Health briefs: We're fat, but not fatter

One in three American adults and one in six American children are obese, new government reports show. That's the bad news. The good news is that over the past 12 years, those rates have remained roughly the same. "Even if we can just keep the prevalence rates the same, we're doing well," said registered dietitian Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck.

Exercise to 'feel better now'

Health and fitness experts have for years tried to entice people to exercise more by flogging long-range benefits such as losing weight or avoiding long-term illness. They might have been going about it all wrong. Research now appears to show that "improve your heart health" may be a less effective message than "feel better now." A University of Michigan study found that people are more apt to exercise when they're given reasons that apply to their immediate, day-to-day life. For example, telling someone they will have more energy after working out seems to be a more effective motivation than telling them they will be less likely to develop diabetes.

-- HealthDay