Behind the Headlines

Claim weight loss is linked to mealtimes unsupported

Friday Feb 22 2013

"Lunching like a prince and dining like a pauper really is the key to keeping trim," the Daily Mail explains, reporting how evening meals should be light and post-dinner snacks avoided. This claim is unsupported by the findings of the research...

New antiviral may help in flu fight

Friday Feb 22 2013

‘Flu drug shows promise in overcoming resistance’, reports BBC news, saying that scientists have found a way to permanently block the flu virus from spreading to other cells...

Time spent sitting raises risk of chronic disease

Thursday Feb 21 2013

"Stand up if you want to stay healthy, warn researchers," the Daily Mail reports, as a large study has found an association between time spent sitting down and chronic disease. The study surveyed middle-aged Australian men at one point in time…

Worry over antipsychotic drugs in care homes

Thursday Feb 21 2013

New research looking at prescription data has raised concerns that powerful drugs such as antipsychotics are being overused, with both The Guardian and the BBC News website covering the story. The stories are based on a useful study in Northern Ireland...

Latest obesity stats for England are alarming

Thursday Feb 21 2013

Most of the UK news media is covering the latest official NHS statistics on obesity, that show the obesity epidemic is showing no signs of abating. Worrying findings include only one in three men is now a healthy weight…

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Everyday chemicals 'pose threat to health'

Wednesday Feb 20 2013

'Poisoned by everyday life' is the front-page headline in the Daily Mail today, covering a new report that warns that chemicals used in everyday products are 'linked to a huge range of diseases.' It goes on to explain that...

New NICE guidelines for NHS fertility treatment

Wednesday Feb 20 2013

New standards set out for treating fertility problems dominate the health news. The coverage is based on updated infertility guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)…

'Needy partners' have weaker immune systems

Tuesday Feb 19 2013

“How a bad relationship can make you ill – by damaging your immune system” reports the Mail Online. Generations of poets and songwriters have told us how love can break our hearts, but the study covered by the Mail suggests…

Brain implant offers hope for early-stage Parkinson’s

Tuesday Feb 19 2013

'A new highly accurate form of brain surgery could bring hope to thousands of Parkinson's sufferers,' the Mail Online website has reported. The report is based on a new and encouraging study...

Unsafe sex linked to rise in HIV rates in gay men

Monday Feb 18 2013

"The number of gay and bisexual men contracting HIV rose…because of an increase in numbers having unprotected sex," The Guardian reports. The story is based on a study of men who have sex with men...