Men often give up sport as they get older Monday, May 2, 2011
Weighty issue
Men often give up sport as they get older Too many men are failing to recognise the health risks of being overweight, according to Men's Health Forum chief executive Peter Baker.
He says that by not acting to tackle the problem, the NHS is making "a rod for its own back".
Women face a lot of cultural pressure to be slim. This is largely not because of health concerns and can sometimes to quite have tragic consequences.
It does mean though, that many women often have a good understanding of the factors that affect their weight.
The majority of men on the other hand, appear are not to be as bothered about their weight as they maybe should should be. Neither are health services.
A significantly greater proportion of men are overweight or obese (66% of men compared with 57% of women).
Too many men still die too young - 22% of men in England and Wales die before they reach 64 compared to 13% of women.
Overweight and obesity are a major factor in this excess burden of male death.
Two thirds of men are overweight or obese - the obesity rate alone could rise to 60% by 2050.
Overweight men tend to be "apple-shaped", overweight women "pear-shaped". For complex physiological and biological reasons, this extra fat around the middle causes much greater harm.
Yet many men seem unconcerned about their weight.
Peter Baker“Some start feeling they can't keep up like they could when they were younger ”
Their attitude is that weight is a "women's issue".
This is a cultural thing. Women face a lot more body image pressure than men, although that is starting to affect some young men too.
But generally it appears men are less aware of the connection between excess weight and poorer health.
Being overweight increases the risks of heart disease and stroke - the biggest killers of men.
It is also an important risk factor for several cancers.
Men are 70% more likely than women to die from cancers common to both sexes and 60% more likely to get such a cancer.
This is not just about a choice between eating a burger and salad. It goes much further than diet.
More physical activity could make a big impact. Active men have a 20-30% reduced risk of early death and up to 50% reduced risk of developing major diseases.
Men are more likely than women to get some exercise but their exercise levels drop off very quickly as they get into their 30s.
We estimate a million men aged over 35 in England and Wales need to get more exercise if their age group is to be as active as younger men.
Some start feeling they can't keep up like they could when they were younger or become more worried about injuries so, instead of adapting how they play football or rugby, they stop all altogether.
There are other ways to get some exercise and reap the benefits - a Dutch study found commuters who cycle take less time off sick.
We need to let men know about alternatives to the style of football or rugby they played when they were 20.
The result of society's and men's own attitude to men's weight is that services do not really cater well for men. This includes the NHS weight loss services which are often not particularly "man friendly".
We need male-friendly approaches capable of engaging with men and we need them soon - especially in primary care and health promotion.
We need to improve men's physical activity levels, whether through sports or building exercise into routine.
By deterring men from seeking help with their weight the NHS is only making a rod for its own back.
These men will be more likely to need expensive treatment for serious conditions later on.
In the meantime they are more likely to take time off work as they become ill and their illnesses will cause distress throughout their family.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13005018
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Walkers warned of moorland fires
Fire crews have been on Anglezarke Moor and Wheeton Moor since Friday Walkers are being warned to be vigilant as moorland fires continue to burn for a fourth day in Lancashire.
The county's deputy fire chief Paul Richardson said strong winds meant the fires could spread quickly putting walkers in danger without warning.
More than 150 firefighters have been tackling three separate moorland fires near Belmont, Bacup and Ormskirk.
All three incidents are ongoing and crews are expected to continue putting out the fires into Monday.
Mr Richardson said: "We are advising members of the public who are out on the moors during this period of hot and dry weather to take extra care and be vigilant.
"With strong winds, fires can move across the moors quickly, putting walkers in danger without giving them any warning.
"We are also urging all smokers to make sure that they discard their smoking materials safely and responsibly."
At one point 32 fire engines from the 39 stations in the county were out on calls, a Lancashire Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said.
Crews from Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire have also been involved in tackling the fires, which have been fanned by winds of up to 45 mph.
Firefighters have been at Belmont since Friday morning where a blaze spread to cover several square miles between Bolton and Chorley, on both Anglezarke Moor and Wheeton Moor.
More than 100 firefighters have been called to the moorland fire near Belmont More than 100 firefighters, 18 fire engines and three specialists have been involved in the operation as well as the police helicopter, a fire and rescue helicopter, a mountain rescue team and United Utilities.
Specialist equipment was being used to transfer water from Anglezarke Reservoir to the fire.
A large amount of smoke has also been drifting from the moorland fire towards Chorley and people have been warned to avoid the area.
The cause of the blaze is not known but it is not thought to be suspicious.
On Saturday afternoon a second moorland fire broke out in about 48 hectares (120 acres) of peat at Whitemoss Horticulture at Simonswood near Ormskirk on Saturday.
The business supplies peat, compost and horticultural products to gardeners.
Large plumes of smoke were seen drifting into neighbouring areas, and people living nearby were being advised to stay indoors and keep all windows closed.
A third moorland fire which spread to cover two square miles was reported on Sunday afternoon at Moor Wind Farm in Stacksteads near Bacup.
Firefighters were using beaters and "back-held aqua packs" to put out the fires while water was being pumped from a nearby reservoir.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-lancashire-13256650
Further delay to Nasa's Endeavour
Endeavour's crew head back to their quarters in the Astrovan after the postponement The final mission of Nasa's Endeavour shuttle has been delayed by at least 72 hours because of technical problems.
The orbiter is being held on the ground while engineers investigate a hitch in a unit that powers the vehicle's hydraulics.
The youngest of America's reusable spaceplanes is set to deliver a $2bn (£1.2bn) particle physics experiment to the International Space Station (ISS).
US President Barack Obama was due to attend the lift-off in Florida.
Also present at the Kennedy Space Center is Endeavour commander Mark Kelly's wife, Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona politician shot in the head by a gunman in January.
The lift-off had been targeted for 1547 local time (1947 GMT; 2047 BST), but was postponed just after midday.
Kelly and his crew had already suited up and were making their way to the shuttle. By tradition, their "Astrovan" would normally stop briefly outside Kennedy's launch control centre before moving on down to the pad, but on this occasion the vehicle pulled in front of the building and parked.
The "scrub" was called moments later.
Managers and engineers are now discussing how long a turn-around they need to deal with what appears to be an electrical problem associated with one of the three auxiliary power units in Endeavour.
A heater that prevents freezing in a fuel line leading to the unit stopped working. Another heater was also displaying unusual behaviour.
Nasa managers suspect a short in an electrical switchbox may lie at the heart of the failure but they will not know for sure until engineers can get inside the shuttle to inspect the unit.
"As we say in this business, 'we will not fly before we are ready'," said shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach.
Local police were expecting up to 750,000 people to gather near the Kennedy spaceport to watch the launch. The impeding retirement of the shuttle programme has drawn huge interest in the final flights of the orbiters.
The Discovery ship was the first to bow out with a mission in February. It is now being dismantled and made safe for museum display.
Endeavour is next. After its 14-day trip to the space station, it will be prepared for exhibition at a science centre in California.
The Atlantis orbiter will end the shuttle programme with a mission in June or July.
Nasa hopes by the middle of the decade to be buying crew transportation services from a range of commercial providers.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-13244053
EIS accepts new teacher pay offer
Scotland's largest teaching union said it had been a difficult decision Members of Scotland's largest teachers' union have voted to accept a controversial pay and conditions package.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said it meant there would be some cuts in pay and changes to conditions in exchange for guarantees on jobs.
The union believed it was the best deal possible in the current economic climate.
But members of the smaller union, the SSTA, have rejected the package.
The EIS has about 50,000 teacher members. Of those who voted, 56.2% accepted the offer and 43.8% rejected it.
The Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA), which represents about 8,500 teachers, said the latest proposals would mean a cut in pay for supply teachers and that staff who gained qualifications would not get a pay rise.
Ronnie Smith EIS“All teachers are affected by varying degrees and for many this has been a very difficult decision to take”
More than 90% of SSTA members who voted rejected the revised proposal.
EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said: "While it is always difficult to recommend a package which represents an overall cut in funding for education, the EIS is clear that this offer was the best that could be achieved in the current financial climate while giving priority to protecting jobs.
"All teachers are affected by varying degrees and for many this has been a very difficult decision to take.
"By voting for a package which includes a two-year pay freeze in addition to other measures which will cut the annual overall teacher pay-bill by around £45m, Scotland's teachers will be taking a significant hit for a financial crisis that is not of their making."
SSTA general secretary Ann Ballinger, said: "The SSTA will continue to negotiate to reach a settlement but must point out that, had the government and Cosla approached the teacher unions in autumn 2010 as the scale of the financial problems became apparent, we might now have an agreement as to how the relevant savings could have been made."
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-13221908
Too early
Around 50,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK Despite all the medical advances which have been developed to enable babies to be born safely, early delivery is still a major problem.
Experts agree that the total number of babies being born early is not going down and that the cost to society is huge.
Babies born before 37 weeks of gestation account for around 8% of births in the UK.
Premature birth is the single biggest killer of babies under one year old, and babies born early can often spend months in special care or go on to develop life-long health conditions.
Finding treatments to help prevent premature birth could improve the life chances of the nearly 50,000 babies born early in the UK each year.
But many just do not survive.
Louise's first baby Louis lived for just two days. He was born at 24 weeks, weighing 1lb 12oz. There was little they could do for him when he was born.
"I constantly thought I was going to miscarry, because I was bleeding a lot. But this might have been a sign of infection, which could have affected him too."
Less than a year later, Louise gave birth to Lydia who was born 11 days early. She says it was all thanks to the vigilance of doctors at the 20-week scan.
"They could see that I was dilating already and needed to get an internal scan. But doctors are not normally looking for that sort of thing unless you've got a history of a premature birth."
Prof Andrew Shennan St Thomas' Hospital“Before, we waited for women to go into labour then we tried to firefight, which was very unsatisfactory”
Louise, who lives in Leicestershire, had a stitch in her cervix two days later followed by regular scans and swabs during the remainder of her pregnancy to check for further problems.
She is now the proud mother of three healthy daughters - Lydia, Jodie and Cara - who were all born by caesarean section, weighing around 8lbs, all with the aid of a stitch to prevent premature arrival.
"If it wasn't for the premature baby clinic at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, Lydia wouldn't be here now."
Premature birth occurs for a number of reasons, including the placenta not functioning properly, a weak cervix which starts to open too early and cysts or fibroids in the womb, which leave the baby short of space.
Infections, blood-related conditions and diabetes and pre-eclampsia can also bring about premature birth.
A history of premature birth and being pregnant with twins or triplets can also increase the risk.
Detecting which women are going to deliver early is crucial in reversing the trend of increasing premature births.
Around two-thirds of premature births are spontaneous, typically with the mother going into labour before the baby is due.
Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at St Thomas' Hospital and consultant obstetrician to baby charity Tommy's, says there has been a major change in this area in the last decade.
"Before, we waited for women to go into labour then we tried to firefight, which was very unsatisfactory. Now we use a number of tests to target our efforts on those in high-risk groups."
The two most important tests involve measuring the length of the cervix with a scan and taking a swab of the vagina to pick up any foetal substances leaking out.
These tests are increasing in their sophistication and can now be combined to get a much more precise idea of the women at risk, says Professor Shennan.
Research carried out by Dr Rachel Tribe and her team of researchers at King's College London has centred on why the uterus begins contracting too early.
Around eight per cent of babies in the UK are born before 37 weeks. They have identified a new way of suppressing uterine muscle contractions - which can cause labour to start early - using a drug already developed for pain and epilepsy.
The drug opened specific potassium channels in cells which control the activity of the muscles of the uterus, forcing them to relax rather than contract.
These potassium channels are thought to be crucial in ensuring that the uterus contracts properly and at the right time.
"This is a significant step forward in the search for future treatments for preterm labour," says Dr Tribe. "But the drug has to be safe to be given in pregnancy so more lab experiments are needed first."
While women with a history of premature birth or other pregnancy complications will automatically be branded 'high risk', many other women will have no way of knowing if they are at risk or not.
At present there is no accurate screening test available to identify women at risk.
"We are at a loss to help first-time mums at the moment. We are trying to pinpoint a marker to flag up risk, then these women could be filtered into specialist clinics," said Dr Tribe.
Her team is looking particularly at markers of early inflammation, which is known to be a trigger for premature birth.
"Women may not be aware they have this problem because it's asymptomatic," she said.
Scientists from the US and Finland recently published research showing the discovery of a gene linked to premature births.
Their study, in PLoS Genetics, found a strong association to pre-term births in variants of the FSHR - or follicle stimulating hormone receptor - gene.
The researchers said their findings could eventually lead to a test for women at risk of a pre-term birth.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-13155286
Emma Watson denies bullying claim
Emma Watson said she was undecided about resuming study Actress Emma Watson has denied claims that bullying drove her to take a break from a prestigious US university.
Media reports had said students at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, had teased her about her role as Hermione in the Harry Potter films.
But in a statement on her website, Miss Watson, 21, said: "I have never been bullied in my life."
She said she did not know what she wanted to do after September, but would focus on acting for the time being.
She had enrolled at Brown in September 2009, initially to study literature.
Reports had alleged that students said "10 points to Gryffindor" - a reference to a house at Hogwarts, the school for wizards in the Harry Potter films - when Miss Watson correctly answered a question in class.
Miss Watson said: "I felt the need to let you all know the reason I took a semester off from Brown had nothing to do with bullying as the media have been suggesting recently.
Emma Watson Actress“Please don't try and speculate about what I might do in September - no-one can possibly know because I don't even know yet!”
"I have never been bullied in my life and certainly never at Brown. This '10 points to Gryffindor' incident never even happened.
"I feel the need to say this because accusing Brown students of something as serious as bullying and this causing me to leave seems beyond unfair."
Last month she announced she was taking time out of study to focus on her film career.
Although her spokeswoman said last week that Miss Watson would transfer to another university in autumn, Miss Watson's statement said: "Please don't try and speculate about what I might do in September - no-one can possibly know because I don't even know yet!
"Like my other fellow Brown students I am trying to figure out my third year and whether or not I will spend it abroad (this is common)."
In the frequently asked questions section of her website, the first question is "why did you chose Brown University over a British one?"
Her undated answer is: "I was seriously torn as to whether to stay in the UK or go to the States as let's face it the UK has some of the best universities in the world. But, ultimately, I loved the course at Brown and really liked the idea of experiencing a different country and culture - and I must say I've never been happier, I absolutely love Brown."
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/entertainment-arts-13247493
Fire hits Oxfam clothes warehouse
Neighbours said they heard an explosion and loud popping noises An Oxfam warehouse in Huddersfield has been badly damaged in a fire.
Up to 60 firefighters were at the fire at an industrial estate in Beck Road at its height on Saturday evening.
The single-storey building measuring 55m by 40m houses Oxfam Wastesaver, which sorts thousands of tonnes of donated clothes and textiles.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the warehouse was "100% involved" in the fire and a structural engineer had been called to assess its safety.
People living nearby said they heard "a big explosion" and loud popping noises after the fire started at about 1800 BST.
A spokeswoman for the fire service said six fire engines plus specialist units had been sent to the fire and crews were expected to remain there until at least Sunday morning.
She said 20 propane canisters were found at the scene by firefighters but were not involved in the fire.
Oxfam Wastesaver receives clothes, textiles and shoes from donations that are not immediately sold through the charity's shops.
The facility sorts through the donations and they are either sent out to shops, sold online, exported or recycled.
This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-england-leeds-13251581
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