Ruth Black/Shutterstock Anika Knüppel, UCL The thought of a cupcake, skillfully frosted with fluffy vanilla icing, may put a smile on your face, but research suggests that, in the long term, a sweet tooth may turn that smile into a frown – but not for the reasons you think. In a new study, published […]
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Physical health ignored in people with mental illness
The physical health of people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is often overshadowed by their mental health issues. from www.shutterstock.com/igorstevanovic. Simon Rosenbaum, UNSW; Katherine Samaras, UNSW, and Scott Teasdale, UNSW Australians with serious mental illness are living on average for 10-32 years less than the rest of the population, mainly due to preventable and treatable […]
Poor nutrition can put children at higher risk of mental illness
One in six children aged eight to 14 years in Australia report going to school or bed hungry, according to a new report by the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP). These children are up to three times more likely to report two or more health complaints per week such as headaches, stomach aches, sleeplessness, feeling […]
Packing a healthy lunchbox
With a third of a child’s food intake being eaten at school, it’s important that lunchboxes contain a third of their recommended daily intake of nutrients. This means foods from all five food groups should be included, plus a bottle of chilled water. 1. Vegetables Put at least one vegetable in their sandwich plus a […]
Party without the pounds
Yep, it’s that time of year when all the socialising and celebrating can catch up with you and, while lots of fun, you can feel exhausted and your clothes can feel a little tighter before Christmas Day has arrived. We can point the finger at alcohol, late nights and little (or no!) rest time, but […]
Health Check: why diets fail
Almost everyone who has tried to lose weight has tasted the bitter pill of failure. That feeling you get when, despite all your desires to be healthier, to fit into sassier clothes or to shimmy through life (and into aeroplane seats) with greater ease and comfort, you just can’t stick with your diet and exercise […]
Health Check: why kids don’t like vegies and how to change it
So little Harry won’t eat his vegetables? Well, he’s not alone. Poor Harry is just protecting himself from the danger of alkaloid toxins – although he doesn’t actually know this. At the tender age of four, Harry is neophobic (fearful of new things) and facing “the omnivore’s dilemma”. The dilemma is that humans need to […]
Half of Australia’s kids not getting enough omega-3 brain foods
Only 50% to 60% of Australian children are eating enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are commonly found in fish and crucial for brain development, a University of Wollongong study has found. Researchers from the University of Wollongong’s School of Health Sciences and Metabolic Research Centre examined data on the dietary habits of 4486 children aged […]
Health Check: are saturated fats good or bad?
Dietary guidelines cite the fact that saturated fats can increase LDL cholesterol, which is also known as bad cholesterol because it’s a major risk factor for heart disease. Others claim saturated fats are not a problem. So is saturated fat a saint or sinner? Or could the search for a single culprit miss the inevitable […]
Explainer: what is nutrigenomics?
“Eat your five-a-day” is a health slogan that has been kicking around since the 1980s. The UK government made it an official campaign in 2003. But understanding the exact benefits (and harms) that our daily diet has on our health is only starting to become clear now. The field of nutrigenomics studies how different foods […]