A new report by Oxfam, Investing for life: Meeting poor people’s needs for access to medicines through responsible business practices, urges pharmaceutical companies to lower retail prices for drug in emerging economies. At current levels, the drugs are not affordable by 85% of people who could benefit from them, and whose alternative is often death. …
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Category:Health
Lower stress and lower calories to live longer, again
New research again supports the notion that eating less and having lower stress are significant factors in extending longevity. In a study detailed in the journal Nature, US scientists from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, exposed nematode worms were exposed to 88,000 chemicals in turn and mianserin, an antidepressant drug, extended lifespan by …
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Weight influences self-esteem in young children because of social pressure
A study Girls shout out! Under ten and under pressure, published by Girlguiding UK and eating disorders charity beat, found girls associated being overweight with being bullied and sad, while families and friends make them feel happy and good about themselves. Girls as young as seven believe being slim and attractive will mean you are …
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Migraine brains are different
This is obvious to people that get migraines – the head hurts, a lot – but now scientists may be on the road to finding out what migraine is. A Neurology study, by scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, have discovered that sensory areas of the brains’ cortex is thicker in people who develop …
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Buzz the fat off!
Strange results from research on physiological condition of test subjects to low intensity vibration suggest that mice placed on the vibrating platform convert fat to bone. It reminds me of those extraordinary “exercise belts” prominent in the 70s in which people would stand to have their tummy fat vibrated away! It sounded a bit lazy …
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Official: organic really is better for you
Early results from a € 20 million European Union-funded four-year project conclude that organic food is more nutritious than ordinary produce and may help to lengthen people’s lives. The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained as much as 40% more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. …
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Quitting smoking makes business sense
Many US businesses are seeking to reduce their medical bills by paying for programs to help employees stop smoking. Recent surveys show that one-third of companies with at least 200 workers now offer smoking cessation as part of their employee benefits package. Among the US’s biggest companies, the number may be nearly two-thirds of employers. …
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UK to tighten standards for imported organics
The Soil Association has warned that it will introduce stricter ethical standards to certify organic food flown into the UK from January 2009. The association, which certifies 70% of the UK’s £1.9 billion organic food sector, wants the trade to bring real benefit to developing world farmers so all air-freighted food will have to meet …
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Attention to diet and health at school is working in the US
The results of a survey of US schools, which is conducted every six years by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows improvement in diet and lifestyle. 30% of school districts have banned junk food from school vending machines, up from 4% in 2000. Other signs are good too: schools offering fried potatoes in …
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Consumers enforce organics in US, because the government won’t
Acting on behalf of organic food consumers in 27 states, class action lawsuits are being filed in U.S. federal courts in St. Louis and Denver, against Aurora Dairy Corporation. The suits charge Aurora, one of the nation’s largest organic dairies, with consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk by the …
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