Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but it might also do us in. A growing body of data suggests that a wide range of ills, from allergies and asthma to metabolic disease and superbugs, may be the consequence of our war on germs.

As told most famously by Shelley, the kingdom of Ozymandias fell to ruin in the desert sand. We are misguided to think we are too mighty to do the same. Signs of our vulnerability abound.

Preventing obesity-associated chronic diseases and improving our nation's public health requires policy, systems and environmental change. Where we live, eat, sleep, work, learn, and play all impact our health.

Our cultural attitudes about the use of our feet and our forks are ill-advised, but not crazy; they always made sense before. For most of human history, calories were relatively scarce and physical activity was unavoidable. Our prevailing inclinations are well-suited to that scenario.

Bad news: Obesity is on the rise for nearly all adult Americans. According to a recent poll, published by Gallup on Oct. 24, obesity rates have c...

The conversation I would like to have about obesity is about acceptance and being kind to each other. By all means, make a commitment to better health by attaining your ideal weight if you can, but leave the self- and other-loathing at the refrigerator door.

Although I grew up as a city girl, a memorable period of my childhood was spent in the English countryside. Of those days, I recall most fondly the harvest season.

As my colleague and I illustrate in our recent paper, the trend toward larger portions coincides with the availability of calories in the U.S. food supply and the rising prevalence of overweight and obesity. So what can we do about this continued trend toward larger portions?

So "okay at any size" seems to be gathering pop culture momentum. And I regret to say, I can't be entirely okay with that. It's not the size I'm not okay with -- it's the consequences.

Over the past century there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of depression, sleep disorders and obesity. New data suggest that at least part of this increase could be due to the ever-growing exposure to light at night.

On its surface, the cause of the Western world's obesity epidemic seems simple: People are eating too many calories and getting too little calorie-burning exercise; the imbalance manifests as excess fat. But this explanation is too simple.

Prejudice against the obese is the last "acceptable" prejudice in America. The overweight are treated differently. They're looked at differently. They're stared at, sneered at, and discriminated against.

I applaud Mayor Bloomberg's dedication and willingness to take a stand against opponents to the ban and all the name calling criticism he has received. At the same time, banning supersize soda alone misses the point.