Obesity is no longer a leading killer among American's, according to a new calculation by the CDC. Being overweight dropped to the number 7 spot on the deadly chart; previously the #2 killer. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that obesity accounts for 25,814 deaths a year in the U.S. Back in January the CDC reported a number 14 times higher: 365,000 deaths. A recent analysis discovered that being extremely overweight, or obese, is indisputably lethal. Though several recent smaller studies found that people who are modestly overweight actually have a lower risk of death than those of normal weight. Mary Grace Kovar, a consultant for the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center in Washington, said ''normal'' may be set too low for today's American's. She also added that those classified as overweight are eating better, exercising more and managing their blood pressure better than before. In a study by CDC last year it ranked causes of preventable death in order: 1. tobacco; 2. poor diet and eating (leading to excess weight); 3. alcohol; 4. germs; 5. toxins and pollutants; 6. car crashes; 7. guns; 8. risky sexual behavior; 9. illicit drugs. According to the new study, obesity would fall behind car crashes, landing the #7 rank, making alcohol the #2 killer. The CDC is unwilling to make the official rank, underscoring controversy inside the agency on how to properly calculate health risks of obesity. Last year the CDC issued a study at attributed 400,000 deaths to mostly weight-related problems and said obesity would soon outrank tobacco as the #1 killer. They reverted that after admitting to a calculation error and lowered the estimate to 365,000. The new study attributes 111,909 deaths to obesity, minus the number of people who were "modestly overweight," concluding at 25,814 deaths. CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said because of the uncertainty in calculating the health effects of being overweight, the CDC won't use the new figure, 25,814, in its public awareness campaigns The study -- an analysis of mortality rates and body-mass index, or BMI -- was to be published in today's Journal of the American Medical Association

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, of the United States Department of Agriculture, unveiled MyPyramid, a new symbol and interactive food guidance system. "Steps to a Healthier You," MyPyramid's central message, supports President Bush's HealthierUS initiative which is designed to help Americans live longer, better and healthier lives. MyPyramid replaces the Food Guide Pyramid introduced in 1992, and is part of an overall food guidance system that emphasizes the need for a more individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle. MyPyramid incorporates recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January. The MyPyramid plan, unlike its predecessor, incorporates physical activity into the pyramid structure of a healthy diet and lifestyle. The new food guidance system utilizes interactive technology found on MyPyramid.gov. The Web site contains interactive activities that make it easy for individuals to key in their age, gender, and physical activity level so that they can get a more personalized recommendation on their daily calorie level based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A child-friendly version of MyPyramid for teachers and children is being developed - intended to reach children 6 to 11 years old with targeted messages about the importance of making smart eating and physical activity choices. Additional information about USDA's MyPyramid is available at MyPyramid.gov

Scotland (AHN)- Researchers believe that working mothers harbor guilt about not being home with their children and therefore make more of an effort to make sure that their children are eating healthier. The University of Glasgow analyzed over 2,000 11-year-olds and their parents; they found children whose mothers did not work were more likely to eat unhealthy snacks. Children were asked which foods they ate at mealtimes and whether they consumed sweets, chocolate, cake, and sodas. Parents provided information about the household, the mother's qualifications and whether or not she was working. The researchers found 63% of children whose mothers were at home full-time consumed less healthy foods compared to 52% of those whose mothers worked full-time. Dr Hannah Theobald of the British Nutrition Foundation believes that the subject is timely, but still needs more research to confirm the results. "Studies looking at the association between non-working and working mothers and children's' diets tend to be inconsistent...we do know that healthier meals tend to be consumed if the family eats together as one unit

Dim Sum, a fad of Chinese restaurants serving small portions of a variety of foods like steamed or fried dumplings, filled buns, and noodles, may be bad your health. Dim sum, literally translated from the Chinese Cantonese, means "dot-hearts," small treats that touch the heart. Aside from "touching" your heart, these bite-sized morsels can also be toxic. Health officials warned diners Wednesday that like many morsels on ``dim sum'' restaurant menus like Justin Timberlake's L.A. sanctuary "Chi", the snacks are loaded with sodium and fat. A new government study urged people to avoid fried foods that can cause obesity and heart disease saying people should order more steamed buns, noodles and rice dishes at Hong Kong's famous dim sum eateries. But officials warned that just because food is steamed, doesn't mean its low in fat. Foods like steamed beancurd rolls and minced beef balls were high in fat, according to the study by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. Researchers analyzed 75 popular dim sum snacks for carbohydrates, protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, sugar, sodium and calcium. Results showed that total fat, saturated fat and sodium were generally high while calcium and dietary fiber were low. "Foods high in total fat are energy dense and excessive intake may increase the risk of obesity," said Dr. Ho Yuk-yin, a department consultant. Items with the most saturated fat per serving included baked barbecued pork puffs, with 4.4 grams; steamed pork ribs, with 5 grams; coconut milk yellow bean pudding, with 3.2 grams; and egg tarts, with 1.8 grams. Dishes low in fat included steamed rice rolls with shrimp, with 1.6 grams; steamed chicken buns, with 3.1 grams; and steamed vegetable dumplings, with 1.5 grams, the study said. Items high in sodium per serving were marinated jelly fish, with 780 milligrams; steamed chicken with fish stomach and steamed curry squid, both with 640 milligrams, the study said. Dishes low in sodium included sweetened water chestnut cake, with 12 milligrams, and mixed bean sweet soup, with 7.6 milligrams, the study said. If you simply can't resist a dim-sum craving, Ho suggests selecting dim sum dishes sensibly, ordering more steamed rice rolls with shrimp since they are low in fat, for example, and fewer pan-fried and deep-fried items

A federal judge rules favorably for a Utah company that challenged the Food and Drug Administration's ban on the controversial ingredient in diet pills, ephedra. Nutraceutical claimed in its lawsuit that ephedra "has been safely consumed" for hundreds of years. Ephedra was a key ingredient used in supplements provided for weight-loss and bodybuilding that were linked to 155 deaths. One being that of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler. The FDA took the substance off the market in April 2004. Judge Tena Campbell's ruling sends the matter back to the FDA "for further rulemaking consistent with the court's opinion" and keeps the agency from enforcement action against the companies