Diet Debate Health Blog

The BBC recently reported that men and women who were considered to be apple or pear shaped, were far more likely to suffer from Deep Vein Thrombosis. In a recent 10 year medical test, researchers took data from over 50,000 women and men. During this time the scientists saw that there was a definite pattern emerging, and proved that those with an apple or pear shape were far more likely to suffer from deep vein thrombosis.

Women with excess amounts of fat on both their tights and hips, were among some of the worst affected. Male cases who hard larger waists and stomachs were again at high risk. The areas where your body collects its fat can have a profound effect on your health. Doctors are still unsure as to why the fat in these areas increases the risk of DVT, but there is now enough research to prove their is a definite link between the two.

Large amounts of fat around the body do not only increase the risk of DVT, the excess fat can also lead to a number of health conditions including heart disease, fatty liver disease and even type 2 diabetes.

Reports from the Guardian have shown that young children who are taking psychiatric drugs are far more likely suffer from obesity or become overweight as a result. Over 300 young people were monitored in a recent test, and the results have now shown that that young people who regularly used certain brands of prescription psychiatric pills were putting on anything up to 20 pounds in just as little as three months. Not only did many of the young test patients gain substantial amounts of weight, but their blood sugar and cholesterol levels had also increased considerably.

Young people who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disease or who have challenging behavioural problems, are now more commonly being given Antipsychotic medication. It is widely known that Antipsychotic treatments can cause adults to gain substantial amounts of weight, and in some extreme cases, it can even increase the users risk of diabetes. But until now, no research had been carried out, in terms of the drugs effect on young people.

The drug is more widely used in the US, and healthcare professional are worried that the drug will soon become widely used in the UK. If your child is currently using psychiatric drugs to treat any mental health condition, be sure to discuss the full list of side effects with your doctor or pharmacist.

We all know that following a healthy eating plan, and regular exercise is great for our health, but could this be the answer to lowering the rates of diabetes? The BBC recently reported the test results from a three year diabetes trail that took place in the US. During this lengthy trail 3000 individuals took part to test the risk of diabetes.

The groups were spilt into three. The first group followed a healthy diet, the second group took the diabetic drug metformin, whilst the third and final group were given a placebo pill. The results showed that maintaining a healthy diet, along side regular exercise is the best way to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Those who were able to shed 7% in their body mass were able to reduce their risk of developing diabetes by a whopping 58%. Those who were using metformin, also showed impressive results, and reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to a third.

The links between type 2 diabetes and obesity continue to grow, and there are more cases of diabetes being caused patients being overweight than ever before. This new information will hopefully encourage people to stay in better shape, in order to avoid a long list of health conditions, including diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life threatening condition which has a life-long impact on those diagnosed with it and their families. It is an autoimmune condition that develops when a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.

There is currently no cure for type 1 diabetes and it lasts for a lifetime. It normally strikes children and stays with them for the rest of their lives. People with the condition rely on multiple insulin injections or pump infusions every day just to stay alive – but it doesn’t cure their condition. Continue Reading…

The Guardian recently reported that your surroundings can have a profound effect on your daily outlook, mood and health. Studies have shown that those who live near greener spaces, such as parks and gardens are less likely to suffer from depression and some of the most common health conditions.

Not only is a green environment better for adults, but it’s also said to be greatly beneficial to young children too. Spending time in a green garden or at your local park can be great for you. Studies have now shown that those living in the greener areas don’t suffer from as many common health problems, unlike those in the more built up and inner city areas. Not only is it important for us to spend time outside and top up on the essential vitamin A, but it can greatly increase our moods too.

The number of people with asthma was far less, for those living in green areas. The most surprising results came from the difference in adult depression rates. Again, those who lived in close proximity to greenest spaces were far less likely to suffer from any form of depression or anxiety disorder.

Reality TV celebrity Jade Goody, who lost her life to cancer at the young age of 27, seems to have had a profound effect on women in the UK. Goody’s televised battle with cervical cancer, has successfully raised women’s awareness of the disease, and encouraged more and more women to regularly get cervical screenings.

The number of screenings in the UK was slowly falling, and many women were ignoring there reminders, and not bothering with the tests at all. It’s thought that Jade’s public battle has been a reality check for women, and has prompted them to take action before it’s too late. The number of cervical screenings has drastically increased since Goody’s death, and numbers still seem to be on the rise. This surprise increase has seen more and more younger women attending screenings all over the country.

On average, 4,500 lives are saved by these screenings every year, and early detection is key to the treatment of this cancer type. It was also reported that the turn around time for results are also on the rise. This increase in testing will in turn save thousands of more lives, and health care professionals hope that Jade’s story is not quickly forgotten, and that this number will continue to grow in the future.

Many people use detox diets to quickly shed those unwanted pounds, but are quick fix detox diets safe? Read on to find out more about this dangerous dieting trend, and how it could effect your health.

Celebrity fad diets seem to be all the rage at the moment, but are a few pounds of weight loss worth risking your health? Health care professionals are now advising dieters to avoid all forms of detox diets, due to adverse health effects associated with these fad weight loss programs. It was recently reported that a women was hospitalised and actually suffered minor brain damage, just by following this type of diet.

Detox diets often require that the dieter drinks excessive amounts of water, in order to lose weight. Drinking too much water can actually have an adverse effect on the body, and eventually reduces the amount of essential salt needed in the blood. In severe cases, the additional water can cause organs such as the brain to swell, which can lead to a number of very serious health problems, such as seizures.

In addition to this, regular detoxing and antioxidant detox products has recently been linked to an increase in diabetes. The sharp increase of antioxidants can be just too much for our bodies to handle, and can in some cases, end up damaging our cells.

Detox diets can be effective and in some cases beneficial, but they must always be followed properly. Many dieters are still taking their detoxes too far, by starving themselves and causing a whole host of health complications. The hydration based detox plans should be avoided at all cost, as these are often the most dangerous dieting programs.

Doctors are now suggesting that the detox fad is just another new way for the dieting industry to make money, and simply a waste of our time and money. Eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and drinking enough water each and everyday, is far more effective than regular detoxes. Our bodies are well equipped to cope with the build up unhealthy toxins, and our livers and kidneys are able to get rid of them effectively, without the need for harsh and harmful detox plans.

Short term fad diets and detox plans can never offer long term solutions to weight loss, and dieters often find that they quickly re-gain the weight after using such programs. The best way to lose weight, is to follow a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Losing more than 1-2 pounds per week is dangerous, and can be damaging to your health.

There is still no real proof to suggest that detoxing your body, or fashionable celebrity cleanse diets actually work, or have any real beneficial effects on your overall health. Health care professionals have now suggested that plenty of water (tap – not bottled) and a enough sleep each and every night, is far more beneficial than any detox diet or plan out there. So, there’s no need to waste your hard earned cash on detoxifying foods, books or products. Instead, all you need in order to stay healthy is top up your tap water in-take, and get a good nights sleep.

The BBC broke the news that a new diabetes drug is more effective for weight loss, than the leading obesity aid Orlistat. Research has so far shown that the drug is extremely effective at promoting weight loss, whilst also reducing the risks of type 2 diabetes.

Liraglutide an injectable drug, encourages the body to produce more insulin than it needs, and in turn suppresses the appetite. If it’s used with a healthy daily diet, it can be an extremely effective way to lose large amounts of weight in a relatively short period of time. Some of the most successful test cases were placed on a diet of just 500 calories a day, and exercised just once every day. Most participants saw on average just over a stone in total weight loss, or up to a loss of 5% of their total body weight.

Health care professional have predicted that in the future half of the UK population will become obese, and are confident that this new drug will be key in reducing these growing numbers of obesity cases. Unfortunately, once a patient stops using Liraglutide, the weight loss is unlikely to continues, unless patients are able to maintain a healthy diet and a regular exercise program.

Have you ever wondered why you have trouble losing weight, whilst those around you seem to melt off those pounds with little or no effort? The answer is in your metabolic rate, and in the foods you eat. Read on to find out more about your metabolism, and how you can boost your weight loss efforts with just a few simple changes to your lifestyle.

Some folks just seem to be lucky enough to eat whatever they want, and never seem to gain an ounce of weight. Well, it has nothing to do with luck. It’s all to do with our individual metabolic rates. And when it comes to metabolisms, we’re all very different.

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Counselling, whilst once the subject of much scepticism and criticism, is now recognised as a hugely beneficial form of therapy.

The act of discussing problems out loud, without fear of judgement, is in itself a healing and cathartic process. However, with the help of a trained professional, the issues at the heart of the problems can be addressed and dealt with, giving a positive outcome allowing the person to move on with their life, free of what was previously holding them back.

The decision to undertake counselling is not one that anyone takes lightly. Many consider the idea for months or even years before deciding to take the plunge.

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