Top Medical News: Obesity Epidemic, Dementia and Depression, Breast Cancer Detection & More

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1. Forty-two percent of US may be obese by 2030: study: Forty-two percent of the US population could be obese by 2030, up from about one-third currently, and the associated rise in health woes would likely cost $550 billion over two decades, said a study on Monday.

2. Depression in middle age linked to dementia: People who have symptoms of depression in middle age may be at increased risk of dementia decades later, a new study suggests.

3. Eating Well Without the Flavor of Shame: In his new book, the veteran food writer Peter Kaminsky writes that by maximizing flavor, you can satisfy your food cravings with smaller portions.

4. Is Workout Supplement Ingredient DMAA Safe?: Researcher Calls on FDA to Ban Speed-Like Ingredient DMAA.

5. Zinc Pills May Shorten Colds, Analysis Suggests: Those suffering from the common cold will try almost anything to relieve their symptoms, but a cure has yet to be found.

6. Curry Ingredient May Have Cancer Treatment Benefits: New research reveals that curcumin, found in the curry ingredient turmeric, may significantly reduce side effects for bowel cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and help them to be able to go through treatment longer.

7. Idaho infant dies from whooping cough: Whooping cough took the life of a 9-week-old girl from Idaho this week, the first death from an outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease that has hit Idaho, Washington state and Montana, health officials said on Friday.

8. Mothers like chubby toddlers, study suggests: And nearly 70 percent unable to correctly assess their child's body size.

9. Range of brain diseases could be treated by single drug: The tantalising prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, all with the same drug, has been raised by UK researchers.

10. Mammograms Beat Thermography for Breast Cancer Detection: Newer technology missed half of tumors and yielded many false positives, researchers say.

11. Greater Purpose in Life May Protect Against Harmful Changes in the Brain Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease: Greater purpose in life may help stave off the harmful effects of plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

12. Lab worker killed by rare bacteria was UC Berkeley grad who wanted to combat disease with science: A lab researcher apparently killed by the bacteria he was studying at the San Francisco VA Medical Center had dedicated himself to combating fatal diseases after a relative's death, said those who knew him.

13. Massive rise in Asian eye damage: Up to 90% of school leavers in major Asian cities are suffering from myopia - short-sightedness - a study suggests.