It is easy to fall into the trap of giving people you love lots of ultra-processed, high kilojoule, nutrient-poor foods because they like them. But immediate pleasure comes at a cost.
Recent reports claiming we need to do five times more exercise than we previously thought are incorrect. Current physical activity guidelines are enough to achieve health benefits.
When children work on their school assignments, unknown to them, the software they use is busy collecting data. These data are then used for individualized marketing of junk foods and other products.
An individual’s weight is a complex and sensitive issue, which may be related to many factors that are not only medical but social, environmental and emotional.
Diabetes afflicts nearly 30 million people in the U.S., but 86 million more are pre-diabetic. There are effective ways to screen those people, too – and it isn’t all about fat.
Almost three in four Australian children consume too much sugar, 91.5% of young people don’t get enough exercise, and we’re among the most obese people in the world.
To tackle obesity, the NHS is experimenting with financial incentives, dieting clubs and free exercise classes. But what about prescribing digital fitness trackers?
Behavioral research shows why a heavy-handed approach like the UK’s soda tax works better than the mere warning that San Francisco wants to put in advertisements.
Educating people about the dangers of sugary drinks has little impact on their consumption and taxing them is unpopular. Luckily, there is a third way.
Saturated fats are linked to metabolic disorders and heart disease. That may be because thes fats make some cells lose track of time, causing inflammation.
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