China vaccinates 4.5m people in fight against polio

China has vaccinated 4.5 million children and young adults over the past five weeks in the western region of Xinjiang in a fight against polio after the disease paralysed 17 people and killed one, the World Health Organisation said.

Polio has broken out in China for the first time since 1999 and scientists say the strain originated from Pakistan. The outbreak marked the latest setback to a global campaign to eradicate polio, now endemic in only four countries - Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Personal budgets alone do not democratise care

Following the collapse of Southern Cross and the abuse scandal at Winterbourne View, many are calling into question the future use of residential homes for those who need care and support. In the modern care system, where independence and empowerment are the order of the day, the traditional nursing home doesn't seem an easy fit.

But residential care – by that I mean care settings which include some accommodation component – will always be necessary and, more importantly, in demand. Residential care of the future may not look like the traditional "care home", and they may not support the same numbers of people as they do now, but residential care settings – be that extra care, small units, shared lives or hybrid care/extra care homes – will always be a vital source of support, particularly for those with complex needs.

Young people want more protection from alcohol advertising, survey says

Most young people would like more protection from alcohol advertising, but under-18s do not recognise that drink logos on football shirts are a form of marketing, according to a survey.

Alcohol Concern, which surveyed 2,300 children and young adults, says it sought their views because they are usually excluded from the discussion.

The survey found that most wanted more regulation than at present to safeguard those who are under the drinking age from alcohol marketing. Most – 60% – wanted alcohol adverts in the cinema restricted to 18-certificate films while 58% said alcohol adverts should only be allowed on television after the 9pm watershed. Alcohol promotion, said 59%, should be limited only to the areas of supermarkets and off-licences selling alcohol.

Is reading on the loo bad for you?

From the moment Ron Shaoul took it upon himself to investigate the practice of reading on the toilet, scouring medical literature and turning up nothing of note as to its public health consequences, the situation became clear that here, on his hands, was a big job.

Shaoul's curiosity was driven by his work as a doctor specialising in paediatric gastroenterology. He mustered some colleagues, drew up a questionnaire and had hundreds of people of all shapes and sizes complete it. What resulted was perhaps the most scientific attempt yet to shine light on a habit that rustles unseen behind closed doors.

Shaoul, who published his study in 2009, lamented that toilet reading was woefully neglected by scientists, considering the habit probably dated back to the emergence of printed books. Writers, on the other hand, have shown no such aversion. For some, their authority on the matter has bordered on the connoisseur.

Doctors and nurses will lose jobs in changing NHS, says leading Tory

Doctors and nurses will have to be made redundant in order to reshape the NHS and social care system to meet the changing needs of the ageing population, a leading Tory has said.

Stephen Dorrell, chair of the influential Commons health select committee, told social care leaders that the NHS needed a rethink to free resources to care for the fast-growing numbers of people living with long-term conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and depression.

Alessandra Luchini: nanoparticle traps detect diseases before our bodies do

Alessandra Luchini is an engineer at George Mason University, Washington DC. Enabled by a grant from the Italian health service, she travelled to the US to study the molecular signs that some cancers release into the bloodstream. She was recently named in Popular Science's 'Brilliant 10' – an award for the achievements of scientists under 30.

Why did you choose this line of research?

We know that cancers have biomarkers that exist in the blood and body fluid in very low concentration, but they are volatile and degrade very quickly. So we were looking for something that current technology did not allow us to seek. We needed to figure out some kind of answer to that.

5 Proven Ways to Reduce Your Medical Bills

In the world of medical billing, there is often room for negotiation. Hospitals and doctors will consider giving discounts, even on overdue bills. Try these five bargaining strategies.

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part VI (Hempstead, New York)

Jackson Annex Elementary School

Hempstead, New York

Parents in this New York town didn’t know what to think when their kids started jumping around during commercial breaks. In an effort to bring healthy-life changes home, PE instructors had given students ideas for getting in exercise even when it’s cold outside—like jumping jacks!

Another goal: more kids eating breakfast. Many students were skipping this crucial meal altogether or eating a high-sugar, low-nutrition snack. After a campaign to bring parents' attention to the free or low-cost breakfast offered at school, breakfast participation doubled.

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part V (Woodbridge, Virginia)

Springwoods Elementary School

Woodbridge, Virginia

Students at Springwoods are taught to live by the “95210” principle—that’s nine hours of sleep, five servings of fruits and vegetables, no more than two hours of screen time, at least one hour of exercise, and zero sugary drinks per day.

There’s this cool health tool, too: Parents and students can sit down before the school week starts and make a virtual food tray online, clicking on choices from each day’s menu to build healthy meals.

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part IV (Wilsonville, Alabama)

Wilsonville Elementary School

Wilsonville, Alabama

Battling their state’s high childhood obesity rates—almost 18 percent of Alabama children are obese—teachers and faculty set out to provide their students with the foundation for a healthy life. Local farmers deliver fresh vegetables, such as green beans, collard greens, and sweet potatoes. Birthday parties or celebrations are healthy, too—fresh fruit instead of cake, and soda is out.

Also, staff members host nutrition lessons with parents and send out a monthly newsletter that offers suggestions for family physical activities, healthy snacks, and nutrition advice.

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part III (Gooding, Idaho)

Gooding Elementary School

Gooding, Idaho

Rewards don’t come in the form of candy or soda at this school. Instead, kids earn activity-based field trips—snow-shoeing, roller-skating, skiing—by walking laps. The lunch staff makes lots of food from scratch, and fried foods, candy, and soda aren’t allowed. In their place are low-fat and fat-free dairy choices, fresh veggies, and Idaho-grown potatoes.

The student nutrition club makes weekly announcements to talk about new dishes being served in the cafeteria or to give a fun nutrition fact, like how many inches asparagus grows in 24 hours. (It’s seven, by the way.)

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part II (Sublette, Kansas)

Sublette Elementary School

Sublette, Kansas

If Sublette Elementary had a theme for its drive to healthier living, it might be this: Small steps lead to big change. Low-fat and fat-free milk is in; whole milk is out. White whole-wheat flour, milled in Kansas, is used in bread made fresh at the school, and pasta is whole wheat, too. During a regular snack break, students can pick up fresh fruits or vegetables and bring them back to their classrooms.

Even recess has been tweaked: It’s before lunch, so kids aren’t hurrying through the meal in order to get outside.

America's Healthiest Schools 2010 Part I

An A+ for health

Here's a frightening fact: Nearly one in three children and teens in this country are obese or overweight. That’s why Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) set out to recognize schools that are taking steps to end that trend.


We’re honoring these five as part of the USDA/Healthmagazine HealthierUS Schools Challenge. Try some of these inspiring ideas in your community!

By Kimberly Holland
From Health magazine

5 Tips for Staying Active With Kids and Family

 

Help your family get active 

When it comes to heart health, it’s important that we think not only of our own cardiovascular health but also that of future generations. A study last year found that obese children and teens have as much plaque in their arteries as a 45-year-old adult, setting them up for heart disease and other serious health conditions much earlier than their parents.