WASHINGTON, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Some 1,800 researchers will gather in New Orleans this weekend to discuss efforts to treat and contain the worldwide obesity epidemic.

More than 300 studies will be presented during the annual conference, organized by the Obesity Society, a US scientific association created 25 years ago to study the phenomenon.

Between 64 percent to 66 percent of adults in the United States are overweight, of whom 60 million are obese with the epidemic on the rise.

LONDON, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Individuals cannot take all the blame if they are obese -- modern society adds pressure to put on weight, a report said Wednesday.

The study by British government think-tank Foresight called for greater help to counter the ''obesogenic' environment' by designing towns and cities to promote walking and cycling and encouraging people to buy healthier food.

LONDON, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Britain on Monday launched a campaign for greater participation in sports at school to combat the growing threat of obesity that the health secretary said was comparable to global warming.

According to government-commissioned research half of all Britons will be obese in 25 years if current trends are not halted; furthermore, 86 percent of men will be overweight in 15 years and 70 percent of women in 20, it suggested.

PARIS, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Highly obese people are six times likelier to develop cancer of the gullet than people of healthy weight, according to a study published on Thursday in the British journal Gut.

The probe, carried out in Australia, looked at 793 people with oesophageal cancer, who were compared with 1,580 counterparts matched for age and place of residence.

Risks of developing this cancer were higher among individuals who had gastric acid reflux, which has long been associated with such tumours.

But another big risk factor was obesity.

WASHINGTON, Oct 2, 2007 (AFP) - Americans over the age of 50 are more likely to be diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease than their European counterparts, a study released Tuesday said.

Patients in the United States are also more likely to get treatment for those costly diseases, making US health care 100 to 150 billion dollars (70 to 105 billion euros) more expensive than in Europe annually, according to the study published online by Health Affairs.

WASHINGTON, Sept 20, 2007 (AFP) - US presidential hopefuls from both sides of the political divide are dishing out their plans for fighting obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions and is putting enormous strain on the health care system.

'As president, I would fight obesity every day,' New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, said at a round-table talk on obesity in Washington on Wednesday.

RIYADH, Sept 14, 2007 (AFP) - An obese Saudi man weighing more than 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) needed a dozen men to help transport him to hospital, the daily Okaz reported Friday.

The age of the sick man, identified only by his initials A.S., was not given.

It took the coordination of the Red Crescent Society and the Civil Defence to take him to hospital in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.

The hospital also had to find a bed that could support his weight, according to Okaz which also published a photograph of the patient.

SYDNEY, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) - Overweight people should be paid to attend weight-loss programmes to reduce the impact the growing obesity epidemic is having on the healthcare system, a group of Australian doctors said Wednesday.

Obesity has more than doubled in Australia in the last 20 years and is placing an uncomfortable strain not only on waistlines but on health services, the Australian General Practice Network said.

WASHINGTON, Sept 11, 2007 (AFP) - Americans prepared to hunker down in front of their televisions Tuesday with reduced-fat chips and light beverages for the season premiere of 'The Biggest Loser' -- arguably the biggest thing to hit reality TV.

Hailed as 'the first reality series where everybody loses,' The Biggest Loser will begin its fourth season with a double helping two-hour special that brings together 18 'severely overweight participants' competing to drop the most pounds and pick up a fat purse of 250,000 dollars (185,000 euros).

WASHINGTON, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) - US kids are bombarded with television ads for foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt and low in nutritional value, a study published Tuesday showed.

Researchers at the University of Chicago watched nearly 100,000 30-second advertisements for food products including breakfast cereals, snacks, sweets and drinks, that were aired on television during programs watched by two- to 17-year-olds.