
The “tipping point” that sets children on the way to a lifetime of obesity often occurs before the age of two, say US researchers.
A study of more than 100 obese children and teenagers found more than half were overweight by 24 months and 90% were overweight by the age of five.
A quarter were overweight before they were five months old, the researchers reported in Clinical Pediatrics.
In the UK, around 27% of children are now overweight. Read More…
Insurance Firms Rake in Profits as They Cut Patients, Advocacy Group Says

By EMILY WALKER
In the midst of a deep economic recession, America’s health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent in 2009, a year that saw 2.7 million people lose their private coverage. The nation’s five largest for-profit insurers closed 2009 with a combined profit of $12.2 billion, according to a report by the advocacy group Health Care for American Now (HCAN). Read More…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 12,000 have died from H1N1 infection, far fewer than in a typical flu season. Other data suggest the pandemic is waning.

Stem cells are cells that can effectively turn into any other type of cell, and are therefore considered one of the most powerful treatment options around. In the early embryo, stem cells divide in order to become every organ and tissue in the body, and adult stem cells generally lie dormant. Read More…
A new study funded by the University of Florida shows that mixing alcohol and energy drinks can be a recipe for disaster. While students down popular combinations like Red Bull and vodka without a second thought, Professor and Director of toxicology at the UF College of Medicine, Bruce Goldberg, says these trendy drinks can lead to a lot of trouble. It is precisely these dangers that prompted the University of Florida to begin investigating. Read More…
By KEVIN SACK
A West Texas jury took but an hour Thursday to acquit a nurse who had been charged with a felony after alerting the state medical board that a doctor at her hospital was practicing unsafe medicine.
The uncommon prosecution had ignited deep concern among health care workers and advocates for whistle-blowers about a potential chilling effect on the reporting of malpractice. Read More…
By Hazel Cottrell
Living in a poorly-heated home puts you at risk of developing serious health problems, so seek help now if you’re struggling with energy bills.
Health experts are using Fuel Poverty Awareness Day (today) to warn vulnerable people of the risks of cold homes, and show them how to get help.
The National Energy Association (NEA), a fuel poverty charity organising the day, is urging Brits to avoid health risks by taking advantage of the variety of heating grants and schemes available.
Dr Miriam Stoppard, who is supporting the day, warned: “As well as hypothermia, being cold causes, or worsens, a range of conditions, including strokes and heart attacks.” Read More…
By Fiona Macrae
It is a claim guaranteed to wipe the smug smile off vegetarians’ faces. Meat-free diets can be bad for the planet, say researchers.
Vegetarians and green activists have long taken pleasure in telling those who enjoy a good steak that livestock farming is a major source of harmful greenhouse gases.
Lord Stern, one of the world’s leading climate change economists, caused uproar among Britain’s farmers in October when he said that cutting down on meat was good for the planet. Read More…
Immediate Doctor’s Visit Likely Saved Ex-President From Bigger Problems
By JOHN BERMAN and DAN CHILDS
Former President Bill Clinton left New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia this morning after stent surgery on Thursday afternoon.
“President Bill Clinton was released from in excellent health,” Clinton spokesman Douglas Band said in a statement issued this morning. “He looks forward in the days ahead to getting back to the work of his foundation, and to Haiti relief and recovery efforts.” Read More…
Stuttering is less to do with nervousness and more to with your genes, scientists have discovered, in a breakthrough that could lead to new drug treatments.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
Around one per cent of the population suffer from a stutter at some time during their lives and it has been assumed it was a symptom of severe anxiety.
But now research has discovered three genes that appear to be linked to the condition.
The finding means that new drug treatments could be developed that switch off the genes involved and so remove the underlying cause.
The study, led by researchers at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) in America, has identified three genes as a source of stuttering in volunteers in Pakistan, the United States, and England. Read More…