March - 2016

Commuters who shun car travel keep slimmer, study concludes

People who cycle, walk or catch the train or bus to work keep more weight off than commuters who travel by car, a large UK study has found. The results come from 150,000 UK adults aged 40 or older who agreed to be measured and weighed and fill in a survey about their typical journey to and from work. Cycling came out as the best activity for staying trim, followed by walking. But even those who used public transport were leaner than car users. The authors of the Lancet Di

43% 'resume smoking after giving birth'

Nearly half of women who quit smoking during pregnancy take it up again soon after they give birth, according to research in the journal Addiction. The analysis of several studies suggests 13% of women who enrol on smoking cessation programmes quit during pregnancy. But 43% of these restart within six months of giving birth. Public Health England says more action is needed to help mothers-to-be quit for good. 'Wide gulf' Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to many he

Rise in hip replacements for under 60s

The number of hip replacement operations on people aged under 60 has risen 76% in the last decade, NHS figures for England reveal. In 2004-05 there were 10,145 hip replacements for people aged 59 and below, with 17,883 in 2014-15. The Royal College of Surgeons says this is partly because doctors are now more confident that replacement joints will be more durable than in the past. Patients are also said to be less willing to wait. As a proportion of all hip replacements carrie