Why US suicide rate is on the rise A new government study released reveals that suicide has been on the rise nationwide since 1999. The figures were released in the week when the deaths of designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain brought the issue to the fore. In the days following Spade's...

Fruit and vegetables: are you getting your 5 A Day? Fruit and vegetables are a vital source of vitamins and minerals, and should make up just over a third of the food we eat each day. It's advised that we eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. There's evidence that...

What is an NHS Health Check? The NHS Health Check is a free check-up of your overall health. It can tell you whether you're at higher risk of getting certain health problems, such as: heart disease diabetes kidney disease stroke If you're over 65, you will also be told the signs and symptoms of dementia to...

Middle age health crisis' warning Middle-aged people in England face a health crisis because of unhealthy lifestyles, experts have warned. Desk jobs, fast food and the daily grind are taking their toll, says Public Health England. Eight in every 10 people aged 40 to 60 in England are overweight, drink...

Unfit in middle age After accounting for other factors (including socio-economic status, a number of long-term conditions, smoking, alcohol and BMI), researchers found men between the ages of 37 and 45 were over two-and-a-half times more likely to die than non-frail people of the same age. The figures were similar...

Unfit in middle age: Are you doomed? Are you someone in middle age who keeps putting off that planned health kick for another day? If so, a couple of new studies may give you a sense of urgency. One paper found that elevated blood pressure in middle age increases the risk of dementia, while another...

Student mental health 'failing a generation' British universities say they risk "failing a generation" unless students get better mental health care. A Universities UK report found some students risked "slipping through the gaps" due to a lack of co-ordination between the NHS and universities. The most up-to-date...

Barnsley bans sugary drinks in 'sugar-free borough' bid Sugary drinks have been barred from sale at Barnsley Council in a bid to make the town a "sugar-free borough". The authority launched its food strategy after its public health department identified smoking, excessive drinking and poor diet as major problems...

Seeds of hope: The gardens springing up in refugee camps Syria is green," says Aveen Ismail. "But here it was like a desert until we started growing plants and trees." The 35-year-old fled Damascus with her family in 2012. She now lives in the Domiz Camp in Northern Iraq, where roses, lemon trees and marigolds have...

London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans TfL 'junk food' advert ban Junk food advertising could be banned across the entire Transport for London (TfL) network, City Hall has announced. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says he wants to tackle the "ticking time bomb" of child obesity in the capital. If the proposal is approved,...