Listen to what the brain whispers

Air pollution linked with cardiovascular diseases: Study

Tobacco had the strongest association with heart disease, followed by physical inactivity and low-quality diet

Do you really choose what you eat – or do your gut microbes decide for you?

A new study with fruit flies suggests that we may have less free will when it comes to choosing what we eat than we like to think

Hypertension affects 1.13 billion people globally; 199 million reside in India

The burden of high blood pressure witnessed a dip in high and middle-income countries but low-income countries experienced a surge

This chemical controls whether you would be fat or fatter

Genes interact with obesogens in the environment to make a person fatter 

A third of world’s children with stunting live in India: Report

The Global Nutrition Report outlines what the world consumes and how it’s affecting the health of children and adults

Every third child is malnourished, finds Global Nutrition Report 2018

‘Burden of malnutrition unacceptably high despite world being better equipped to fight it’

‘Agriculture and consumer choices are driving disastrous climate change’

Ahead of COP24, 130 national academies urge governments to take immediate steps to address climate change and failing global food systems

World Health Assembly recognises key strategies to tackle childhood obesity

These include regulation on marketing of unhealthy foods, nutrition labelling, taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages and reduction in obesogenic …

Middle class more at risk of obesity, says study

Research shows that nutritional transition towards more fat and sugar results in increasing obesity in middle-income families  

Precautionary trickle

Mexico's tax on sugar-sweetened beverages has positively impacted public health. India too imposes huge taxes, but not with the purpose of …

Centuries-old obsession

Book>> Calories And Corsets • by Louise Foxcroft • Profile Books • US $20

State of worry

After a long gap of 10 years, India has released the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, though only for 13 states and two Union Territories. …

Denmark imposes fat tax

The surcharge will be levied on food items containing more than 2.3 per cent saturated fat.

Health in news on May 16

In Short

Manipulating microbes can control obesity

Obesity, overweightedness scale epidemic levels in Europe: WHO

Unfavourable eating habits, activity patterns during COVID-19 pandemic add to problem

FSSAI launches SNF@Workplace initiative to stem obesity, non-communicable diseases

Country’s premier food watchdog also plans to evaluate organisations based on systems put in place to promote health and wellness

India’s ultra food-processing sector growing: WHO calls for nutrient-based tax model

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India needs to clearly define high fat sugar salt food, scientists recommend

Bust the gut

Scientists are studying microbes in the gut in far greater detail to devise therapies to fight obesity

How marketers condition us to buy more junk food

McDonald’s has been under a cloud in recent years as its US customers turn to alternatives. The Conversation explores what the sector is …

Overweighing balance

Bariatric surgery to treat obesity is gaining ground. But the potential side-effects after the surgery are often overlooked

South Africa faces highest risk of deaths from non-communicable diseases

South Africans are more likely to die from NCDs even though the country is threatened by a prolific HIV epidemic 

At least 12 million avoidable deaths linked to improper diets in 2018

Premature deaths attributed to inappropriate diet increased 15% in 2010-2018; premature deaths attributed to dietary risks increased 22%