The Food Standards Agency is working on proposals that could see junk food companies banned from sponsoring major sporting events.
In one of the latest attempts to halt the rise of obesity in the UK, future sponsorship of such events could be accepted only from brands associated with healthier eating.
In 2003, the British sporting industry received £40 million in sponsorship from manufacturers of fast food, soft drinks and confectionery.
McDonald’s is sponsoring Euro 2004, and many company chiefs believe such sponsorship is vital to securing brand loyalty among young people.
The FSA is also calling on food manufacturers to use celebrities only to endorse healthier foods.
A new survey by consumer analyst Mintel has found that families where the father is the breadwinner are “disappearing into obscurity” as the number of working women continues to challenge the traditional role of men.
Only 9 per cent of men now regard themselves as the main provider for their family, and almost one third of adults are in a family unit in which both partners work full time.
In one quarter of relationships, the woman works part time.
The survey also revealed, however, that women are feeling the strain of trying to balance motherhood with work – almost one third felt that it was going to become more difficult to juggle both demands.
The stresses of trying to achieve a work family balance were much more likely to be felt by women than men, the study found.
Scientists from Manchester University say that smokers are four times more likely to go blind than non smokers as a result of age related macular degeneration.
The condition is the biggest cause of adult blindness, and the researchers say kicking the habit can slow down the onset of AMD, but few smokers know of the risk attached to cigarettes.
They are calling for a campaign to make smokers more aware of this particular danger to their health.
The findings of the research are published in the British Medical Journal.
An independent body of senior doctors and researchers is calling for the price of alcohol to be doubled in an attempt to reduce the harm caused by binge drinking.
The Academy of Medical Sciences says it is not against alcohol, but that drinking levels need to return to those of the early 1970s, when the population drank an average of 7 litres each per year.
Today’s rate is 11.1 litres per head, representing a rise of 50 per cent in 30 years.
The academy’s members say there is a direct link between the price of alcohol and the amount consumed – in relative terms, alcohol was twice as expensive 30 years ago.
They are also calling for a reduction in the amount of alcohol that can be brought into the UK from Europe – the current travellers’ allowance provides a heavy drinker with a 272 day supply of alcohol.
The report also says that a 10 per cent rise in the price of alcohol in the UK would reduce mortality from drink-related conditions by 7 per cent to 37 per cent.
In an effort to help combat the problem of obesity, fast food giant McDonald’s is removing “super size” portions of drinks and fries from its menu.
The large portions of sugary drinks and fat filled fries are expected to be removed from its 13,000 US outlets by the end of the year.
McDonald’s has made the move because of pressure following reports that one in three Americans are obese, as well as various law suits from obese people claiming that they were not warned that eating “Big Macs” would make them fat.
By the end of the year, the largest carton of fries will be reduced from 7oz to 6oz.
However, half the daily recommended amount of saturated fat is still contained in the 6oz carton.
Figures from Bupa released yesterday show there has been a 20 per cent increase in cosmetic surgery procedures over the past year, with about 750,000 UK men and women now undergoing the knife every year.
Breast enlargement remains the most popular procedure, with a 28 per cent increase in 2003 compared with 2002.
However, demand is rising for nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks.
At some clinics, men account for 40 per cent of the procedures, with a surge of enquiries usually coinciding with City bonuses.
The increases are thought to have been fuelled by television programmes such as Nip/Tuck and “extreme make over” shows from the USA.
Health Secretary John Reid is said to be targeting the supermarket checkout in the latest move to cut obesity rates in the UK.
A Department of Health source said that moving sweets away from the till area was “one simple thing” that could help reduce pressure and cut pester power from children trying to persuade parents to buy them treats.
Ministers are aware, however, that they are unable to ban sweets from the checkout and hope that support from the public for supermarket schemes could force a change towards healthier options such as fruit.
Food manufacturer Cadbury is already considering putting health warnings on the wrappers of its soft drinks, chocolates and sweets.
One in 10 six year olds and around 17 per cent of 15 year olds in the UK are now obese.
According to a new US study published in the journal Circulation, anger and hostility can increase the chances of men developing atrial fibrillation – a heart rhythm disorder linked to stroke.
The study participants were 1,769 men and 1,913 women, who were examined and monitored over a 10 year period.
After adjusting for age and other factors, the researchers found that men who experienced higher levels of hostility were 30 per cent more likely to develop atrial fibrillation than their less quick tempered counterparts.
No link between anger and atrial fibrillation was found among the women.
Official figures have revealed that almost 1 million people are claiming incapacity benefit in the UK because of stress and related conditions such as depression, anxiety and neuroses.
In some parts of the country, one in four men of working age is unemployed because of the condition, with benefits increasing in value the longer each claimant is sick.
In 1996, Tony Blair vowed that welfare bills “of social failure” would be reduced.
“Judge me upon it. The buck stops with me,” he said.
However, in 2003, there were 228,000 new claimants for incapacity benefit, and the figures have trebled since 1979.
The benefit can be paid only if doctors agree a patient is too ill to work, but many GPs admit to writing sick notes because they do not wish to act as “health police”.
The UK has an £11 billion bill for sick leave annually, and the Tories claim the government has pushed more and more people onto the benefit to hide true levels of unemployment.
The TUC has blamed poor working conditions for the stress epidemics, a claim that has been disputed by the Institute of Directors.
However, mental health charity SANE has welcomed the recognition of stress as a disabling condition.
The Department of Work and Pensions has admitted there is a problem, but says that nine out of 10 of those on incapacity benefit want to return to work.
Health Minister John Hutton is expected to confirm today plans that would see complementary practitioners such as acupuncturists and herbalists being “struck off” if they do not comply with government regulations.
Proposals for a complementary and alternative medicine council were first mooted last September, in an attempt to ban rogue practitioners.
Around 1,500 practitioners are already registered with a range of voluntary bodies, but as many as 1,000 operate independently.
Recent research has shown that one in five people regularly uses complementary therapists to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer.
CAM would possess similar powers to those of the General Medical Council, and would assess practitioners’ qualifications and set minimum training standards.
A new book to be published on Thursday will address the problem of men being ill informed about health matters that could kill them.
Men in the UK are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer or stroke than any other cause, but many fail to seek medical help until they are suffering from distressing symptoms.
The new book – Over 50s Men’s Health Check by Dr Roger Henderson – aims to help men understand potential health risks and look out for symptoms that could lead to early diagnosis.
It also discusses new advances in treatment and diagnosis.
The book costs £6.99 and is published by Piatkus Books.
US researchers have developed a new drug that will help restore a man’s libido.
The world’s first “lust drug”, PT-141, is a copy of a chemical called melanocyte-stimulating hormone that increases sex drive.
Viagra already deals with the physical effects of impotence, and if combined with PT-141 the effects of the drugs “would be extremely powerful”, say PT-141’s manufacturers.
The therapy is inhaled 30 minutes before sex, and tests have shown a 70 per cent success rate.
PT-141 has also been found to suppress the appetite, and could lead to new treatments for dieters.
Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is launching a new tomato this week, which boasts two special properties – it is black rather than red, and it is also said to be an aphrodisiac.
The Kumato is a brownish black, conker like tomato that originates from its wilder cousin Lycopersicon cheesmanii, which still grows on the Galápagos Islands.
Sainsbury’s has been working with plant breeders and growers for more than five years, with thousands of cross pollinations taking place to achieve the new variety.
The black tomatoes are said to be “sugar sweet” and will be sold off the vine in packs of four or five for £1.69.
Stores in London, Kent and Surrey will stock the Kumato for the next four weeks.
Giant turtles on the Galápagos Islands who eat the black tomatoes have been found to mate considerably more often than those that do not.
A tiny gadget sold in outdoor leisure shops and pharmacies could help people walk their way to health, according to a survey of 1,000 users.
The Step-O-Meter counts every step a walker takes, and enables the user to monitor and increase activity levels.
Research has found that it takes 10,000 strides every day to maintain health, but only 30 per cent of people achieve that level.
The survey of 1,000 users discovered that most were still using the device seven months after purchasing it, and more than half of those taking insufficient exercise when they first bought their Step-O-Meter had reached the recommended levels of 30 minutes of activity daily, five days a week, after only 12 weeks of usage.
The “Walking the way to Health” Initiative – a partnership between the British Heart Foundation and the Countryside Agency – estimates that 40,000 people were encouraged to walk more often as the result of an initial promotional campaign, which included people who had never previously responded to any attempts to make them exercise.
Step-O-Meter users are encouraged to increase the number of strides they take by 10 per cent each week until they hit their target.
The Department of Health has partially funded the distribution of 10,000 of the devices to 135 primary care trusts with high levels of coronary heart disease, with the aim of prescribing them to any patient who would benefit from taking exercise.
A new survey suggests that as many as one in three women who arrive at accident and emergency departments have a history of suffering violence in the home.
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine questioned 198 women over a five week period in 2001.
More than one third of the women said that they had suffered from domestic violence during some part of their lives, and six per cent claimed to have been beaten by their current partner.
The figures follow a survey conducted by the UK charity Refuge showing that one in four women had a history of suffering domestic violence.
The researchers say that these figures are “high” and urge staff in A&E departments to be aware that some patients they are treating might have suffered domestic violence.
A survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting has found that London is among the worst capitals in Europe for quality of life.
A total of 215 cities worldwide were analysed and ranked against New York, which has a rating of 100 points.
London scored 100.5 points and is ranked 11th worst city in Europe and 35th in the world.
Standards measured included air pollution, infectious disease, waste removal, drinking water, and harmful animals and insects.
The survey found that the war on terror had damaged quality of life in the USA, the Middle East and Africa.
The study authors help governments and companies place employees on international assignments.