Research has been inconclusive on the degree to which drinking alcohol leads to the growth of harmful fat. But a new study suggests that beer and spirits are far bigger culprits than wine.
Ending GST on some foods is being touted as a way to reduce food poverty. But cheap food comes with a high environmental and health cost. Is there a way to value food but reduce hardship?
How we design our cities can make it harder to be healthy. City planners are now able to quantify the different elements that are affecting our health and well-being.
South Africa should introduce regulations that mandate the nutritional labelling of fast foods. This will help consumers make informed dietary choices.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is surprisingly common, affecting about one in four adults. Eating processed foods and sugary drinks can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Some obese people lack the classic metabolic risk factors of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar linked with obesity. But are they still at risk for heart disease and diabetes?
Sugar gets a bad rap, but exactly which sugar is meant? Nutrient-dense sweet ripe fruits are a far cry from refined table sugar – and their differences can have big health implications.
Rates of obesity and eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia both surged among young people over the past two years. Scholars explain why, and how parents can support kids dealing with body shame.
B.C. recently began taxing sugary drinks. Examples from Europe show the scientific basis for taxing unhealthy foods may have little impact on whether these taxes are adopted or remain in place.
A study of over 1,000 children in rural Oklahoma found that social and emotional health may be just as important as diet and exercise in reducing child obesity.
Targets for diabetes would improve healthy lives, reduce deaths, and be cost effective. But they should not be for managing diabetes alone; they must include treating hypertension.
The hidden costs of industrial food production include immense health and environmental impacts. These include millions of deaths, climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Professor and Programme Director, SA MRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost Effective Lessons in Systems Strengthening South Africa), University of the Witwatersrand