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The Coast Guard Thinks You've Put on a Few PoundsBy Dashiell Bennett | The Atlantic Wire – Mon, Jan 2, 2012 The Coast Guard recently raised its "Assumed Average Weight Per Person" standard to 185 pounds, reflecting the growing waistlines of the American populace. The number — which is 25 pounds higher than the previous average — is used to the determine the safe operating capacity of passenger boats around the country. The change may force tour operators, ferry services, and other charter companies to adjust the capacity of their vessels or risk failing their next Coast Guard inspection.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli warplanes pounded the homes of Hamas leaders and ground troops edged closer to the Gaza Strip's densely-populated urban center Monday, as Israel stepped up the pressure ahead of deciding whether to escalate its devastating two-week offensive. From downtown Gaza City black smoke could be seen rising over the eastern suburbs, where the two sides skirmished throughout the night. At least six Palestinians were killed in the new airstrikes or died from their wounds on Monday, Gaza health officials said. One of the dead was a militant killed in a northern Gaza battle.

Few Americans have heard of credit default swaps, arcane financial instruments invented by Wall Street about a decade ago. But if the economy keeps slowing, credit default swaps, like subprime mortgages, may become a household term. Credit default swaps form a large but obscure market that will be put to its first big test as a looming economic downturn strains companies’ finances. Like a homeowner’s policy that insures against a flood or fire, these instruments are intended to cover losses to banks and bondholders when companies fail to pay their debts. The market for these securities is enormous. Since 2000,...

Britain is worth £6,525 billion, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said yesterday as it published the nation’s annual balance sheet. The £6.5 trillion price tag on the UK covers the value of all buildings, companies, shares and other assets, net of liabilities, at the end of 2006. If the wealth were spread equally, each person in Britain would have more than £108,000 of equity in UK plc. However, the “shareholders” in Britain have had an unexceptional year, the figures show. Thanks mainly to the property market, the country’s stock of wealth rose by £326 billion, or 5.3 per cent,...

Being a little overweight can kill you, according to new research that leaves little room for denial that a few extra pounds is harmful. Baby boomers who were even just a tad pudgy were more likely to die prematurely than those who were at a healthy weight, U.S. researchers reported Tuesday. While obesity has been known to contribute to early death, the link between being overweight and dying prematurely has been controversial. Some experts have argued that a few extra pounds does no harm. However, this is one of the first major studies to account for the factors of smoking...

TEHRAN, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Iran has reportedly begun moving its assets from European banks in an effort to protect its supplies of foreign exchange from sanctions. "We transfer foreign currency reserves related to all sectors including oil foreign exchanges to wherever it is good for us and we have started this transfer," Ebrahim Sheibani, governor of Iran's central bank, told the Iranian Student News Agency. The International Atomic Energy Authority has scheduled a meeting Feb. 2 to discuss whether to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council. The country could face sanctions for re-starting its uranium enrichment program.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Army News Service, Nov. 3, 2005) -- When a recruiter stopped by to talk to his son, Roderick Evans was the one sold on the military. A home health care specialist in Detroit, Mich., Evans had a passion for helping others and a desire to make a difference. A military medical career sounded like a perfect fit. The recruiter, on the other hand, saw a different picture. He took one look at Evans and said, “You’re just too big.” At 5 feet, 7 inches and 418 pounds, Evans could hardly disagree. But instead of easing the...

Despite California's aggressive campaign against childhood obesity, school-aged kids are getting fatter. Fitness test scores in public schools showed that about 28 in every 100 schoolchildren in California were overweight in 2004, up 6 percent from 2001, according to a report by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The trend occurred among all racial, gender and age groups. Although childhood obesity looked markedly worse in Los Angeles than other Assembly districts, no region of the state has been spared. The study shows that about 28 percent of all children are overweight in the state's 32nd Assembly district, which includes...

U.S. Military Pounds Insurgents in Iraq By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer 33 minutes ago A U.S. Army patrol is reflected in a soldier's sunglasses as they search for explosive devices in Baghdad August 5, 2005. It's tedious work in blistering heat but they can't afford to rest. Searching for roadside bombs in Iraq has become a 24-hour-a-day job. Hidden in traffic cones, cans and even dead animals, the improvised explosive device (IED) is one of the leading killers of U.S. troops, accounting for about 35 percent of total deaths. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. Marines and Iraqi troops...

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Isabel Pounds Eastern Seaboard; 14 Dead By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press Writer RICHMOND, Va. - Hurricane Isabel knocked out power to more than 3.5 million people as it weakened into a tropical storm and raced up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday, swamping tidal communities along Chesapeake Bay, uprooting trees, disrupting air traffic and shutting down the nation's capital. The massive storm was blamed for at least 14 deaths: nine in Virginia; two in Maryland and one each in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The storm plowed into North Carolina's Outer Banks on Thursday night with winds of about 100...

Once again, the ranks of overweight children are on the rise.According to the latest report from the National Institutes of Health, although almost every indicator of adolescent health has improved over the last 10 years, America's youth continue to get heavier — to the tune of an estimated 9 million overweight children. What can you do about this junior obesity crisis? Here's a countdown of the top 10 tips from experts on how to prevent your child from putting on too many pounds. 10. A Healthy Beginning The key to getting through the day is to start off on the...