What the scientists are saying…
A waist test for type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with obesity, but a leading expert has warned that you can be at risk of the condition even if you are not technically overweight – just larger around the middle than you used to be. “As a rule of thumb, your waist size should be the same now as when you were 21,” said Prof Roy Taylor, director of Newcastle University’s Magnetic Resonance Centre, at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes’ annual conference. Doctors, he added, tend to assume that when their “normal weight” patients develop type 2 diabetes, it is not excess fat that is causing it; and as a result, these patients are not advised to lose weight before being given diabetes drugs and insulin. But preliminary results from his small study suggest that if non-obese patients lose 10-15% of their weight, “they have a very good chance of getting rid of their diabetes”. For the study, he recruited 12 patients, with an average BMI of 24.5. They were put on a weight-loss programme, and when they had lost 10-15% of their weight, they were given tests to assess their condition again. These revealed that eight of them were now in remission – their blood sugar levels were now under control, and they no longer needed medication. Although preliminary, the results, said Taylor, “demonstrate very clearly that diabetes is not caused by obesity but by being too heavy for your own body”.
Air pollution limits slashed
The World Health Organisation has drastically reduced its recommended limits for airborne pollution, citing “clear evidence”, gathered from hundreds of studies, that even in low concentrations airborne pollutants pose a serious risk to human health. “A substantial new body of evidence has accumulated, further demonstrating the degree to which air pollution affects all parts of the body, from the brain to a growing baby in a mother’s womb,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general. The guideline limit for PM2.5 pollution – tiny particles produced by burning fossil fuels – has been cut by 50%. The limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is mainly produced by diesel engines, has been reduced by 75%. The limits have no legal force, but the hope is they will be taken into account by city planners. According to Greenpeace, every one of the world’s 100 most populous cities (including London) would have failed them in 2020. Delhi exceeded the limits by 17 times.
How to get children to eat well...
Some parents try to coerce their children into eating vegetables; others trick them into it. But according to researchers in Australia, the most effective way to discourage picky eating in under-tens is to involve children in food preparation – and set them a good example by eating as a family, around a table (not in front of the TV), at regular times. “Avoiding getting cross and limiting any negativity around mealtimes will benefit everyone,” said the researchers, following their review of 80 studies into children’s eating habits. “Positive parenting, no matter how difficult it can be in certain situations, is the best step forward for fussy eaters.”
...and why it’s worth doing
Children who eat healthily report better mental well-being, a new study has found. For the research, around 10,000 children were given a well-being score, according to their responses to statements such as “I’ve been feeling good about myself today”, and “I’ve been feeling loved”. The children were then asked about what they ate each day, and also about other aspects of their lives, such as their living situation and their exposure to bullying, or arguing at home. Even after these factors had been taken into account, well-being among secondary school children was found to be 8% higher for those who ate five portions of fruit and veg a day compared with those who ate none. In total, only a quarter of the secondary school children ate five portions a day, and one in ten ate none.
Medical file
Only 58% of patients were seen face to face by GPs in England in August, the first month with no pandemic restrictions – scarcely more than during the lockdown in January, when the proportion was 54%. Before the pandemic, more than 80% of patients were seen face to face.