Longer looks: The body's fight against losing weight; Rick Santorum's contraception, anti-abortion records analyzed

Every week, reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web.

The New York Times Magazine: The Fat Trap
For years, the advice to the overweight and obese has been that we simply need to eat less and exercise more. While there is truth to this guidance, it fails to take into account that the human body continues to fight against weight loss long after dieting has stopped. ... it's clear, from a public-health standpoint, that resources would best be focused on preventing weight gain. The research underscores the urgency of national efforts to get children to exercise and eat healthful foods. But with a third of the U.S. adult population classified as obese, nobody is saying people who already are very overweight should give up on weight loss. ... Studies suggest that even a 5 percent weight loss can lower a person's risk for diabetes, heart disease and other health problems associated with obesity (Tara Parker-Pope, 12/28).

National Review: Santorum's Pro-Life Credibility 
Santorum truly is an excellent representative of his cause. Perhaps no politician in our national life has been so pointedly forced by circumstances to live up to his creed. If Santorum can seem too blithe and self-assured when he talks the talk, he has painfully walked the walk. The Santorums lost one child shortly after childbirth and have another who survived despite a grave, usually fatal, genetic disorder (Rich Lowry, 1/4).

Salon: Rick Santorum Is Coming For Your Birth Control
Here is an actual Rick Santorum quote: "One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country." And also, "Many of the Christian faith have said, well, that's okay, contraception is okay. It's not okay. It's a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be." ... while reproductive rights are always cast in terms of pro or against a woman's right to an abortion and in what circumstances, even liberals are surprised to find out what social conservatives really want to do about contraception (Irin Carmon, 1/4).

American Medical News: Health Reform After 2014: Not-So-Universal Coverage
The national health system reform law is expected to reduce the nation's uninsured population to what could be an all-time low. But even after the major reforms take effect starting in 2014, millions will remain without coverage, whether by choice or by circumstance. ... each region of the U.S. is expected to see its uninsured population shrink by roughly half  ...  he health reform law's true impact on the final tally and demographics of the uninsured will be shaped by the decisions of consumers, employers, federal health officials and states (Doug Trapp, 1/2).