Water Way To Go: Grandad Sheds 10 Stone (UK)

A grandfather who was told he had to diet or die by doctors has lost more than 10 stone in six months - by drinking water. Idris Lewis, 69, was told in January that if he did not lose 11 stone by the end of July, he could not have an operation on his heart and could die within a year. Mr Lewis, a retired civil servant from Nailsea, near Bristol, suffers from a chronic lung condition and a scan 18 months ago revealed he also has an abnormal heart valve. His doctor gave him a stark choice, he either lost the weight so he could have an operation to widen the valve, or he had a year to live. Mr Lewis cannot eat anything - his strict diet consists of mineral water and a vitamin supplement powder.

Obesity 'link to same-sex parent' (UK)

"There is a strong link in obesity between mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, but not across the gender divide, research suggests. A study of 226 families by Plymouth's Peninsula Medical School, UK, found obese mothers were 10 times more likely to have obese daughters. For fathers and sons, there was a six-fold rise. But in both cases children of the opposite sex were not affected. The researchers believe the link is behavioural rather than genetic. They say the findings mean policy on obesity should be re-though" - BBC

Obesity health risk cause 'found'

Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications such as type 2 diabetes. They blame a specific protein - pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) - which is secreted by fat cells. The Australian and US research on mice suggests blocking some of PEDF's action may reverse some complications - raising hopes of new drug treatments. The study appears in the journal Cell Metabolism - BBC