay News) -- Although millions of people take calcium supplements to boost bone health and ward off osteoporosis, New Zealand researchers say the supplements have little effect on bone strength and contribute to a small increase in the risk for heart attack among older people.

Rather than relying on calcium supplements, the researchers suggest that people get...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Contrave, an experimental weight loss drug that combines an antidepressant with an anti-addiction medication, appears to help users shed pounds when taken along with a healthy diet and exercise, researchers report.

People who took the drug for more than a year lost an average of 5 percent or more of body weight, depending on the dose used, the team...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Two more cases of dengue fever were reported by health officials in Florida this week, bringing the total to 46 confirmed cases since last September, but a top government health official said it's too early to say whether the mosquito-borne tropical disease is gaining a foothold in the United States.

"We don't know how dengue got to Key West, and...(click link above to read more)

FRIDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- Two more cases of dengue fever were reported by health officials in Florida this week, bringing the total to 46 confirmed cases since last September, but a top government health official said it's too early to say whether the mosquito-borne tropical disease is gaining a foothold in the United States.

"We don't know how dengue got to Key West, and...(click link above to read more)