Study that claims exercise & therapy help ME/CFS

I've just read the news articles that were published yesterday about the latest claims regarding treatment for people suffering with ME/CFS:

Study finds therapy and exercise best for ME
The biggest-ever study of treatments for ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, has found that more people recover if they are helped to try to do more than they think they can – rather than adapting to a life of limited activity.
(link via The Guardian)

The results of this "study" makes me very angry. I have a son with ME/CFS. He gets much worse with exercise, not better!

Articles like this only serve to make it easier for the general public to dismiss this very real medical condition by providing the false notion that anyone with ME/CFS can simply "think" themselves better and that a bit of exercise and fresh air will help. It's simply not true.

It's worth reading the comments that follow the article in The Guardian and the comments in all the other newspapers it was published in. Please note the numerous (and many very angry) comments from people who suffer with ME/CFS or know someone who does!

Please read this:
ME Association press statement about the results of the PACE study

and if you don't know what ME/CFS is, please read this:

Information about Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) via NHS Choices:

CFS is also known as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) causes long-term tiredness (fatigue) that affects everyday life. It does not go away with sleep or rest.

If you suffer from ME/CFS, or know someone who does, please leave a comment. I'd be very interested to know your thoughts about this latest study.

Homeopathy Funding on the NHS

NHS money 'wasted' on homeopathy
The NHS should stop funding homeopathy, MPs say.

The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee said using public money on the highly-diluted remedies could not be justified.

(link via BBC News)

It never made sense to me that the NHS was funding homeopathy. The NHS has to ration legitimate medical treatments so I think it's outrageous that public money is being used to pay for homeopathy which is not a scientifically proven treatment.

I hope the government will accept the recommendations made by the science and technology committee of the House of Commons.

What are your thoughts about homeopathy? Do you think it's right for the NHS to fund homeopathic remedies?

NHS to offer free marriage counselling

There are plans for the NHS (National Health Service) to offer marriage counselling for free if their relationship problems are causing depression. I can understand treating depression on the NHS but marriage counselling? The NHS is struggling financially and has to ration drugs and treatments so how on earth can this kind of expense be justified? Isn't this kind of service better suited to the counselling service Relate? What do you think? Should marriage counselling be offered on the NHS? (link via guardian.co.uk)

England: Prescription Promise Campaign

The British Heart Foundation has a campaign to fight for free prescriptions in England: Gordon Brown promised last year to make prescriptions free for all those with long term conditions in the coming years so we have joined forces with 18 other charities representing people with long term conditions as part of the Prescription Promise Campaign. Prescriptions are free in Wales and will be in Scotland and Northern Ireland by 2011.

Jamie Oliver plans new reality series in USA

Ryan Seacrest and British chef Jamie Oliver team for food reality show on ABC Via his burgeoning production company, Ryan Seacrest Productions, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is partnering with British chef Jamie Oliver to create an unscripted series that aims to give healthy food makeovers to America's unhealthiest cities (link via Entertainment Weekly) I hope this show will be broadcast in the UK too. I would love to watch it.

UK Department of Health:"CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT"-new advert showing how to prevent swine flu

A mass public health campaign has begun with TV, print and radio adverts warning people about swine flu with the simple message: CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT. Watch the video of the advert via the link: Department of Health releases advert showing how to prevent swine flu (link via guardian.co.uk) It's just good old common-sense really and people should be following this advice anyway but hopefully the message will get through to those people who have been lazy about practising good respiratory and hand hygiene. I think people forget that coughs and sneezes spread the germs far and wide, and that the germs can live on hard surfaces for several hours. Hopefully, the simple advice from this campaign will help to stop the spread of the swine flu.

The messages of CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT are simple:

• CATCH IT Germs spread easily. Always carry tissues and use them to catch your cough or sneeze.
• BIN IT Germs can live for several hours on tissues. Dispose of them as soon as possible
• KILL IT Hands can transfer germs to any surface you touch. Clean your hands as soon as you can.

How prepared is the UK for a pandemic?

How prepared is the UK for a pandemic? I know the official view is that the UK is one of the best prepared countries to deal with swine flu. (link via BBC News) I would like to believe we are well prepared but I have to wonder after reading this article: UK GP Investigates Suspected Swine Flu Case Without Adequate Support Or Access To Antivirals (link via medicalnewstoday.com) The experience by this one GP is very worrying indeed but it also begs the question - how many other GPs are not prepared for a flu pandemic? I realize a pandemic hasn't materialized yet (and hopefully it won't) but shouldn't a strategy be in place before a pandemic strikes? Am I worrying unnecessarily? I don't think so. In fact, I just read this alarming news: More than 30 million face masks are being ordered by the Department of Health as fears grow that swine flu could become a pandemic. (link via telegraph.co.uk) The masks are needed by healthcare professionals. Why didn't the Department of Health have a stockpile of face masks ready before now? We are told to stay calm and not to panic but I can't help feeling anxious and worried about how the NHS will cope. What do you think? Do you still believe the UK is one of the best-prepared countries in the world for dealing with a pandemic? Related post from my blog: UK Department of Health: "CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT." - new advert showing how to prevent swine flu Links via the web about Swine Flu: Human Swine Influenza: advice for the public (link via Health Protection Agency) Important Information About Swine Flu (link via NHS Choices) Swine influenza frequently asked questions (link via World Health Organization)

Should Chocolate Be Taxed?

Should we tax chocolate to tackle obesity? Dr David Walker has called for chocolate to be taxed in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes to tackle increasing levels of obesity. The Scottish GP, who will put his proposal to colleagues at an upcoming BMA conference, said chocolate used to be seen as a treat but has become a harmful addiction for some. Do you agree with his idea? (link via guardian.co.uk) My view is that we have enough items taxed in this country and I don't think taxing chocolate would discourage people from eating too much of it. For example, there is a huge tax on tobacco but people still smoke. And what about the people who control their cravings and don't eat too much chocolate? Why should they have to pay more for their chocolate treat just because some people can't control the urge to eat too much chocolate? What do you think?

Elderly: reading, knitting, & other mental activities may delay memory loss

Speaking of knitting (as I was in my previous post), I think it's fascinating to learn of new research from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota about how a mental workout such as knitting may be able to delay memory loss: Knitting 'can delay' memory loss Engaging in a hobby like reading a book, making a patchwork quilt or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia, a US study suggests. (link via BBC News) This is very encouraging news about getting old. If the results of this study prove to be true, than memory loss should not be accepted as inevitable in the elderly. It also helps to highlight how unhealthy it is to watch a lot of TV and more importantly how wrong it is for elderly to end up in nursing homes where their major "activity" might be watching TV rather than participating in cognitive exercise (exercising their brains). I hope that since I'm a voracious reader and I also enjoy knitting, that I am protecting myself from the onset of dementia!

Children offered vouchers to quit smoking

Children as young as ten are being offered WHSmith and Body Shop shopping vouchers on the NHS to give up smoking. The £15 rewards are available to young people under 18 who can prove that they have gone without cigarettes for a month, even though they are under the legal age for buying tobacco. Vouchers for Argos, Boots, Asda and the Co-op are also available. (link via telegraph.co.uk) I think this is scheme is very wrong! The children are being rewarded for doing something they shouldn't be doing. What about all the children who don't smoke? What sort of message does this send to them? Couldn't this actually encourage children to start smoking - in order to take advantage of the programme? What about the parents of these children? Shouldn't they be held responsible? I think the NHS should find other ways to help get children to stop smoking rather than giving them vouchers to spend money in shops. Thoughts?

Farmhouse Breakfast Week 25th - 31st Jan

Farmhouse Breakfast Week 25th - 31st January 2009 Farmhouse Breakfast Week is an annual campaign that emphasises the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day. 'Think Breakfast' is the theme of this year's celebration to encourage everyone to wake up to breakfast as part of a healthy balanced diet and active lifestyle. Farhmouse Breakfast Week I usually have a toasted crumpet or yogurt for my breakfast. My husband likes to have porridge or beans on toast for his breakfast. Our youngest son likes to have porridge or waffles, and our eldest is away at university but when he's home, he always has cereal. On the weekends, I usually make boiled eggs and toast "soldiers" or scrambled eggs. How do you start your day? Full breakfast, just a snack or do you skip breakfast? If you are looking for breakfast ideas (and how to make them): How To Make A Traditional Full English Breakfast How To Make Eggy Bread How To Make Scrambled Eggs On Toast How To Make Boiled Egg And Soldiers How To Make Poached Eggs How To Make The Perfect Bowl Of Porridge How To Make American Pancakes (links via videojug.com)

Change 4 Life anti-obesity advert

The Department of Health has launched a new advertising campaign that aims to help families eat well and live longer. If you haven't seen the advert yet, you can watch it via this YouTube link: Change 4 Life anti-obesity advert via YouTube: Change4Life TV commercial (embedding link is disabled so you need to click on the link to watch it) It will be interesting to see if the campaign will work. It would be great if it did encourage viewers to lose weight, eat healthily and take more exercise but I don't think it will really have much impact on the people it's aimed at. It seems to me that the money spent on the advert could be put to better use, such as providing more swimming pools and (free) after school activities. Change4Life What are your thoughts about the advert and the campaign?

Jamie's Ministry of Food - Pass It On

Did you watch Jamie Oliver's new series called, Jamie's Ministry of Food, on channel 4 tonight? It was both fascinating and disturbing to watch. (If you missed it, you can watch it again via Free Catch-Up on Channel 4 Shows) This is how the Channel 4 website describes it: In Britain we spend more than £2 billion a year on ready meals. Fewer people than ever before are cooking from scratch and obesity is at record levels. Now, inspired by the wartime Ministry of Food that helped people to make the most of their rations, Jamie Oliver wants to start a food revolution to get people in Britain cooking. Jamie travels to Rotherham to meet one of the fiercest critics of his school dinners campaign, so-called ‘Burger Mum’ Julie Critchlow, who passed junk food through school railings to hungry children. Jamie wants Julie, who is actually a good cook herself, to help him to inspire others to cook at home. The plan is to teach a small group ten simple meals that they can pass on to others who, in turn, will also spread the word. If it works, he wants to get the whole town cooking and kick-off a nationwide campaign. Jamie's Ministry of Food The show highlighted the problem regarding how many adults can't cook - at all. The most distressing scenes were with Natasha who admitted she never cooked any meals for her two children. They were just given takeaways and would sit on the floor to eat the food with their fingers (no cutlery was used at all). I felt so sad for those children especially when Natasha opened her fridge and showed the bottom drawers (where fruit is usually kept) were stuffed full with sweets (candy). It's no wonder that her five-year-old has already had to have rotten teeth removed by the dentist! How sad is that?! It's true that eating healthy isn't cheap (Natasha is on benefits) but it is possible to spend the money on real food instead of junk. Even Jamie seemed overwhelmed by the prospect of teaching Natasha and the other adults how to cook when they were all struggling with minimal skills (they didn't even know how to judge when water was boiling or what simmer meant!). And of course their low income and depressing life style, made everything more difficult. I have huge respect for Jamie Oliver and his ambitious campaigns that he is always so passionate about. I think this new idea for people to learn how to cook and teach others (Pass it On) is quite inspiring. Let's hope it is successful. It certainly won't be easy as was evident in the first show tonight but I'm sure Jamie will meet the challenge.

IVF treatment: Should the NHS pay for it?

Infertile couples to be priority for NHS IVF treatment Infertile couples could soon be offered wider and more consistent treatment on the NHS under the first proposals from the government panel that has the task of ending the IVF postcode lottery. NHS trusts should give IVF a much higher importance when drawing up spending plans, by taking into account the effects of infertility on mental health and general wellbeing, the influential group will say today. (link via timesonline.co.uk) I've posted my thoughts before about IVF treatment being available on the NHS. In my opinion, I don't think the NHS should be offering any IVF treatment. I'm sure it's distressing for women who are experiencing fertility problems but infertility is not a medical condition that presents a threat to health unlike diseases such as cancer. I really don't understand how IVF can be included in NHS spending plans and yet certain cancer drugs are denied to patients because they are too expensive. I realize the NHS* cannot afford to pay for everything and I agree that rationing makes sense. Why then should the NHS provide IVF treatment at all? Thoughts? *The National Health Service (NHS) is the world’s largest publicly funded health service.

New health blog by GP

The Financial Times presents an impressive new health blog by GP and columnist Margaret McCartney where she will discuss health care and policy issues in the news. I recommend her blog if you are interested in learning more about health issues in the news, and want to read a professional view (by a family doctor) about those issues. I think it's an excellent blog, and one that I plan to read regularly, so I've added Margaret McCartney to my blogroll.

The Great Big Vegetable Challenge

If you've ever struggled to get your children to eat their vegetables, you should start reading the excellent blog called The Great Big Vegetable Challenge where the author of the blog , Charlotte Hume, has worked her way through the A to Z of vegetables, by posting recipes and photos of her seven-year-old son ('Vegetable-Phobic') Freddie as he tastes each new concoction and also rates them. The blog is now published as a book too! What a fantastic idea for a blog and good on her for getting a book deal out of it too! You can listen to Charlotte Hume speak about her book in the latest Woman's Hour programme on BBC Radio 4.

Top ten health and fitness magazines on the web

I love to read books but I'm also a big fan of magazines. They are pricey though and even if I could afford to buy or subscribe to every magazine I liked, they would soon clutter up the house! One of the great benefits of the internet is that I can access all sorts of magazines on the web - and I'm not limited to just British magazines either. I'm very interested in health issues, particularly exercise and nutrition so I really appreciate finding health and fitness magazine websites that offer lots of informative articles on their site, not just in their magazines. This is my list of top ten magazines on the web with useful websites about health and fitness: Best Health Fitness Magazine Fitness Online Health Muscle & Fitness Hers Natural Health Prevention Self Shape Women'sHealth Are there other magazine websites about health and fitness that you would recommend?

Video of a talk by Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight

Have you ever wondered how your brain works? Or what happens when a person has a stroke? You will learn all about it when you watch and listen to this fascinating presentation by Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight About this talk Jill Bolte Taylor got a research opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: She had a massive stroke, and watched as her brain functions -- motion, speech, self-awareness –- shut down one by one. An astonishing story. About Jill Bolte Taylor Brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor studied her own stroke as it happened -- and has become a powerful voice for brain recovery I found her talk incredibly moving and profound. What an impressive woman! I'm not surprised to learn that in May 2008 she was named to Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. If you want to learn more about Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, she has a website. She also has set up My Stroke of Insight website, an interactive place to read inspiring stories and share techniques on how to create deep inner peace.

A new website to empower (UK) patients

iWantGreatCare is a new website started by Dr Neil Bacon an Oxford specialist: iWantGreatCare is a free service for all those looking to find a doctor for themselves, their family or those they care for. iWantGreatCare allows you to search for a doctor by name, specialty or region of the country and read the reviews and ratings of other patients. The site invites patients to contribute comments about their doctors. The doctor can instantly read your review. Reviews are totally anonymous unless you offer identifying information yourself. I think the site is a fantastic idea! The majority of the doctors working for the NHS are very good and treat their patients with kindness and respect but some have the most horrid attitudes towards patients (unfortunately, I speak from personal experience) and make life even more miserable for patients who are already suffering with ill-health or worried and anxious about the outcome of tests. This site helps by giving patients a public voice and sharing their views with other patients as well as doctors. (link via an article in The Independent by commentator, Christina Patterson: Poor patient care is a bitter pill to swallow) Update: In the article, Christina states that, "...it was started by Dr Neil Bacon, a renal specialist in Oxford. And his colleagues are up in (scrubbed, green-sleeved) arms." Boy,she's not kidding! There is some serious backlash from the medical community which you can read about on the blog, NHS Blog Doctor, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. I have to say that I can see the (defensive) view that doctors are taking but it's a shame because I think the idea to give some power to the patients sounds good, at least in theory but perhaps not in practice. I can see how the power the site give patients might be abused. What are your thoughts about the site?

Should secondary pupils under the age of 16 be locked in school grounds?

Minister calls for lunchtime lock-in at schools to stop rush for chippie (link via guardian.co.uk) The proposal comes as damning new research reveals the extent to which children pass through school gates to buy large quantities of food that is high in fat and sugar. Some pupils left school to buy junk food more than 11 times a week. With soaring numbers of children now dangerously overweight, Brennan said one answer was to keep millions of pupils inside the gates. 'Some schools have a stay-on-site policy for 11- to 16-year-olds but lets the sixth form go off-site. I'm very strongly supportive of that approach. I would like to see more schools operating some sort of stay-on-site policy because its advantages are shown not just in improved uptake [of healthy school lunches], but also improved behaviour and community relationships.' But any plans to lock children in were attacked as Orwellian by parents yesterday, while headteachers argued that it was not possible to police pupil movement Personally, I agree with keeping pupils inside the gates during the school day. That was the rule when I went to (an American) High school and that's the rule at the secondary school my eldest son attended and my youngest son is still a pupil at. The sixth-formers are allowed to go off-site and that makes sense to me - they are treated as adults and deserve the right to leave the school grounds when they want to. I'm not sure about literally locking the school gates though. It should simply be a rule and enforced. If kids sneak away, they should be punished. It's not just about their diet, but their safety. They are children (11- to 16-year-olds) so they need to be obeying the school rules and certainly not roaming around away from the school during the lunch hour. What do you think? Do you think kids in secondary schools should be allowed to go off the school grounds during their lunch time? Or is it too much of a nanny-state idea?