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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Emotional eating 'learned by children not inherited'

June 20, 2018 2 Comments

Emotional eating 'learned by children not inherited'




Children who eat more or less when stressed or upset have learned the behaviour rather than inherited it, a study suggests.
A study by University College London found home environment was the main cause of emotional eating.
And this was due to parental behaviours including giving upset children their favourite food to soothe them.
But eating-disorder charity Beat says parents shouldn't be blamed for children's eating issues.
Emotional eating "indicates an unhealthy relationship to food", said senior lead researcher Dr Clare Llewellyn.
"Rather than finding more positive strategies to regulate their emotions, they're using food," she said.
"A tendency to want to eat more in response to negative emotions could be a risk factor for the development of obesity. And emotional over- and under-eating could be potentially important in the development of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or binge-eating disorder.
"Understanding how these tendencies develop is crucial, because it helps researchers to give advice about how to prevent or change them, and where to focus future research."

Identical and non-identical twins

The study, which is published in Pediatric Obesity journal, looked at 398 four-year-old British twins from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS).
Half of the twins came from families with obese parents, putting them more at risk of becoming obese themselves, and half from parents with a healthy weight.
Parents reported on their children's eating traits and tendency to emotionally eat - answering questions such as whether the child wanted to eat more when irritable or less when sad.
They compared the questionnaire data between identical and non-identical twins along with their rates of emotional eating and found very little difference between the twins whether they were identical or not - suggesting environment had more of an influence than genes.
Previous studies have indicated that other eating behaviours in early childhood are strongly influenced by genes.
They include:
  • speed of eating
  • how soon you feel full
  • wanting to eat just for pleasure
The researchers said their new work was "significant" because it added weight to the results of a bigger study they had carried out last year with a totally different twin sample.
"The trait is starting to develop in the important formative pre-school years. And it indicates there is scope for giving parents more directed advice about sorts of strategies they use to help their children when they're upset during the very important early years when behaviours start to develop," said Dr Llewellyn.

The researchers said emotional eating was an "enduring trait" that could continue through your life.
And while it was not inherited via a gene, the pattern of using food to soothe children, as a reward or to control behaviour could be passed down from one generation to another.
"The advice to parents would be try not to use food to soothe your child. When they're upset, try to use other more positive strategies," said Dr Llewellyn.
"It depends on the age of the child - but just sitting down and talking to them openly about how they're feeling and, with young children, giving them a cuddle."
"We will continue to research the home-environmental factors that might play a role in emotional eating, such as certain parental feeding practices or stress around the dinner table," said Moritz Herle, who co-led the research.
But Beat said it was important parents were not blamed for children's eating issues.
"Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses and never have one sole cause," the charity said.
"Previous research shows that some people's genetic make-up makes them more vulnerable to developing an eating disorder. And for these people, stress or emotional upset may act as a trigger.
"It is important to remember that families often provide vital support for eating disorder sufferers. And this research should not prompt anyone to blame parents. Families need to be empowered to help their loved ones and given information about eating disorders and sources of support."
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'Should I stay or should I go now?'

June 20, 2018 2 Comments

'Should I stay or should I go now?'


Emilia Wilton-Godberfforde is facing a big decision - will she continue working as an academic in UK universities after Brexit?
She is British but her husband is French and they are worried about the uncertainty of their future status and what she calls rising "xenophobia".
They also fear a loss of EU research funding will threaten university jobs.
The universities minister says UK access to EU research budgets will "remain unchanged" until at least 2020.
There are about 36,000 academics from European Union countries working in UK universities - and there are others such as Ms Wilton-Godberfforde who have family links to European researchers and academics.

'Wait and see'

EU nationals are about 17% of the UK's academics - and since the referendum there have been brain drain warnings from universities.
Margaret Gardner, vice-chancellor of Monash University, in Australia, recently said Australian universities were already poaching academics from the UK.
But so far the evidence doesn't show an academic stampede. Instead, it suggests a picture of "wait and see".
"We're nervous. Nothing is made clear about our status. It's promises and half-promises," says Ms Wilton-Godberfforde, who has been a research fellow at the University of Cambridge and is teaching French language and literature for the Open University.
Her husband is a French, Cambridge-educated scientist and they have a young child - and the family is struggling with a sense that Brexit has made them feel "unwelcome".
"It doesn't feel like home," she says.
It's a conversation she says is running through universities - with European staff choosing whether to put down roots or to move away.

Research promise

If Ms Wilton-Godberfforde and her husband choose to stay in the UK, she doesn't know what type of bureaucracy and uncertainty will surround their new status.
And she is "massively upset" at the sense that things are going backwards for her generation - and that barriers are being put up to her mobility.
"It feels like everything is shrinking, we're penalised for looking outwards," she says.
By contrast, Cambridge professor Robert Tombs is pro-Brexit and rejects the link between leaving the EU and xenophobia.
"Britain is not a xenophobic country," he says in a podcast for a group putting the views of pro-Brexit academics.
"Race relations are much better than in most European countries which are solidly in support of the EU.
"There's no simple co-relation between disliking foreigners and not liking the EU."
There are, however, also job worries over Brexit and EU research funding.
And Dr Wilton-Godberfforde says she worries about academics "grappling for grants that no longer exist".
The Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah this week gave assurances that UK universities would have the full benefits of the current research round, even though it stretches beyond the UK's departure date from the EU.
Even if there was no deal, the UK government had promised to underwrite any commitments, he said, answering an MP's question.
"This guarantees funding for UK participants in projects ongoing at the point of exit," said Mr Gyimah.

The 100bn euro question

But there is even more EU research money at stake from 2021 - about 100bn euros in the next round - and so far not much clarity about the UK's access to this.
The UK's universities, highly rated by international standards, have been among the biggest winners of EU funding, net beneficiaries by about 3.4bn euros in the most recent round.
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Charlottesville organiser plans Washington DC rally

June 20, 2018 2 Comments

Charlottesville organiser plans Washington DC rally


The organiser of last year's "Unite the Right" event in Charlottesville has won approval to hold a rally in Washington DC.
Jason Kessler's application for a "white civil rights rally" has been approved for 11-12 August by the National Park Service.
The permit for the event has not yet been issued.
Mr Kessler's filing estimates 400 people will attend, and says he will work with law enforcement.
The Washington DC event is planned for exactly one year after the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.






The event followed months of protests concerning the planned removal of a Confederate statue in the town.

  • A reckoning in Charlottesville
  • Why the fuss over Confederate statues?
  • Why US right-wing groups are on the rise
A car rammed a crowd of demonstrators protesting against the event, killing one woman and injuring 19 others.
US President Donald Trump inflamed national tensions when he said both sides were to blame for the violence.
An application to hold another event in Charlottesville this year was rejected due to public safety concerns, according to local media.
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Algeria turns off internet for high school exams

June 20, 2018 3 Comments

Algeria turns off internet for high school exams




Algeria has turned off its internet nationwide during high school exams in a bid to tackle cheating.
Internet service, both mobile and fixed line, will go off for an hour after the start of each high school diploma exam to stop any leaks.
Blackouts will continue throughout the exam season, from 20-25 June.
The move follows widespread cheating in 2016, with questions leaked online before and during tests.
As a result, the authorities asked internet service providers to stop social media access last year, but the voluntary measures were not enough.
Education Minister Nouria Benghabrit told Algerian newspaper Annahar that Facebook would be blocked across the country throughout the entire period.
Ms Benghabrit said while they are "not comfortable" with the decision, "we should not passively stand in front of such a possible leak".
Additionally, all electronic devices with internet access - for both students and school staff - have been banned from the country's 2,000 exam halls, with metal detectors set up at their entrances.
Ms Benghrabit also said surveillance cameras and mobile phone jammers had been installed at exam printing presses.
Just over 700,000 students will sit the high school certificate examinations over the next week, with results expected from 22 July.
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Trump backs down on migrant family separations policy

June 20, 2018 1 Comments

Trump backs down on migrant family separations policy

US President Donald Trump has bowed to public pressure and signed an executive order promising to "keep families together" in migrant detentions.
Mr Trump reversed his own policy amid international fury over the separation of undocumented parents and children.
He said he had been swayed by images of children who have been taken from parents while they are jailed and prosecuted for illegal border-crossing.
But the order does not address families already separated by the policy.
US immigration officials say 2,342 children were separated from 2,206 parents between 5 May and 9 June.
"It's about keeping families together," Mr Trump said at the signing ceremony on Wednesday.
"I did not like the sight of families being separated," he said, but added the administration would continue its "zero tolerance policy" of criminally prosecuting anyone who crosses the border illegally.
The executive order calls for:
  • Immigrant families to be detained together while their legal cases are considered
  • Expediting immigration cases involving families
  • Requesting the modification of a court ruling that dictates how long immigrant children can be detained
The president said his wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka, who reportedly have been applying pressure on him to drop the policy, "feel strongly" about ending the practice of separating migrant families.
"I think anybody with a heart would feel very strongly about it," he said. "We don't like to see families separated."
Vice-President Mike Pence and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who has emerged as the face of the White House policy, were both present for Wednesday's order signing.

The president had previously said "you can't do it through an executive order", insisting that only Congress could fix the policy by passing immigration reform before his U-turn on Wednesday.
Republican congressional leader Paul Ryan said the House of Representatives will vote on Thursday "on legislation to keep families together".
He did not immediately provide details of the bill, but said it resolves the issue of so-called Dreamers, undocumented adult migrants who entered the US as children, "in a very elegant way".


Presentational grey line

Trump backs down

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington
For days administration officials have insisted they were simply following the law as written and their "zero tolerance" policy for illegal border crossings meant they "have to take the children away", in the president's words.
Critics have countered that Mr Trump unilaterally created the situation that produced the heart-rending accounts of children separated from their parents, and he could unilaterally fix it.
By taking executive action, the president is effectively acknowledging they were correct.
Now the fight will probably move to the courts, with legal challenges to the administration's decision to hold detained families together while their immigration status is adjudicated.
That is more politically hospitable ground for Republicans, who already face challenging mid-term congressional elections.
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Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Most NI carers have suffered mental ill-health - survey

June 19, 2018 1 Comments

Most NI carers have suffered mental ill-health - survey



More than two-thirds of carers in Northern Ireland questioned for a survey said they have suffered mental ill-health as a result of their caring responsibilities.
And more than a half said their physical health had deteriorated.
The survey was carried out across the UK to mark Carers Week, which starts today.
It is estimated that about 220,000 people in NI care for a loved
one, saving the state £4.6bn per year.

'Strain of caring'

A carer is defined as someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health problem or who needs extra help as they grow older.


"In the absence of an assembly, more needs to be, and must be done, by policy-makers, health and social care providers, employers and the wider community in Northern Ireland to ensure carers here are recognised and supported, not just with their caring role but in all aspects of their daily lives," Ms Magee added.
A report from 2015 by Carers UK and the University of Sheffield found that the value of carers' support in Northern Ireland had almost doubled to £4.6bn since 2001.
It said researchers had attributed this to a large increase in the number of hours people are caring for, combined with an increase in the cost of replacement care.
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Public Health Agency recalls 150 women for cancer test

June 19, 2018 1 Comments

Public Health Agency recalls 150 women for cancer test




One hundred and fifty women in Northern Ireland are being recalled to have their cervical smear test redone.
It follows the discovery that the procedure had not been carried out properly.
The women belong to two different GP surgeries in Newtownabbey and Belfast.
The problem emerged about six weeks ago when the authorities were informed that a health care worker had not carried out the procedure properly.
The surgeries involved are Dr McKenna's practice in Thames Street, Belfast, and Abbott's Cross practice in Newtownabbey.

Negative tests

The health care worker had worked in both practices.
A cervical smear test involves some cells being taken from a woman's cervix or the opening of her womb. It's not a test for cancer, rather a test to see if the cells are abnormal which may lead to cancer.
It is understood that all these women's results came back negative but the Public Health Agency (PHA) is asking the women to have the tests redone to ensure the results are accurate.
The BBC understands that while a majority of the cases are within the past 18 months some date back three years.
According to the PHA those affected should have received a letter by post this morning.

130,000 samples

The women are asked to call their surgery to arrange for a smear test appointment.
The health body said that, to put the figure of 150 in context, over 130,000 cervical screening samples are taken each year across Northern Ireland.
Dr Tracy Owen, of the PHA, said: "We understand that the women who are receiving these letters may be anxious, but we would like to reassure them that this is a precautionary measure and would urge them to accept the invitation for a repeat test."
A spokesperson for the two GP practices said they wanted to reassure women that "patients who haven't received a letter from us have no reason to be concerned and do not need to arrange a repeat test".
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Over 40s health check to include dementia advice

June 19, 2018 2 Comments

Over 40s health check to include dementia advice


People over 40 in England will be given advice on dementia as part of their free NHS health check.
Guidance on how to reduce the risk of dementia will be given to patients at GP surgeries and through community health programmes.
Public Health England (PHE) said up to one-third of dementia cases could be improved through lifestyle choices.
But its says 28% of people have no awareness of risk factors and only 2% know what they can do to reduce them.
The planned roll-out follows a small pilot conducted by PHE, with the help of Alzheimer's Research UK and the Alzheimer's Society, which led to both charities calling for it to become mandatory.
Presentational grey line

What is the NHS England over 40s health check?

  • Recommended every five years for those aged 40 to 74
  • Tests include height, weight, blood, and blood pressure
  • Takes 20 to 30 minutes
Read more (NHS)
Presentational grey line
The current health check in England focuses on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
But the public body says the advice for dementia is much the same, adding: "What's good for the heart is good for the brain."
Maintaining a social life, keeping mentally and physically active, and stopping smoking are all recommended by healthcare professionals as ways of reducing the risk.
  • Dementia risk linked to some medicines
  • The foods that might help with dementia
  • The people with dementia staging their debut plays
More than 14 million people - 91% of those eligible - have been offered an NHS health check over the past five years, but fewer than 50% - or seven million - have had one.
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said the check "could add years to your life".
Minister for Public Health, Steve Brine, added: "Early detection and prevention are vital to the health of our nation and our programmes in this area are among the most ambitious in the world.
"Our aim is to keep everyone as healthy as possible, for as long as possible."

Dementia schemes around the UK

A survey by British Social Attitudes showed 52% of adults in the UK named dementia as one of their top three health worries.
The NHS in Wales does not offer the checks, but has a separate scheme called "add to your life" - which targets groups at risk of disease, rather than by age.
It did launch a new dementia strategy earlier this year, however, focusing on early diagnosis at GP level.
Scotland also has a national dementia strategy focusing on early diagnosis and offering all patients diagnosed with the condition a minimum of a year of "high-quality post-diagnostic support."
PHE estimates more than 850,000 people are living with dementia across the UK.
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