iblog

Rushda: The secret behind the intelligence of famous curvy women such as Nigella Lawson may be in their curves. New research from the US has revealed the very interesting finding that curvy women are, on the whole, more intelligent than their waif-like counterparts. Not only that but they are even said to produce more intelligent offspring as well. Apparently the bigger the difference between a woman's waist and her hips, the better. During the study, 16,000 women and girls of varying degrees of voluptuousness were asked to take cognitive tests and the results were striking - the curvy women did better on the whole and so did their children. Evolutionary scientists believe that the result could possibly be explained by the fact that fatty acids found around the hips is most likely to be Omega-3 which has long been said to boost mental abilities. I'm not sure to what certainty we can point to something abstract as intelligence as lying in particular fatty tissue. Many experts too feel that any result at this stage would be a little premature given all the different factors we need to take into account. For example Martin Tovee of Newcastle University says:

"On the fatty deposits being related to intelligence front, it's very hard to detangle that from other factors, such as social class, for instance, or diet."

No doubt curvy women will be very pleased to hear the findings of the study - not only have they long been shown to be the most attractive, now one is saying that they have the best beauty and brains.

Kayleigh: Women who have had one too many after a night out are ending up in hospital with burst bladders, according to the British Medical Journal. The problem occurs when women drink too much and don't realise their bladder is too full, which then causes it to rupture. Previously it had only reportedly happened to men, but now it is effecting women more and more as increasing numbers take up binge drinking. Mr Mohantha Dooldeniya is a surgeon at Pinderfields Hospital. He has seen 3 women in the past year who have suffered from a burst bladder. He says the reason why the bladder burst is because the bladder was full with urine but the person didn't realise they needed the toilet because of the numbing effects of the alcohol they had drunk. He said: "In women, the feeling was because they have a short urethra they are more likely to leak than rupture. A minor trauma, such as a fall, can increase the risk the bladder will burst." This isn't the only problem associated with binge drinking. According to TheSite.org, if you binge drink on a regular basis you could suffer from heart problems later in life. There's also your liver to think about. If battered by too much drink, the liver could develop a disease called cirrhosis. Alcohol also affects your skin too, as it makes you dehydrated and, therefore, it doesn't get the vital nutrients it needs. Alcohol related health problems are also taking its toll on the NHS and it is costing them up to £3 billion a year. This is all well and good, it has certainly put me off drinking too much, but i can't seem to keep away from the toilet when i'm drinking so i don't think i have to worry about this happening to me too much! The problem is the label of a binge drinker, if you have more than a few glasses of wine you are labelled a binge drinker, but the fact is, everyone is different and can handle different amounts. I can certainly handle a lot more when i now than when i first started drinking, but i wouldn't call myself a binge drinker!

Kayleigh: The government has launched a social networking site for the over-50s so they can talk directly to the government about issues that concern them. The website, called Generation Xperience, introduces topics into its forums, but also allows members of the public to start forums of their own. The topics the site has welcomed so far are "The internet" and "60 goals for the over 60s." The site also lists local events such as music and dance events, and encourages its audience to join in by visiting the government website Directgov. It also links to other websites that might interest the over-50s such as the Government News Network and Age Concern. The site also intends to have its own groups on other popular social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Youtube. The site makes it clear that although ministers will take note of the over-50s, they cannot answer their questions directly on the site. Instead, representatives from the Department of Work and Pensions will keep the site running and up to date. Lynne Williams, 50, believes the site is a good idea. She said: "I don't go to council meetings but I can now talk to the government from the comfort of my own home to voice my concerns now, which is great." Personally, I think the website is a good idea, but why don't they create a site for young people. It seems to me that most young people aren't very interested in politics but if the government tried to interact with them using modern technology that young people use, they might get more of a response.

Kayleigh: Students are annoyed as more and more university tutors are starting to use Facebook and MySpace to contact them. Students feel that their private lives are being invaded and want to keep their academic life and social life separate. Research done by The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) showed that universities are trying to connect with students in new ways, and in recent years social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have become very popular with young people. This is the latest move in the technologically-driven world. Tutors recently started presenting lectures as podcasts and started texting students to give them academic advice. Gareth Ruston, 20, Police and Criminal Investigation student at the University of Central Lancashire, thinks there are good and bad points of tutors being able to contact him in different ways. He said: "I like the fact that i can text my tutor if I've forgot to ask something, but I don't want them looking at my Facebook, it's my private space for me and my friends!" But JISCs head of communications, Dr Philip Pothen says the move is a good thing. "Universities need to have this kind of information.They need to know how today's students learn; how they take in information." One tutor who uses Facebook to contact her students is Gilly Salmon, professor of e-learning and learning technologies at Leicester University. She said: "I'm very interested in it as a potential way for students working together remotely rather than having to be in a physical space." I'm not convinced though, I like it when a tutor contacts me through my university email, but I would certainly not want them contacting me through my Facebook or MySpace, in fact, I'd hate them to even see it. Employers are also looking at it now, which just adds to the worry, one friend of mine has completely changed his Facebook and Myspace because of this revelation!

Rushda: Recent studies into the rapidly increasing use of mobiles has revealed that, on average, Britons send 1,000,000,000 text messages in a single week. Indeed, according to figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA), roughly 4,000 text messages are sent every second. The total over a week is 25% more than a year ago and in fact now totals the same amount as sent in an entire year in 1999. This leaves one only to wonder what will happen in future. When asked what accounted for the popularity of text messages, head of MDA Mike Short said:

"It's convenient, comprehensive, it's on every handset and network and it is cost effective."

It is easy to forget how we used to manage without it, as text messaging has now become an integral part of many people's lives. It really is convenient for all those things that you want to say that don't warrant having an entire conversation. Furthermore, the study also found that text messaging is fast becoming popular in businesses as well as a way of contacting lots of employees at once. As Mr Short explains:

"It's a lot more convenient for a business now to notify lots of their employees about an urgent message using a text message."

The UK now "sits within the top 6 of the global league of countries sending text messages," and it is no surprise why. We live in a fast world where constant ability to communicate is key - whether it be mass texting within companies or short notes to a friend to say you will be late. Though text messaging may not be the most elegant or romantic form of communication (espclly whn typng lik tis), no one can deny how useful it can be.

Rushda: A huge international study based on lifestyle has recently found that body weight and eating habits strongly influence the risk of developing cancer. The new advice given by The World Cancer Research Fund, based on the "biggest study ever", is that even if you are not overweight you could significantly lower your cancer risk by slimming down even more, and furthermore they also advise tough nutritional measures such as cutting out all bacon and ham from the diet altogether. Before this study, the advice was always to stick to a moderate diet and stay within the healthy weight range (i.e. a Body Mass Index of between 18.5 and 25). However, experts now say that the closer you are to the lower end of the healthy spectrum, the better. Indeed, everyone should try and become as thin as possible without being underweight. Though there is still much research to be done into the causes of cancer, it is important that everyone realises how much their lifestyle can affect their risk. Though only a third of all cancers are due to lifestyle conditions, following simple health advice could cut three million new cases of cancer across the world a year. As Professor Wiseman from the research group says:

"Cancer is not a fate, it is a matter of risk, and you can adjust those risks by how you behave. It is very important that people feel that they are in control of what they do."

A more comprehensive list of advice is given below: 1. Reduce red meat consumption. 2. Drink less alcohol. 3. Avoid all processed meats - including bacon, ham, salami, etc. 4. Avoid fizzy drinks. 5. Stay as thin as possible without becoming underweight. 6. Exercise every day. 7. Breastfeed children. Subsequent to the results of the study, many have protested that the radical advice given by scientists is progressively becoming more and more difficult to manage and hence quite ridiculous. However, it is clear that the evidence given is not simply a case of "scaremongering" but supported by compelling reasons. Indeed the experts say that their new list is simply recommendations rather than commandments. And personally, most of the recommendations seem very reasonable if not also obvious. Whether anyone acts on it is a different matter, but it makes sense that a healthy diet will always promote a healthier lifestyle - and hence reduce the risk of fatal disease.

Rushda: It's official: organic food really is better than non-organic food. A new study funded by the European Union has found startling differences between the nutritional content of the two types. The study which cost £12m and lasted four years is the biggest ever study into organic foods and it has found that not only is organic food "more nutritious" than ordinary produce but eating it may actually lengthen people's lives. It is hoped that these results will finally settle the long debate over whether organic food really is what government calls "a lifestyle choice" or actually something scientifically shown to be better for you. The research found that organic fruits and vegetables contain as much as 40% more antioxidants than ordinary food. Antioxidants have long been known to protect against killer diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Not only that but they also have higher levels of important minerals such as iron and zinc. In fact, head researcher on the project Professor Carlo Leifert said that the difference was so great that eating organic would even compensate for not eating the five recommended portions of fruits and vegetables a day. He says:

"If you have just 20% more antioxidants and you can’t get your kids to do five a day, then you might just be okay with four a day."

Furthermore, the study has also found that even in milk, the antioxidants from organic herds were up to 90% higher than milk from ordinary herds. These results show that the government was most likely wrong when it claimed that there was no significant effect of having organic foods. Now the Food Standards Agency has confirmed that it is reviewing the above evidence before considering changing its official advice to consumers.

Rushda: Pro-lifers will be dismayed to hear that Health Minister Dawn Primarolo recently defended the current regulations that abortions are permissible up till 24 weeks, saying there is no scientific evidence to lower this upper limit. The issue has once again become a hot topic, as many are angry at how women who have been pregnant for 6 months can still be allowed to abort their babies at such a late stage. One of the key reasons for keeping the limit as it is, according to the British Medical Association, is that the number of babies capable of surviving at 24 weeks is "extremely small." Any change in abortion laws is most likely to consider medical advances rather than moral issues, and so there is no reason, according to the Health Minister, to lower the limit at this stage. As she explains:

"The medical consensus still indicates that whilst improvements have been made in care that at the moment that concept of viability cannot constantly be pushed back."

And when she was criticised by Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, a former nurse, for not having a fair view towards the act and being far too committed to the liberalisation of abortion, she said that the Department of Health are not supporting delayed abortions and that if they are to be done, the quicker the better. However, she maintains any bid to lower the limit, also saying:

"I am not here to discuss my personal views. I'm here as the minister to answer the questions the committee puts to me about the information the department has."

Ms Dorries also asked the Health Minister:

"If the evidence shows that a foetus could feel pain at 20 weeks or less, would the department consider altering its guidelines or making amendments to the Act?"

However, no specific response has been given to this question except that research would still be continued. Needless to say, many people will be disappointed with what could be described as a very dogmatic stance on such a controversial issue. It certainly seems that there are very few considerations which would cause the regulations of the Act to change in the less liberal direction. In fact, recent news suggests the opposite: that MPs are planning the "most extensive liberalisation of abortion laws for 40 years" by allowing women to have abortions with one doctor's signature rather than two and performing the second stage of the medical termination at home rather than in hospital.

Rushda: New research from the US into how we recognise others' emotions has found some remarkable things about human psychology. Apparently we are more sensitive to noticing fear than happiness as a look of horror will grab our attention many times quicker than a smile. The study, which was conducted at Vanderbilt University in the US and published in the journal Emotion, examined volunteers, found that fear is the emotion we pick up on the quicker than any other feeling such as joy. Furthermore, what is even more interesting is that this result remained the same even when volunteers were shown pictures of faces where only the eyes were showing, which means we are very perceptive when it comes to subtle facial changes. Indeed, it has been found that the brain responds to facial expressions at the rate of less than 40 milliseconds. The researchers believe that the results about detecting fear were as anticipated and can easily be explained by how we evolved to make instant decisions in life threatening situations. Smiles signal safety so they do not require immediate attention in the same way. As Dr David Zald, associate professor of psychology at the institution, explains:

"We believe that the brain can detect certain cues even before we are aware of them, so that we can direct our attention to potentially threatening situations in our environment."

Now the team will be doing research on how we respond to other emotions such as anger to find out the bigger picture.

Rushda: As part of a national scheme to cut obesity, the government has made new plans to send out warning letters to parents of overweight children. Obesity has been a serious concern for quite some time now, with numbers predicted to reach "dangerous levels" within the next decade. The fact that so many children barely past the age of 5 can already be considered obese is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with quickly, and by targeting parents this may be the best way. The new plans are controversial as many people believe that overweight children will be stigmatised by the new procedure. However, health officials are convinced that the procedure is in the best interests of the children as obesity is best tackled early on in life. Currently all children are being weighed at the age of 5 under the The National Child Measurement programme, but nothing much is happening with the results and in most cases the parents are not informed. Health Secretary Alan Johnson believes that by getting parents actively involved in restricting the diet of children and making sure they get enough exercise, childhood obesity need not become as widespread as predicted. Currently, however, he says that the statistics look grim. He says:

“More than 80% of obese 10 to 14-year-olds remain obese into adulthood.”

Furthermore, what is most worrying is that a recent report by the Commons Health Select Committee has suggested that if urgent action isn't taken soon, thousands of children will be dying before their parents and many suffering a variety of health problems early on in life.