Health and Fitness

A healthy diet? Schools have winning solutions

In April, schoolchildren throughout Cologne came face-to-face with Mr Fruitness, the green superhero spearheading the three-year European project “Fruitness enjoy it!”, which is designed to encourage fresh fruit consumption among children in Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland and Sweden.

Stress factor causes anxious performers to seek help

As many famous musicians head towards the make or break period of the year where festivals are taking place, a leading celebrity Life Coach, hypnotherapist and motivator has warned that celebrities are increasingly losing their confidence due to incidents such as being verbally assaulted in the street and being “bottled off” the stage by crowds.

New campaign urges “know your BMI”

At least 1.7 million UK adults are overweight or obese but don’t know it – and millions of others can’t work it out. So says a shocking survey today from weight loss experts LighterLife to launch BMI 4 Life Fortnight – a campaign to highlight the life-and-death importance of Body Mass Index.

Middle-aged anorexics on the increase

Surrounded by images of stick-thin and toned women such as Madonna, Teri Hatcher and Jane Fonda (who has admitted to suffering an eating disorder herself), women are exposed to increasingly unrealistic images of how they should look as they age and are working harder than ever to counter the effects of getting old.

How to improve your mood with food

You’re over-worked; stressful situations are piling up in your private life; you feel like you are a hamster in an ever-shrinking wheel. What do you do? Reaching for the nearest wine bottle/chocolate bar/bag of crisps/bottle of tranquilisers/packet of cigarettes (tick as appropriate) will only make you feel better short term before you sink back into reality.

Government figures show mental health stigma still rife

Mental health charity Rethink has today branded findings released by the Department of Health on attitudes towards people with mental health problems as “shocking, ignorant, and unacceptable in today’s society.”

‘Skunk’ form of Cannabis returns the drug to Class B status

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith confirmed the reversal of the downgrading of cannabis to Class C, which took place under Tony Blair in January 2004. The announcement came in the wake of concerns that the more potent skunk form of the drug is contributing to mental illness.

Government pledge £77 million to boost stroke services

Every local authority in England will be able to appoint a dedicated Stroke Care Coordinator to support stroke survivors and their carers thanks to millions of pounds of extra funding for stroke services, Health Minister Ann Keen announced today.

Feel like an Empress

You have a job list the length of your arm, the kids are screaming and you’ve still got to squeeze in that gym session before going shopping. Sometimes it can all get a bit much and all our best intentions of keeping fit and eating healthily can fall by the way side as the stresses of everyday life get in the way.

UK remains confused over 'Five A Day'

66% believe they know how to achieve “five-a-day”, but with 25% believing orange squash to be one portion of fruit the UK is clearly a nation confused. Contrary to efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle with the ‘five a day’ message, the nation continues to be surprisingly confused and misguided on achieving it.

Strengthening family doctor services

Health Secretary Alan Johnson this week underlined the Government's commitment to improving family doctor services alongside further plans to tackle long-standing inequalities in GP provision.

British men top Europe’s depression league

The reserved, traditional ‘stiff upper lip’ is to blame for a high rate of depression among British men, according to a new study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry (May 1, 2008). The study, which was headed by Professor Michael King of the Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, looked at data from general practices in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Estonia and the Netherlands. It found that the rate of major depression and panic syndrome was highest among males in the UK.