Published22 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Alys DaviesBBC NewsFlorida’s House of Representatives has approved a ban on most abortions after six weeks, paving the way for drastic changes in access to the procedure across the state.The bill must be signed by Republican state Governor Ron DeSantis, who has indicated his support, before it becomes law.Opponents argue six weeks is before many women know they are pregnant.Florida currently prohibits abortion after 15 weeks.The state has been a safe haven for those seeking abortion in the country’s south-east since Roe v Wade – which gave women in the US the constitutional right to abortion – was overturned last year. The state’s current 15-week limit on abortion is one of the most lenient in the south-east, with many travelling from other states to Florida to have the procedure.The six-week ban makes exceptions for abortions in cases of rape or incest, as long as the woman can provide documentation such as a police report or a restraining order.Florida’s Republican-led House approved the ban on Thursday, with 70 voting for and 40 voting against. It had been passed in the state Senate on 3 April.”A woman’s right to choose, I’ve heard people talk about that,” Republican lawmaker Kiyan Michael said during the debate, as quoted by CNN. “Well, that right to choose begins before you have sex.””Women’s health and their personal right to choose is being stolen,” Democratic lawmaker Felicia Simone Robinson argued, in comments cited by the Associated Press news agency.The fate of the proposed six-week ban could be affected by an ongoing legal challenge to the existing 15-week ban.National debate over abortion in the US has been raging since a federal judge suspended the original approval of a widely used abortion drug, mifepristone, last week.That suspension was later blocked by an appellate court, and the Biden administration has said it will ask the Supreme Court to restore full access to the drug.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyControversial Florida abortion ban blocked by court30 June 2022US will take abortion pill case to Supreme Court5 hours agoTop US court ends constitutional right to abortion24 June 2022Texas judge considers banning abortion pill in US15 March

Published36 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.By Alys DaviesBBC NewsMore than half the world’s population will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035 if action is not taken, the World Obesity Federation warns.More than four billion people will be affected, with rates rising fastest among children, its report says. Low or middle-income countries in Africa and Asia are expected to see the greatest rises. The report predicts the cost of obesity will amount to more than $4tn (£3.3tn) annually by 2035.The president of the federation, Prof Louise Baur, described the report’s findings as a clear warning to countries to act now or risk repercussions in the future.The report in particular highlights the rising rates of obesity among children and teenagers, with rates expected to double from 2020 levels among both boys and girls.Prof Baur said the trend was “particularly worrying”, adding that “governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation” by assessing “the systems and root factors” that contribute to obesity.The effects of obesity’s prevalence on lower-income countries is also highlighted in the report. Nine of the 10 countries with the greatest expected increases in obesity globally are low or lower-middle income states in Africa and Asia.Reasons include trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behaviour, weaker policies to control food supply and marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and health education.Lower-income countries are “often the least able to respond to obesity and its consequences”.The findings estimate that rises in obesity rates around the world will have a significant impact on the global economy, equating to 3% of global Gross Domestic Product.The report emphasises that its acknowledgement of the economic impact of obesity “is in no way a reflection of blame on people living with obesity”.The data published in the report will be presented to the UN on Monday.Obese is a medical term used to describe a person with a high excess of body fat.The report uses body mass index (BMI) to make its assessments. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight by the square of their height.Can we trust BMI to measure obesity?Information and supportInformation about obesity from the UK’s National Health ServiceBullyingEating disordersMental health and self-harm:Image source, AFPMore on this storyUS proposes limits on sugary foods in school meals4 FebruaryThe Brazilian women fighting fatphobia29 December 2022Why toxic fat shaming is so rampant in India23 November 2022Living with obesity: Hard-wired to store fat17 June 2021