Rising risk of obesity among China's 'left behind children'

Some 61 million rural children left behind by parents moving to China’s booming urban centers are at risk from increased fat and reduced protein in their diets, research suggests.

Some 61 million rural children left behind by parents moving to China's booming urban centres are at risk from increased fat and reduced protein in their diets, research from The University of Manchester, published in Public Health Nutrition suggests.

The study of 975 children from 140 rural villages in nine provinces carefully analysed nutritional intake and showed a particular risk to boys who were left behind in the care of grandparents or one parent while a mother or father sought work away from home.

The research was led by Nan Zhang from the University's School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. She said: "There are sound financial reasons why so many people move from rural to urban areas in China, but the benefits that more money brings to a family can often be at the expense of child nutrition.

"The Chinese government needs to recognise this growing problem among rural communities and this research provides some evidence to target health policies on encouraging a balanced diet."

Type 2 diabetes reversed by losing fat from pancreas

Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas, researchers show. They add that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss reverses the diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes affects 9% of the global population and was once known as adult-onset diabetes but is now found in young adults and children. It causes too much glucose in the blood due to the pancreas not producing enough insulin -- a hormone which breaks down glucose into energy in the cells -- together with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body responds poorly to insulin.

Diabetic women at greater heart disease risk

Women with Type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to have coronary heart disease compared to men, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.
"Cardiovascular disease may be more deadly for women with Type 2 diabetes than it is for men," said Judith G. Regensteiner, chair of the statement writing group and director of the Centre for Women's Health Research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver.

While scientists do not fully understand how the inherent hormonal differences between men and women affect risk, they do know that "some risk factors for heart disease and stroke affect women differently than men and there are disparities in how these risk factors are treated".

The statement said that the women with Type 2 diabetes have heart attacks at earlier ages than men; are more likely to die after a first heart attack than men; and are less likely to undergo procedures to open clogged arteries, such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting than men.

Legalising cannabis could help stop the obesity crisis by turning people away from alcohol, US study finds

Legalisation caused young people to move away from calorific alcohol and helped older people suffering from chronic pain become more active, the study found
A new study by Californian researchers has suggested that legalising cannabis could help bring down obesity rates - because rather than drinking pints of alcoholic beverages to celebrate or relax, people spark up a calorie-free joint instead.

The study, conducted by scientists from Cornell and San Diego Universities, involved the analysis of 22 years of health data from states which have decriminalised cannabis either for medical or recreational use.
In states where weed was made legal, obesity levels dropped by between 2 and 6 per cent.

Among younger cannabis users, the researchers found that many substituted large amounts of alcoholic drinks for cannabis, meaning they consumed less calories.

And among older people, medical cannabis helped alleviate common ailments like joint and chronic pain, allowing them to be more active and letting them burn more calories.

5 natural foods to provide instant gas relief!

New Delhi: It is a common fact that most people tend to eat more when the food is just too delicious But, overindulgence in food can take your health for a toss and may lead to a bloated stomach due to indigestion which ultimately leads to excessive gas in the stomach.

This painful gas if not passed out either through burping or while flatulence, not just puts you in an uncomfortable situation but can also be a warning of serious health issue.

Here are few natural remedies to provide immediate gas relief:

Ginger:

Consume just the right amount of ginger about half an hour before each meal and feel the difference.

Garlic:

Garlic is one of the oldest medicinal plants and is widely recognised as a health enhancing supplement. It not just gives flavour to your food, but can also help aid stomach gas as it has high fiber content.

Cumin:

Add a tablespoon of crushed cumin seeds to the soup to soothe the intestinal gases.

Basil:

Taking juice of basil leaves with water empty stomach in the morning enhances digestive power and hence prevents bloated stomach.

Peppermint:

Adding peppermint to your tea or eating them raw can help a lot in easing gastric problem.

Smoking and drinking down but obesity continues to rise: survey

The latest snapshot of the nation's health shows that smoking and heavy drinking are on the decline but the war on obesity has failed to trim Australian waistlines.

About 19,000 Australians took part in the 2014-15 National Health Survey, compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

It found 63.4 per cent of Australian adults are now overweight or obese, slightly up on the 62.8 per cent recorded in last survey in 2011-12.

Around one in four children aged five to 17 are overweight or obese, again slightly up on the 25.7 per cent in 2011-12.

Louise Gates from the ABS said one in three adults, or 29.7 per cent, are not getting enough exercise, while a further 15 per cent do no exercise whatsoever.

"Overall, more men are overweight or obese (71 per cent) than women (56 per cent)," Ms Gates said.

Smoking continues to go out of fashion with 14.5 per cent of adults lighting up daily, compared with 16.1 per cent three years ago.

Young adults are also giving up cigarettes, with 16.3 per cent smoking every day, down from 28.2 per cent in 2001.

"Across the board, smoking rates reflect a decrease over the last 15 years, particularly for people under 45," Ms Gates said.

The Northern Territory has the highest rate of smokers at 21 per cent, followed by Tasmania with 18 per cent, while the ACT has the lowest at 12 per cent.

Risky drinking has shown a decline, with 17.4 per cent of adults consuming more than the recommended two standard drinks a day, down from 19.5 per cent in 2011-12.

Asia's first facility for Open Foetal Surgery unveiled

New DelhI: India has become the fifth country in the world to have a facility for Open Foetal Surgery after Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda unveiled the first such facility in Asia at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kochi.
Open Foetal Surgery entails, taking the baby with birth defects out of mother's womb, doing surgery and putting back inside the womb. The pregnancy is allowed to continue. Later a Cesarean section is done and the baby is delivered.
This prevents the damage that would have occurred to the baby in the uterus before delivery and helps in obtaining normal baby.