Obesity's not just dangerous, it's expensive. New research shows medical spending averages $1,400 more a year for an obese person than for someone who's normal weight. The higher expense reflects the costs of treating diabetes, heart disease and other ailments far more common for the overweight, concluded the study by government scientists and the nonprofit research group RTI International. Other figures from the study, published Monday by the journal Health Affairs: ...more

July 28, 2009

Just six weeks before President-elect Barack Obama takes office, the Bush administration issued revised endangered species regulations Thursday to reduce the input of federal scientists and to block the law from being used to fight global warming. ...more

December 12, 2008

The rate of new cancer cases finally may be inching down - cautiously optimistic news but a gain that specialists worry could be derailed by economic turmoil. Death rates from cancer have been dropping slowly for years, thanks to earlier detection and better treatments. ...more

November 25, 2008

Rep. Henry Waxman - a liberal ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi - has wrested the chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee from veteran Rep. John Dingell when the new Congress convenes in January. ...more

November 20, 2008

Unrealistic Training Regarding "Florida Troops Move From Metal Huts To The Holiday Inn" (Nation/World, Aug. 15): ...more

August 21, 2008

A controversial chemical commonly found in can linings, baby bottles and other household products does not pose a health hazard when used in food containers, according to a draft assessment released Friday by the Food and Drug Administration. ...more

August 16, 2008

Parts of the Endangered Species Act may soon be extinct. The Bush administration wants federal agencies to decide for themselves whether highways, dams, mines and other construction projects might harm endangered animals and plants. New regulations, which don't require the approval of Congress, would reduce the mandatory, independent reviews government scientists have been performing for 35 years, according to a draft first obtained by The Associated Press. ...more

August 12, 2008

Conditions are in place for an active hurricane season, with government scientists predicting an above-average number of storms in 2008. ...more

May 23, 2008

TAMPA - Top government forecasters are expected to reveal their calculations on the severity of the coming hurricane season. ...more

May 22, 2008

For the first time, health officials report that the AIDS virus can be spread by a mother pre-chewing her infant's food, a practice mainly seen in poor, developing countries. ...more

February 7, 2008