Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - Topping off today's Medical News, more and more children undergoing surgeries are overweight - a condition that could lead to complications. Researchers at the Unviersity of Michigan looked at a database of more than 6,000 pediatric surgeries at one Michigan hospital, and found that nearly a third of the patients qualified as overweight or obese. Experts say 60 to 70 percent of obese teens are likely to remain obese as adults.

A Harvard study on the effects of tobacco finds smokers are at about double the risk for tuberculosis that non-smokers. After reviewing 38 studies, researchers also say exposure to second-hand smoke and indoor air pollution from burning wood and charcoal also increase the risk. TB is an infectious disease that is responsible for an estimated 2 million deaths worldwide each year.

We've all heard how people with amnesia can't remember their past, but new research indicates they may not be able to imagine their future either. A study of 5 men with amnesia found the patients had difficulty describing a hypothetical situation and events that could happen in the future, like going to a museum or the beach. All of the patients had damage to an area of the brain which is key in learning and memory.