Being overweight has been found to be a significant risk factor, surprisingly, even for the researcher Professor Max Parkin. “We found that eating fruit and vegetables was extremely important in warding off cancer in men,” he said. “And in women it was discovered that being overweight is more of a risk than excessive consumption of alcohol,” he said.

The British Journal of Cancer published the research showing that we can now pinpoint nearly a half of all known cancers as being caused by poor lifestyle choices. The study results are likely to be a wake up call for many who consider that they smoke, drink or eat too much, as the type of patients who make up 40% of cancer cases.

The research reiterated the belief that many people and health practitioners already hold, that the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is essential to a healthy diet and helps protect against cancer. It also indicated that a person’s occupation and their exposure levels to the sun and sunbeds was also a contributing factor.

“It’s the belief of many people that getting cancer is a random piece of bad luck, fate or even down to a person’s genes. But more and more the research is demonstrating that this is not the case and the presiding factor is lifestyle. This is really important to understand, because it shows that largely, people have a choice,” Prof Parkin said.

The study indicated that in women, 6.9% of cancer cases were linked to obesity while around 3.7% were linked to infections such as HPV (cervical cancer). Statistics showed that 3.6% of cases were linked to sun/sunbed exposure and 3.4% to diets lacking fresh fruit and veg. Around 3.3% was linked to alcohol abuse. Similar risks were identified for men, but the fruit and veg aspect was more important as was occupation.

Related posts:

1. Cancer Research UK says cancer rates are soaring There are a number of newspapers that today have reported...
2. Tamoxifen and raloxifene may ease breast cancer rate Breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women...
3. Tamoxifen may have breast cancer link The risk of recurrence of breast cancer in women who...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This is the first report ever from the National Diabetes Audit that looks into mortality, and it also found  that the death rate amongst women in the 15-34 age group who have diabetes was nine times higher that the average rate for this age group.

Poor management of the condition, such as still leading an unhealthy lifestyle, not taking medication appropriately and not receiving basic healthcare checks can all increase the risk of dying from causes that include critically low or high levels of blood sugar and kidney or heart failure.

Getting good diabetes care can greatly reduce the risks of kidney or heart failure, and proper diabetes education can help people who have diabetes to reduce the risks of them suffering from dangerously high or low blood sugar levels.

Today’s report shows about three quarters of the 24,000 people with diabetes who die each year are aged 65 and over. However, the gap in death rates between those who have and do not have diabetes becomes more and more extreme with younger age.

About one in 3,300 women in England will die between the ages of 15 to 34; but this risk increases nine-fold among women with type 1 diabetes to one in 360, and six-fold among women with type 2 diabetes to one in 520.

A similar picture is true for young men with diabetes; men aged 15 to 34 in the English population are much more likely to die than women – at one in every 1,530; but this risk rises four-fold for men with type 1 diabetes to one in 360, and by just under four-fold among those with type 2 diabetes to one in 430.

This means two young people aged 15 to 34 may be dying each week from avoidable causes.

The findings echo conclusions made earlier this year by the National Diabetes Audit, which found nearly 450,000 children and younger adults (aged 0 to 54) with diabetes have high risk blood sugar levels that could lead to severe complications. The audit, which is managed by the NHS Information Centre and commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP), also found this age group was the least likely to receive all the basic care checks required to monitor their condition.5, 6

Today’s report into mortality analysed data for 2.5 million people recorded between 2003/04 and 2009/10 in the National Diabetes Audit; linked to death certificate data from the Office of National Statistics. Cause of death has not been analysed.

The report also found:

• There is a strong link between deprivation and increased mortality rates. Among under-65s with diabetes; the number of deaths among people from the most deprived backgrounds is double that of those from the least deprived backgrounds.
• Death rates among people with diabetes vary according to where they live.7 London has the lowest rates for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, at 1.8 per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively, while the highest rate for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes was in the North East, at 2.4 and 1.7 per cent respectively.

Audit lead clinician Dr Bob Young, consultant diabetologist and clinical lead for the National Diabetes Information Service, said: “For the first time we have a reliable measure of the huge impact of diabetes on early death. Many of these early deaths could be prevented. The rate of new diabetes is increasing every year. So, if there are no changes, the impact of diabetes on national mortality will increase. Doctors, nurses and the NHS working in partnership with people who have diabetes should be able to improve these grim statistics.”

The report can be accessed at www.ic.nhs.uk/nda

Related posts:

1. Diabetes Classifications A distinction between 2 different types of the disease was...
2. Obesity surgery could help a million people in UK According to a report published this week by the National...
3. 40 years from now there will be twice as many sick old people Over the next 40 years, ministers have warned, a doubling...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Previous studies have linked the compound with negative health consequences and the European Union has already banned the chemical from being present in baby feeding bottles. The tin coating is used in cans to prevent rusting and it helps to keep the food fresher for longer. There are also some drinks manufacturers that are using the chemical in soft drink cans.

The study has come out of the Harvard School of Public Health. Jenny Carwile is the lead scientist on the study and she has commented, “It has been known for some time that drinking from hard plastic bottles can increase the amount of bisphenol A in your system. This new study has shown that those who eat canned foods should be equally concerned about the compound entering their body.”

Currently there is no official warning for adults against consuming the compound but the UK food standards agency has said that the amount of the compound that was found in the food is it a worrying level.

The volunteers who took part in the survey were asked to eat a can of soup everyday for a period of five days. They were then tested for the compound and as a control they were then asked to consume fresh soup everyday for a period of five days and then were retested. The results showed that the level of the compound in the urine during the canned soup phase was significantly higher.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Pregnant women and those over 65 are two groups who are supposed to receive the flu vaccine but recent figures have shown that around only one in ten women who are pregnant are being vaccinated. The targets for vaccinations by the primary care trust in North Yorkshire is 75%. There are also several other at risk groups, including those with various diseases, who should receive the flu jab, only around 40% of these at risk patients are having a flu jab.

Recent publicity campaigns about the flu jab have increased the uptake in pensioners to just over 60%. This figure is still significantly below the target amount set by primary care trusts and they are trying to work out ways to get information about the dangers of flu to people in more remote areas.

Dr Phil Kirby is the interim director of public health at NHS North Yorkshire and York and his recently said, “Patients who are at risk are less able to fight off the flu and so it is wise for them to seek vaccination. If they do not and they contract the flu, they run the risk of the condition becoming life-threatening. Anyone who is over 65 is able to have the flu jab at no cost, and there are several other patient groups who are also able to get it for free.”

The number of deaths in England rise by nearly 20% in the winter and recent government figures estimate that the number of people dying during this time of year increases by nearly 30,000. It is estimated that the cost of treating diseases that happen in the winter is around £800 million.

Sally Davies is the chief medical adviser to the government and she has called for people to help their friends and family to get the flu jab if they are unable to get to their doctors surgery as easily. Those responsible for caring for elderly or sick people are also entitled to a free flu jab as they can potentially pass the flu on to the person they care for.

An action plan has been drawn up by the government so that alerts about cold weather can be relayed to the population through the Met office. There is a similar system set-up for heatwaves in the summer and it is expected that the winter system will be very similar to this.

Sir Liam Donaldson was the medical adviser to the government before Dame Davies and he had stated that a worldwide flu outbreak poses a significant risk to national security, he specifically said that it was the ‘same level’ as international terrorism. He said that if there were a flu pandemic the disruption to infrastructure in Britain would be massive and very damaging to the country’s economy.

Related posts:

1. North of England see’s surge in at home drinking problems In the North of England drinking at home in and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The unfit hotspot is Glasgow, with around 40% of those who took the medical MOT being classed as either obese or morbidly obese. This Scottish city also has the highest amount of smokers, with 29% of the populus smoking and it was also 5^th in the list of locations where their inhabitants get the least sleep.

The Medical Director for Well-being from Nuffield Health is Dr Sarah Dauncey, and she has said that obesity is an ever growing problem in the UK and must be tackled head on to help people live longer and healthier lives. She added that the first step to taking control of your health and well-being is to evaluate your health and fitness.

“Nuffield Health’s MOT considers various factors including sleep, smoking habits, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as Body Mass Index – these are all important in testing levels of wellbeing.”

The area of the capital taking the number one spot is Bloomsbury, while Wimbledon took second place and Bristol third – Around two thirds of those living in the South Western city have a BMI of between 18 and 25.

The fourth and fifth healthiest locations are also in London: Covent Garden and the City of London.

As for the obesity hotspots, 36 per cent of Glaswegian men and 31 per cent of Glaswegian women are classified obese; while nearly six per cent of  women in the Scottish city are classified morbidly obese.

For men, Hull and Nuneaton take second and third plface, with 28 per cent and 27 per cent of those surveyed having a BMI of more than 30. And Worcester women are second in the list, with 27 per cent having a BMI of more than 30 – taking third place for women is Nuneaton (26 per cent with a BMI more than 30).

UK Average: ‘Mr and Mrs Newbury’
The town which represents the average UK fitness is Newbury, Berkshire, with an average BMI of a little more than 25.
Mr Newbury weighs: 14 stone 7 pounds and is 5ft 9ins
Mrs Newbury weighs: 12 stone 8 pounds and is 5ft 4ins

To access more information about Nuffield Health and our Health MOT please go to rewards.nuffieldhealth.com

‘State of the Nation’ Statistics Table

Top Five Fittest Locations (Percentage of those surveyed with BMI between 18 and 25)

1. Bloomsbury (65%)
2. Wimbledon (63%)
3. Bristol (62.2%)
4. Covent Garden (62.1%)
5. City of London (61%)

Top Five Unfit Locations
(Percentage of those surveyed with BMI greater than 30 classified obese)

1. Glasgow (34%)
2. Nuneaton (27%)
3. Oxford (26%) and Worcester (26%)
4. Hull (25%)
5. East Kilbride (24%)

(Percentage of those surveyed with a BMI greater than 40 classified morbidly obese)

1. Glasgow (5.1%)
2. Nuneaton (3.8%)
3. Cannock (3.3%)
4. Swindon (2.8%) Worcester (2.8%)
5. Portsmouth (2.6%)

And for smoking the Top Five Locations are: (percentage of smokers)

1. Glasgow (29%)
2. Oxford (23%)
3. Battersea (22%)
4. Chester (20%)
5. Covent Garden (19%)

And the Top Five Locations least likely to smoke are: (percentage of smokers)

1. Leicester (8%)
2. Letchworth (8.2%)
3. Guiseley (8.3%)
4. Farnham (9%)
5. Harrogate (9.3%)

And the Top Five Locations getting the most sleep are: (all averaging between seven and seven and a half hours)

1. Bristol
2. Hertford
3. Plymouth
4. Nuneaton
5. Doncaster

The Top Five Locations getting the least sleep are: (averaging around six and a half hours)

1. Canary Wharf
2. Crawley
3. Cheam
4. Twickenham
5. Glasgow

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

A major campaign has also been launched to bring awareness to the website, and a hard hitting short video has also been released on lie to highlight the problems that these Children’s social workers deal with on a daily basis as they attempt to improve the often horrendous lives of these children who have done nothing wrong yet are being punished, abused and neglected every day of their young lives.

The simple yet thought provoking video highlights just some of the numerous issues that children are suffering from, and that the Children’s social workers have to deal with and eradicate in order for these young innocents to live a decent life. There are no pictures, just simple sentences informing us of these problems, such as abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Children shouldn’t suffer these atrocities and the role of a children’s social worker is a vital one.

The collaboration between the 14 councils has come together with t he sole aim of ensuring that the high standard of care these children need continues to improve and cases dealt with quicker. The job of the children’s social worker is not an easy one, and not one of those where you clock off at night and forget about it until the next day. These are dedicated individuals who work incredibly hard to make a difference, and this campaign rightly champions them.

Related posts:

1. Doctors do not have to speak English to work for the NHS Current European rules are a serious cause of concern and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The study surveyed hundreds of people and the results indicated that almost all of them washed their hands whenever possible. However, over 15% of their phones had traces of E. coli. This is a bacteria that is typically transmitted through faeces and can cause gut and stomach problems.

As a whole, the study found that over 90% of mobiles were carrying some form of bacteria. The researchers have said that this indicates that people in the UK are still not washing their hands regularly enough. Dr Ron Cutler was the lead on the study and he commented, “it is our hope that this information encourages people to wash their hands with soap more regularly. It is such a simple thing to do but it really does have a life-saving effect.”

The reason the mobile phone is a good breeding ground for bacteria is because it is warm. The heat generated by the device keeps them alive for a longer time. Additionally, mobile phones are notoriously hard to clean and so removing these bacteria is is a difficult task. Once they have bred on the mobile phone, they can possibly be transferred back into the body and infect scratches and wounds and possibly be consumed.

Related posts:

1. Bacteria becoming more resistant to antibiotics The Independent on Sunday was recently given figures by the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Illnesses and diseases that can be triggered off by these active fats cells include heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes, not a disease you want to be messing with. To get the message across about the dangers of this seemingly innocuous belly fat, three of the leading health charities have got together to produce a short animated video that is both thought provoking and hard hitting.

The animated active fat cells are portrayed in the video as real evil beasties, which are considering what they can do to your body. The first step in the battle to beat active fat is to determine whether the amount of belly fat you are carrying puts you in the danger zone, and the best way to do this is to get an accurate measurement of your waist.

This video also explains that many aren’t sure where exactly to take this measurement, and it clearly shows that for the most accurate indication of your waist size is to measure the area in between your bottom rib and your hip.

The website it gives the link to www.activefat.org will tell you whether or not you are in the safe range or not for the amount of belly fat you are carrying, and also has some great tips for you to banish it. Check yourself out today and make sure you aren’t ignoring the fact that you are putting your body at risk.

Related posts:

1. Cancer Research UK says cancer rates are soaring There are a number of newspapers that today have reported...
2. New direction with prostate cancer vaccines A team of international scientists has announced a new direction...
3. Fossil Research Leads to New Back Pain Treatment Archaeology and Anthropology experts from the University of Bristol have...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Paul Burstow is minister for care services at the charity and he has said that at some point in their lives, one in four people has some form of mental difficulty. Many of these people have to deal with discrimination from their friends and even family. While speaking in Crystal Palace, he commented, “People are facing discrimination every day and that is why we are giving millions to this valuable campaign.”

Mind chief executive is Paul Farmer and he has welcomed the donation and thanked Comic Relief and the government for their contribution. He has recently said, “Our campaign, Time to Change has made significant progress in recent years. We are bringing a real change about in society and we are going to keep at it until we have a country free from discrimination targeted at the mentally ill.”

Related posts:

1. Let’s Talk About Mental Health After reading the title, how many of you have thought...
2. Obesity surgery could help a million people in UK According to a report published this week by the National...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Almost 25% of women questioned as part of this research, had experienced problems conceiving. Regardless of the recession 94% were prepared to forfeit on all aspects of their lives to pay for fertility treatment if necessary.  Most women paying for fertility treatment used their savings while 13% took on extra work, 17% took loans, or even a gift, from their family and another 13% put the cost of the treatment on their credit card.

The average amount women would be prepared to spend on treatment, namely IVF, has fallen since last year. According to Peter Bowen-Simpkins, Medical Director of the London Women’s Clinic, patients were opting for less courses of IVF and he puts this down to higher success rates rather than financial problems. He went on to say there had been no major reduction in treatments.

Two cycles of NHS funded fertility treatment are offered to couples in Wales from the Welsh Government and Bowen-Simpkins says because of this there is an increase in the number of treatments. Couples have to meet strict criteria’s before being given the treatment.  He added that currently the success rate is 70% for women under 35 and a 39% rate across the board.

He pointed out that the younger the woman the better the chances and, therefore, the IVF treatment would be cheaper. Almost one in five women who needed fertility treatment have been prevented because of the costs, while 12% were prevented from further treatment, or even having treatment, because of the recession.

Related posts:

1. IVF Risks for Older Women Older women having fertility treatment may be at risk using...
2. More older women seeking abortions The number has risen by a third in women that...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.