Should we think of obesity as a disease? Even though many people say it’s self-inflicted, the World Health Organisation has considered it a disease since 1936. And the outcomes of obesity, such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cancer, arthritis, … Read More
Time to stop excuse that we’ve no time to exercise
I know personally that it’s all too easy to put something you don’t want to do on the back burner. You fiddle around doing anything but the hard-to-face job in hand. One of the tasks I find I dither over … Read More
Great steps made towards removing the stigma of HIV
Back in the 80s I went to New York to say farewell to a dear friend who was in the last throes of AIDS. It was a terrifying goodbye. He was ill, rake-thin, couldn’t eat, was retching all the time and … Read More
How an early retirement could speed up dementia
Years ago I remember reading some research on retired 80-year-old Japanese men. In the experiment some of them went back to their former employment once a week and others stayed at home. The results? Just half an hour a week … Read More
Now is the time to slap a ban on smoking outdoors
I can remember the time when smokers held sway and non-smokers simply had to grin and bear it. The smoking lobby ruled and ashtrays littered every social scene, cinemas were a fog of cigarette smoke and we were all passive … Read More
Do your bit for the NHS by maintaining a safe weight
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in the abdomen, that controls the body’s use of glucose (sugar). The blood sugar level will rise if the pancreas produces little or no insulin (type 1 diabetes), or if the pancreas … Read More
Scientists prove mother’s broth can tackle diseases
An extraordinary experiment has been carried out by Imperial College and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, looking at the curative properties of soups and broths. I’m particularly interested because in my family the healing power of chicken soup is legendary. … Read More
Zero danger of passing on HIV if you use antiviral medication
The news on AIDS and HIV gets better and better. A study of gay couples has shown us that even between partners where one of them is HIV positive, the risk of transmitting HIV to the other partner if it … Read More
A woman’s clitoris has greater role than providing sexual pleasure
The assertion that the clitoris is the only human organ thats sole function is transmission of sexual pleasure seems to upset some people. It has been the subject of much study, starting way back in the 16th century. Over the … Read More
Study to track effectiveness of child eczema treatments
A friend of mine has a grandson with baby eczema, and she asked me which soothing skin cream would be best for him. Well, that’s a sticky decision. There are many emollients and finding one a baby will tolerate and … Read More