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.

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.

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.

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.

Type 1 diabetes affects about 350,000 people in the UK, 25,000 of them children. Incidence of type 1 is increasing by about 4% each year, particularly in children under five. Recently published research has shown that cases of type 1 diabetes in under 15s could be as much as 70% higher in 2020 than in 2005. There has never been a greater need to find the cure.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the world’s leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research, is at heart of driving forward the best and most promising research in the world.

World Diabetes Day is fast approaching. JDRF are running a series of activities to help increase awareness of type 1 diabetes.

To get involved visit www.JDRFaware.com where you can:

1) Leave a message for Gordon – JDRF is collecting messages for Gordon Brown to ask
for increased Government type 1 research funding. Leave your message on
www.JDRFaware.com and JDRF will deliver these messages to Downing Street in a rather memorable way!

2) Go Blue for World Diabetes Day – find the tools to turn your Facebook and MySpace profiles blue in support of World Diabetes Day (14th November 2009)

3) The World’s Longest Viral – get involved with an ongoing viral animation that anyone can add to, to highlight the life long nature of type 1 diabetes

4) Big Blue Fundraising Ideas – download JDRF’s free fundraising kit and support the search for the cure on World Diabetes Day.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Some of us have fast metabolisms, whilst others seem painfully slow. Many people blame their weight gain, or their slow weight loss on their metabolisms, but in actual fact, it usually has more to do with the foods you eat, and how many calories you’re burning.

The first step you need to take is to look at your daily intake. Men need around 2000 calories each and every day, whilst women only need 1500. If you regularly consume more than your recommended allowance, you’re likely to gain weight. If you’re already overweight, there is a good chance that you’re eating more than you daily allowance.

Counting your calories is a great way to find out if you’re eating too much. All you need to do is write down what you eat each and everyday, and work our how many calories those foods contain. When people start counting calories, they’re often surprised at just how much they’re over eating. Our bodies don’t need huge amounts of food, and this excess daily intake is what makes us fat, and can make us ill in the long run. So, if you eat less, or burn enough calories throughout the day, you’re far more likely to see some healthy steady weight loss.

Don’t worry, if you do have a sluggish metabolism, there’s a quick and easy way to speed it up and boost your weight loss efforts… exercise. The more you exercise, the more likely you are to increase your metabolic rate naturally, and kick start your weight loss efforts. By turning your fat into muscle you will make your body far more efficient, and this will help you to maintain a healthy weight.

The great news is… just one hour of exercising each and everyday can be enough to help you burn away excess calories, and help you to start losing weight. But, the bad news is… the older we get, the slower or metabolisms get. This is why many people pile on the pounds as they age. If you want to stay thinner for longer, all you have to do is watch what you eat, and keep exercising. Not only will this help you live longer, but it will help to keep you metabolism nice and fast.

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.

The main hurdle anyone must overcome before opening themselves up to counselling is accepting they have an problem that needs dealt with. Whether it be an addiction, a mental health illness, suffering abuse or an eating disorder, no one likes to admit they are struggling. Often friends and family will try to encourage the person to accept they need help, but the decision must ultimately come from the person themselves.

One of the most common questions someone asks before attending their first counselling session is simply ‘what will it be like?’ This is a difficult question to answer – there is no such thing as the ‘average’ counselling session – in a situation so dependent on the individual’s (client’s) thoughts, reactions and ideas it’s impossible to follow any kind of procedure. Counsellors themselves all work in different ways with different methods, all tailored to the individual.

There are, however, several ‘standard’ approaches that counsellors use. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is perhaps the most common form of counselling, and refers to the way the counsellor will address the issues. Focusing predominantly on the present, the ‘here and now’, this form of therapy will help the client to move forward, often through setting goals, and then helping the client to achieve them.

Whilst this method does not completely ignore the past, it focuses on what kind of situations the client may find themselves in in the future, and how to deal with recurring thoughts that may trigger unwanted emotions, in order to eradicate the problem.

Freud’s ideas and methods are now almost considered as pop-psychology, but psychoanalysing still prevails as an effective and common form of counselling. Unlike Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, it does focus on the past, helping to uncover and explore buried and unconscious ideas and memories. These thoughts can help the individual to understand themselves more, revealing why they think, feel or react they way they do.

The humanistic approach has been popular for the last 50 years, and deals with, as the name suggests, the human, – their strengths, weaknesses, and how they perceive themselves. There are four strands to humanistic counselling, – Person-Centred, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis, and Transpersonal Psychology and Psychosynthesis. Each strain is based around the goal of the client realising their skills, how to achieve their full potential, and who they really are. They range from helping the client to analyse and change their behaviour to achieve their full potential, analysing thought processes, growth and development, and encouraging the client to discover who they really are.

Some approaches require a very strong relationship between the counsellor and the client, and whilst deciding to have counselling is arguably the hardest part of the process, finding the right counsellor is could be considered the most important part.

The benefits of counselling can quite literally be life-changing. In the case of addictions, counselling can literally save an addict’s life, allowing them to overcome something that could potentially kill them, and more importantly, help them to recognise what makes them an addict to prevent relapses in the future. The results are obvious, giving the individual a greater quality of life, getting themselves back on track and allowing them to live the life they want.

Over an average year, around one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem – whether it be work-related stress, a family crisis, or something more serious like abuse. Depression is the most common mental illness, affecting one if five people. Counselling provides a welcome alternative to medication, and encourages people to deal with their issues rather than continually suppressing them, which can lead to more serious problems.

As mentioned earlier, finding the right counsellor is essential, and there are many things to consider. Counsellors often specialise in certain areas, so it’s important the individual finds one that addresses their specific needs, with an approach they’re comfortable with.

There are practical considerations too, such as location. Despite assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in.

In the current climate, price is becoming more and more of an issue. Many counsellors are now offering reduced rates for those unemployment or claiming benefits, and many are very accommodating so that all those that need help can have access to it.

Perhaps most importantly is ensuring the counsellor is fully qualified to practise. Currently there are no laws to regulate counsellors. However, there are accrediting bodies and qualifications guidelines suggest counsellors should obtain. There are academic qualifications in counselling – under-graduate, post-graduates and doctorates. Being accredited by a professional body – such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – means that the counsellor will have met several criteria, such as a certain number of hours of training undertaken, and hours practising under supervision.

If you’re looking for a counsellor, or want to know more about counselling, or mental illness and other types of distress, then have a look at the Counselling Directory website. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees. The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.

This means the individual can acquire all the information they would need from one place, allowing an informed choice to be made.

This article should be regarded as a reference source only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any protocol. The author disclaims any liability arising from the use of information on these pages.