Obsity spreads to South Africa

Xinhua - English: "JOHANNESBURG, May 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Obesity is a great public health problem in South Africa, with 23 percent of men and 57 percent of women being overweight, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Monday.

Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating were the cause of obesity, the minister said in a media statement.

Seventeen percent of adolescents were found to be overweight inthe Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in public schools in 2002,with 25 percent of South African adolescents watching television for more than three hours a day. Girls were found to be at a greater risk for physical inactivity than boys, according to the survey. "

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Mad Dogs Englishmen and Midday Sun

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050527: "Midday sun may be good for you

Source: The Guardian

Date: 27/05/2005

The Guardian and The Sun report on the news that Ann Webb, an ultraviolet radiation expert at the University of Manchester, has reported that the best time to be out in the sun to maximise vitamin D production is midday, spending 10-15 minutes outside without sunscreen. Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphate from food, and is essential in the formation of bones and teeth. A deficiency leads to bones failing to grow and causes rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Ms Webb said that she does not advocate people not protecting themselves with sunscreen, but 'if you put sunscreen on before leaving the house you will not reap the health benefits provided naturally by the sun'. Cancer Research UK however, has recommended that people stay out of the sun between the peak hours of 11am and 3pm. "

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Secret Research on GM food Risks

Natural Products Magazine: "IOS says secret GM study reveals scientists health fears - May 25, 2005

The Independent on Sunday (IOS) says that a secret report produced by GM food giant Monsanto has renewed fears among scientists that eating genetically engineered food products could pose serious risks for human health.



The IOS says that a 1,139-page confidential report on its GM corn codenamed MON 863 reports that rats fed on a diet rich in the genetically modified corn developed abnormalities to internal organs and changes to their blood. According to the survey, these defects were absent in another batch of rodents fed non-GM food as part of the research project.



The disclosures come as EU member states, including Britain, prepare to vote on whether the GM corn should go on sale to the public in Britain.



The IOS article claimed that the report's revelations had intensified the row over whether the corn is safe to eat without further research. It says that doctors have voiced their concerns that the changes in the blood of the rodents could indicate that the rat's immune system had been damaged or that a disorder such as a tumour had grown and the system had been mobilising to fight it.



Dr Vyvyan Howard, a senior lecturer on human anatomy and cell biology at Liverpool University, called for publication of the full study, saying the summary gave prima facie cause for concern. "

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Passive Smoking Halves Fertility Thwarts pregnancy

At last some more evidence for the bleedin obvious! bmj.com -- UK health news 20050526: "Living with a smoker halves chances of IVF pregnancy

Source: The Times

Date: 26/05/2005

The Times and The Guardian report the news that a study by McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario of 225 women undergoing IVF treatment has found that passive smoking can reduce the chances of conception by 50% if they live with a smoker who has ten cigarettes day. The findings found that there was no difference in embryo quality between the three groups surveyed, namely non-smokers, smokers and 'sidestream smokers' (passive smokers), but there was a striking difference in implantation and pregnancy rates between non-smokers and the other two groups. Michael Neal, a member of the McMaster team, said that the damaging effects of passive smoking were so clear that they were now warning all patients about the potential hazards to fertility from smoking or passive smoking. "



For more information about pre conceptual care and fertility contact Foresight or your nearest BANT registered Nutrition therapist.



Foods For Life

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Breast is best and grapefruit helps fight ulcers.

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050524:



"Mum's milk cuts baby's heart risk

Source: Daily Express

Date: 24/05/2005

The Daily Express reports today that a study in Denmark and Estonia has found that babies who are breast-fed will grow up to have healthier blood pressure than those who are bottle-fed. The research, conducted with the help of 2,000 Danish and Estonian children and published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, also suggests that breast-fed babies are less likely to be overweight, have fewer behavioural problems and could be more intelligent. The results lead to the suggestion that the effect of breast feeding as a baby may increase as the child gets older, and that breast feeding was as good for babies as physical exercise is for adults.



Grapefruit fights ulcers

Source: Daily Express

Date: 24/05/2005

According to a new study by researchers at a University in Krakow, antioxidants in grapefruits can help heal stomach ulcers. Scientists have found that the seeds of the fruit contain special compounds that can calm the ulcer, ease the pain and, when combined with other therapies, help to heal the condition. Many people with digestive ulcers steer clear of the fruit as they think that its acidic nature will worsen their condition.



Male hormone surprise

Source: Daily Express

Date: 24/05/2005

A joint study from the University of Turku and Imperial College London has found that testosterone can help protect against heart disease and strokes, in news that will be a surprise to many scientists as previous research suggested that testosterone encouraged the build-up of plaque in the arteries. Researchers in the study compared 99 middle-aged men whose testosterone levels had declined, with 140 people in a controlled group who had normal testosterone levels. They discovered that the wall of"

More about → Breast is best and grapefruit helps fight ulcers.

Heart Disease, Stroke and Milk.

World Vegetarian And Vegan News: "In the Bristol Study that claimed to prove milk that wasn't as bad for health as some nutritionists believe it appears the effects could be more to do with what the milk replaced rather than the milk itself.



Not only did the best subjects switch to semi skimmed milk to cut down on saturated fat, but they also exercised more and consumed less alcohol - hardly conclusive evidence to defend cow's milk.



In the Oxford study, one of the largest ever studies of vegetarians the vegans (who consume no dairy) did best on avoiding heart disease and reduced risk of stroke."

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Vegans Worry Cadbury's will put Dairy in G&B

Vegans felt safe with Green and Blacks in Craig Sam's hands. Although not vegan he is macrobiotic and started up some of the UK's finest Vegetarian Brands such as Whole Earth, Real Eat, and a string of others.



The fear is that Cadburys the kings of sugar and fat will add more Dairy into the G&B brand and move production to factories where chocolate will be contaminated by cow's milk.



"Cadburys also tend to use butter fat instead of real cocoa fat" says Tony Bishop Weston.



BBC NEWS | Business | Cadbury gobbles up organic rival: "Confectionery giant Cadbury Schweppes has bought organic chocolate maker Green & Black's at a time when demand for healthier products is booming.

The maker of Dairy Milk, Dr Pepper and 7-Up did not disclose the sum it paid for Green & Black's, but pundits estimate a price tag of about �20m.

Green & Black's is the fastest-growing confectionary brand, with 5.1% of the UK market for block chocolate.

It claims to have made the world's first organic chocolate.

Green & Black's also makes organic ice creams, biscuits and cooking products which are sold on the High Street through retailers such as Boots and Tesco.

The company sources the cocoa beans for one of its chocolates under Fairtrade agreements from countries such as Madagascar and the Dominican Republic. "

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Veggieburgers Vs Beefburgers for Health

World Vegetarian And Vegan News: "The study compares the McVeggie burger with McDonald's beef burger and asks what if the next 100 billion burgers were McVeggie patties instead of beef? McDonald's customers would benefit from an estimated 1 billion more pounds of fiber, 550 million fewer pounds of saturated fat, 1.2 billion fewer total pounds of fat and even 660 million more pounds of protein, the authors say.

'I wondered how Americans and the environment might look different if these burgers had been veggie burgers instead of cow burgers,' says Dr. Frank. 'The bottom line of the study is that the McVeggie burger substitution would provide over a billion fewer pounds of fat, one billion more pounds of fiber, and even more protein.' "

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bmj.com -- UK health news 20050520

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050520: "Tomato a day keeps doc away





Source: The Sun

Date: 20/05/2005

It is reported briefly over a number of publications today that tomatoes may be able to slash the risk of heart attacks and cancer in people. Canadian scientists believe that a key component of tomatoes - lycopene, which is an antioxidant - may also work to regulate gene functions and metabolism, as well as improve communication between cells, hormone and immune responses. The findings were published in the medical journal 'Trends in Food Science & technology'. "

More about → bmj.com -- UK health news 20050520

Grapefruits for ulcers and Cancer drug toxicity

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050518: "Grapefruit ulcer hope

Source: Daily Mail

Date: 18/05/2005

In a very small snippet in the Mail, scientists have claimed that grapefruit seed extract - sold in health food shops - could dramatically reduce the level of gastric secretions in the stomach, thus helping to heal stomach ulcers. After six to nine days treatment with the extract, existing ulcers declined in size.

Cancer catch 22

Source: Daily Mirror

Date: 18/05/2005

With the recent report of Kylie Minogue's breast cancer diagnosis once again bringing the illness to the headlines, a small item is noted in coverage of the issue in the Mirror. According to research from the American Cancer Society two in three children who beat cancer are made ill later by the treatments that saved them, due to cancer drugs' toxicity. Researchers studied 10,397 children under 15 between 1970 and 1986. "

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Why Nutritionists are better than Doctors

Here's another reason why in some instances you may be better off with a nutritionist than a doctor. You pay nutritionists by the hour. Often the most valuable thing a nutritionist does is not prescibe a supplement or run a test but educate you in the right nutrients for your body and where to get them. The practical examples to suit your needs and the time taken to explain them and make sure you can meet your achievable targets are worth more than many of the expensive designer drugs that get dished out in a couple of seconds.



Advice not drugs, Practical solutions not chemical solutions, education not side effects. www.foodsforlife.org.uk/nutrition





Blog Plate Special: 05/15/2005 - 05/21/2005: "How Much for an Hour of Schmoozing, Doc?

In our economy, productivity is often measured in units of time. Time is then converted to money. We hire architects, lawyers, plumbers and piano teachers, and we pay them by the hour.



The current medical reimbursement system pays by the job performed, not by the time spent.



Your appendectomy is charged on a flat rate, like a brake job. The surgeon who performs your appendectomy gets paid the same if he takes one hour or two, as long as he takes out only one appendix.



Your family doctor receives the same reimbursement for diagnosing a sinus infection in 6 minutes as he does if he takes 30 minutes.



In our current system, there is no way to buy an hour of your doctor's time just to talk.



The doctor can give you that time free, but under most health plans he cannot bill you for it.



With the current rate of exchange, as dictated by the health insurance companies, an hour spent talking with your physician has no value.

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Vitamin D - More May Be Better

Vitamin D - More May Be Better: "Vitamin D has long been known to help keep your bones in good shape. The May issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers new research that shows vitamin D may play a much bigger role in overall health.



Several recent studies have considered the effects of low vitamin D on health aside from bones. In a controlled study of elderly women, those taking vitamin D and calcium had much better leg strength and fewer falls than the women taking only calcium. Another study, of patients ages 10 to 65 with musculoskeletal pain, found 93 percent were deficient in vitamin D.



Researchers are looking at the role vitamin D may play in other diseases. Part of that interest is driven by the lower incidence of prostate, colon and breast cancers; multiple sclerosis; and Type I diabetes in regions that receive higher amounts of direct sunlight throughout the year. Skin exposed to sunlight can generate the equivalent of thousands of international units (IUs) of vitamin D.



Now the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults through age 50 take 200 IU of vitamin D daily. The recommendations go up for older adults: 400 IU for ages 51 to 70, and 600 IU for those over age 70. "

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Vegetarian Option Often Not the Healthiest Option Says UK Nutritionist

Vegetarian Option Often Not the Healthy Option Says UK Nutritionist: "As we draw close to the UK's National Vegetarian Week, London Nutritionists Foods For Life say Simply cutting the meat out of your diet is not enough to reach optimum health

(PRWEB) May 12, 2005 -- London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop Weston BSc Dip ION admits over 95% of the patients she sees in her London Clinics are meat eaters and the few vegetarians she does see are usually healthier than average.



However she says "The trouble is that you need to put better than average in perspective - the UK average diet is causing our nation a whole host of preventable diseases and problems such as infertility. I think vegetarians and vegans and the organisations and societies that represent them should set a much better example if they want to prove this is potentially the best diet on the planet."



There needs to be more emphasis on the need for high quality mixed proteins and essential fatty acids in the diet. A lot of vegetarian literature leads you to believe you'll reach your daily quota of key nutrients almost by accident - it's simple but not quite that simple.



On a diet of coffee, toast, pizza, pasta and chips it just won't happen."



MORE INFO



Full Story



London Nutritionists



Optimum Nutritionists



vegan cookbook

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Water Mismanagement and Droughts Cause Death in Ethiopia.

ReliefWeb Document Preview UNICEF Humanitarian Action: Ethiopia donor update 05 May 2005: "UNICEF Humanitarian Action: Ethiopia donor update 05 May 2005Currently 136,000 children in the most vulnerable areas are severely malnourished. In the update of the Joint Humanitarian Appeal of 4th May 2005, UNICEF requires a total of US$ 54.6 million of which US$ 13 million is needed within the next 60 days to:

- Scale up therapeutic feeding programmes to save the lives of 80,000 to 170,000 severely malnourished children

- Provide supplementary feeding for 360,000 moderately malnourished children together with WFP

- Provide non-food items such as blankets, plastic sheeting, water purification materials for 105,000 people affected by flooding in Somali region

- Provide funding for key child survival interventions such as water and sanitation, malaria control, drugs and equipment to reduce the threat of common diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, measles and meningitis immunization. "

More about → Water Mismanagement and Droughts Cause Death in Ethiopia.