Behind the Headlines

Negative parenting linked with kids being bullied

Friday Apr 26 2013

“Children who have overprotective parents are more likely to be bullied by their peers,” BBC News explains. The news correctly presents the findings of a major study on the effects of parenting on a child’s risk of being bullied, but it focuses…

1 comment about ‘Negative parenting linked with kids being bullied’:

Can belief in God help with depression?

Friday Apr 26 2013

"Believing in God can help treat depression," the Mail Online website claims. But how much faith can we put in this story?...

Sugary soft drinks linked to raised risk of diabetes

Thursday Apr 25 2013

'One soft drink a day increases Type 2 diabetes risk by a fifth,' The Independent warns, reporting on a European study that has examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes and sugary drinks. The study…

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

Thursday Apr 25 2013

The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced. This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further…

Celebrity chefs can’t be blamed for obesity rates

Wednesday Apr 24 2013

"TV chefs 'adding to obesity crisis by encouraging us to eat fatty dishes'," reports the Metro, with similar stories blaming celebrity chefs for our bulging waistlines in much of the media…

Cosmetic treatments need new regulation report finds

Wednesday Apr 24 2013

New proposals to regulate cosmetic procedures were widely reported in the papers today, with the Daily Mail reporting the need to "rein in cosmetic surgery cowboys", and The Daily Telegraph warning that anti-wrinkle treatments…

Even 'light' smoking may raise women's arthritis risk

Tuesday Apr 23 2013

"Smoking just a few cigarettes a day more than doubles a woman's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis," the Mail Online website reveals. The website reports on a Swedish study that found women who smoke…

Statins may help impotence – but only to limited extent

Tuesday Apr 23 2013

"Statins could be a cheap and effective treatment for erectile dysfunction," reports the Daily Mail. Sadly, for those affected by erectile dysfunction (impotence), the Mail’s claim is not supported by the evidence presented by the study...

No proof found that depression is 'contagious'

Monday Apr 22 2013

'Can you catch depression?', the Mail Online website asks on the strength of new US research into the concept of 'cognitive vulnerability'. Cognitive vulnerability is where unhelpful patterns of thinking can increase the risk of a person developing…

Don't take paracetamol for emotional pain

Monday Apr 22 2013

"Popping paracetamol could also help treat EMOTIONAL pain," is the surprising suggestion on the Mail Online website. In this study, "emotional pain", also referred to as "existential dread", was taken to be distress experienced...