Behind the Headlines

Green tea may be a 'brain booster'

Friday Nov 30 2012

'Research has shown green tea can help improve memory and cognition in men' the Daily Mail tells us. But this may be overselling the results of a small study looking at patterns of blood flow inside the brain…

'NICE nanny state' parking cost claims are untrue

Wednesday Nov 28 2012

'Raise cost of parking to force motorists to walk! Nanny watchdog's plan to get Britain fit' is the Daily Mail’s emotive take on the latest guidelines from health watchdog NICE, on ways to promote walking and cycling…

Smoking 'rots brain’ causing mental decline

Monday Nov 26 2012

'Smoking doesn't just age your lungs, it damages your brain, too' the Daily Mail warns. The headline is prompted by a UK study looking at the impact of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, on mental functioning and memory…

'Weedy' teen boys have 'higher risk of early death'

Wednesday Nov 21 2012

'How muscular you are as a teenager may predict how long you live, at least if you are a man' BBC News reports, based on a Swedish study that found that teen boys with weak arms and leg muscles had an increased risk of early death…

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Does losing your job up the risk of a heart attack?

Tuesday Nov 20 2012

'Losing your job can be deadly, because it increases the risk of having a heart attack by up to two-thirds,' The Daily Telegraph reports. The news is based on a US study that examined the association between different aspects of unemployment...

Neuroticism can be 'good for your health'

Friday Nov 16 2012

'Being neurotic can be good for your health after all' is the claim in the Daily Mail. It comes after a study found that people with a neurotic personality traits, such as being a worrier, had lower levels of a protein associated with inflammation…

Weekly glass of wine in pregnancy 'harms kids' IQ'

Thursday Nov 15 2012

‘Any wine and kid’s a plonker,’ is today’s Sun headline. This headline achieves a triple whammy of badness – being fearmongering, crassly offensive and, to cap it all, inaccurate. The Sun headline – and...

iPad use and depression link questioned

Thursday Nov 15 2012

Using an iPad at night 'could trigger depression', The Daily Telegraph has reported in what appears to be a textbook example of health journalism cut-and-paste from a press release. This news is loosely based on an animal study that...

Lung cancer rates in women 'to soar' by 2040

Monday Nov 12 2012

"Lung cancer rates soaring for women after tobacco manufacturers target them by saying smoking helps you stay slim," the Daily Mail claims. Elsewhere, BBC News reports that...

Could exercise heal a broken heart?

Monday Nov 5 2012

'Vigorous daily exercise could repair damage caused by a heart attack' The Daily Telegraph advises. The recommendation comes after a recent study found that 30 minutes of exercise a day could promote the growth of new heart tissue...

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