It's well understood that women should not smoke while pregnant. Yet some women find it difficult to quit. Knowing some of the long-term effects may offer an extra motivational boost.

The risk of becoming overweight if you don't get enough sleep has been known for a while among researchers. The question is what might be the cause of possible weight gain for sleep-deprived folks.

Depression is thought of as a mental disorder, but it can affect the rest of the body too. Having symptoms of depression may be linked to risks for other diseases.

Talking to teenagers about weight can be tough. Taking the conversation in the wrong direction may trigger unhealthy dieting behaviors.

Women who were abused while growing up may have a higher tendency for addictive relationships with food. This tendency could explain higher rates of obesity in abused women.

Smoking is a known health hazard for pregnancies. But being exposed to smoke in utero may follow a baby girl into her own pregnancy when she grows up.

It is challenging enough to manage a mental or developmental disorder such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But there may be long-term consequences to manage as well.

Heavy drinking can burden anyone’s liver. But in people who are also overweight, heavy drinking may really push the liver past its limits.

When the weight won't come off, patients can consider surgery on their stomachs to shed the pounds. Though surgery can be helpful in losing weight, one procedure might have more risks than others when it comes to drinking alcohol.

Some people with depression aren’t interested in food, but there are others who eat too much. Emotional eating from depression can trigger serious weight gain resulting in obesity.