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AUK study has concluded that patients should get weighed during routine GP appointments, and recommends that the overweight get sent to slimming classes, to combat the national obesity problem and help reduce heart disease and diabetes. Researchers are calling for a national NHS slimming service, after finding that patients could lose up to 9.5kg if a doctor took 30 seconds to book them into weight-loss schemes. I think it’s a good idea, although my first reaction was horror. How DARE a doctor tell me he thinks I’m fat! And I worry that this initiative could stop a patient with some other serious health problem from going to see their doctor. But we’re turning into a nation of very overweight, unhealthy people, so maybe shock tactics are what’s needed to turn…

It’s one of the most feared conditions for over-55s – and there’s still no known cure. So, when a possible new drug to treat dementia hit the headlines, it brought much needed hope to us all. But, there’s still confusion over the condition, says Alzheimer’s expert Dr Louise Walker. So when should you be concerned? LOST YOUR KEYS AGAIN? Memory-loss comes with age, so it can be hard to distinguish between what’s ‘normal’ and what’s Alzheimer’s. After all, it’s fairly common to lose your train of thought halfway through a sentence or not to be able to remember where your keys are. But if you can’t remember what your keys are for, then you have a reason to talk to your doctor. DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMER’S? Dementia is an umbrella term…

Arriving at the prison, Kate Morgan felt numb. She was about to confront the man responsible for the car crash that killed her daughter, Lona Wyn Jones, 22, in May 2012. Ian Edwards, then 24, had been racing another car at 80mph when he lost control of his Ford Fiesta, which flipped onto its roof after he mounted a grass verge. Edwards and Lona’s friend, Fay, who was in the front passenger seat, survived and both were taken to hospital. But Lona, who’d been sitting in the back, suffered head injuries and died at the scene. Edwards was jailed for three years and nine months after admitting dangerous driving. While he was serving his sentence, Kate went to see him. Her local police force in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, ran a restorative…

East Anglian spicy roast butternut squash This silky-smooth combination of butternut squash and herbs is vibrant and warming – perfect for autumn. SERVES 6-8 PREP: 10 mins COOK: 1 hr 2 medium butternut squash, cubed with skin on 1tsp dried chilli flakes 2tsp dried fennel seeds Small handful fresh thyme 6tbsp oil Small handful fresh sage leaves 2 medium onions, chopped 3 carrots, sliced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1tsp paprika 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 50g grated Parmesan 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. 2 Put the squash in a large bowl and add the chilli flakes, fennel seeds and thyme. Add 4tbsp oil and mix. Transfer to a baking tray. Place the tray in the oven and roast the squash for about 40-45 mins, until soft.…

As he gathered up a pile of leaves and threw me a cheeky smile, I knew exactly what my mischievous son, Teddy, was planning next. ‘Don’t you dare,’ I laughed, bolting away from him as he ran after me, giggling, his twoyear-old sister, Bea, squealing with delight. It was the kind of happy, healthy family scene I could once only have dreamed of. In 2012, our lives changed overnight when Teddy was diagnosed with leukaemia. The cruel blood cancer transformed our tractor-mad three-year-old into a shadow of his former self. My husband, Thomas, 46, and I sat by his hospital bedside for hours, willing him to get better. During those dark days, like so many others going through challenging times, food had become my comfort blanket. I slowly ate myself…

HOW IT WORKS This plan works because it never gives you enough time between meals to really get hungry. However, to make snacking work, you need to follow a few simple rules… 1 Eat loads of veg and shrink the size of your plate so it looks full. 2 You should only have two portions of fruit daily. That’s why so many of our snacks include vegetables. 3 If you go to the gym after work, have your before-bed snack before you go or as you come home, then have dinner – or move one of your morning snacks to later in the day. 4 If you start adding a little bit of this and that when you’re eating, it can all mount up. Avoid calorific drinks; simple tea, coffee,…

We ’re ALL TALKING about Theme parks attract millions of us every year, and most of us wouldn’t even think twice about taking our children on a log flume. So when four adults – including mum-of-two Kate Goodchild (top right with husband David) – were killed at Australia’s Dreamworld theme park last week, it was horrifying. A fun day out turned to tragedy when a raft on the moderate-rated Thunder River Rapids hit an empty carriage in front and flipped backwards, crushing two passengers and drowning the remaining two. Kate’s other daughter, 12-year-old Ebony (top), and a 10-yearold boy were catapulted free and their survival was being hailed as ‘a miracle’. This is only weeks after our own Alton Towers theme park pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of breaching…

Freezer friend For your fast-food fix, keep a pack of the new Young’s Chip Shop Special Orders Chicken Breast Strips, from £2, in your freezer. With their uniquely crunchy chip-shop batter, they cook straight from frozen and are great with salad for a mid-week meal. TOFFEE APPLE TIPPLE Winter wonder cider? Brothers Toffee Apple Cider, £3.79 from Aldi, is a delicious blend of cream soda and toffee flavour – the perfect winter drink. Crazy & crunchy Diet-friendly snacks with a big helping of flavour can be hard to find, so you’ll absolutely love Popchips Ridges, £1.99. The new range, which includes Smoky Bacon, Mature Cheddar & Onion and Crazy Hot, packs a tasty crunch, with less than half the fat of fried crisps. THE CROISSANT THAT FITS IN THE TOASTER…

What is a typical working day at The X Factor studios like for you? I work from 9am till about 9pm, and Friday – the day before the show – is always the craziest of all. It starts with dance rehearsals, then, in the afternoon, we do the sound check with the contestants, and their mentors see their performances for the first time. It’s also the first time anybody has heard the accompanying music track. I call Fridays ‘the change factor’, because that’s the day when we make any last-minute tweaks to the performances, which can obviously be very hard and scary for the contestants. ‘Matt Terry? He could win it’ X Factor creative director Brian Friedman, 39, reveals who he thinks will go all the way, and why Honey G…

Did you know? 14 million of us buy and sell on eBay every month What, when & how New items still in their packaging are the most popular, along with designer clothes, vintage items, baby equipment, mobile phones and wedding dresses. Sell in season, take a good photo and be honest in your description. Give your listing a title – look for similar items under Completed Listings for tips on wording. State the end time as Sunday evening, the site’s busiest time, and start the price at 1p (with a reserve) to tempt bidders. Set the reserve at 20 per cent less than the retail price for new items and 50 per cent less for used. Include correct postage, too! DO IT FOR FREE! Instead of spending cash on a…

TOP TIP Channel your inner Jackie O. A trophy jacket will transform any outfit. Just add sunglasses. TOP TIP Skirts are having a fashion moment, and a fuller style gives the illusion of a smaller waist. TOP TIP Add the wow factor to your winter wardrobe with a long coat in a soft blush shade.…

best DESIGNER LUXE TOP TIP Save time by chopping your fruit and veg the night before if you plan to make juice in the morning. Best rated: Excellent ***** Very good **** OK *** Almost there ** Bad *…

MY PAL SHARON The rumours about Sharon Osbourne on The X Factor are utter rubbish – she’d never drink before a show. There are times you’d want a drink, but that doesn’t mean you have one! As for forgetting her act’s name – we all have moments of distraction, get over it. LOUISE ON A ‘PLATEAU’?! Louise Redknapp has been told more than once that she has ‘plateaued’ with her performances. I don’t agree – she’s doing a wonderful and very consistent job. But that’s why there are four judges, not one – wouldn’t it be boring if we all agreed?! Twitter trolls Tess getting trolled on Twitter recently makes me angry. This is actually a bigger issue – it’s a minority of people who try to get 15 minutes of fame by…

The latest looks and how to wear them Beyond the fringe Tassels and fringing have been a massive trend in 2016 – and they’re staying put for autumn/winter. Here’s how to work the look with style… • Keep the trend plain and simple and go for minimal detailing on just one item of clothing. A tassel jumper is a great way to bring life to a pair of classic jeans. • It’s the perfect way to glitz up for night time, too. A gilet or cardigan looks great worn over your fave LBD, or a cute Victoriana blouse – another hot trend all over the catwalks – with plain black trousers. • If you don’t want to go too boho, jewellery is the perfect way to dip your toe in.…

‘If ther e’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘It is all about the way you choose to see things. The blog has made my life so much lighter, brighter and funnier.’ Having kids has been the best thing I’ve ever done – no question – but it’s also been the hardest. Being a mum is amazing, but it is also a nightmare at times. Since I had my boys, who are now six and three years old, there have been moments I’ve wanted to tear my hair out. There is the crying, which can get absolutely chilling, the tiredness, and also, there’s the lifestyle change. Whereas before, I could pick up my keys and cash and pop to the shop for a bag of crisps, now nothing is just about me…

From youth-ina-bottle pills to contouring masks and polishing grains, skin care is fast-becoming one of the most cutting-edge areas in beauty. Antiageing expert Lesley Reynolds reveals her pick of the the new products and ideas upping the ante in the wrinkle war. 1 YOUTH PILL Beauty Beneath, £39.99 for 60 capsules, boots.com Can a pill make you look younger? Latest research reckons so, with scientists claiming wrinkle-free skin could be down to popping a couple of pills daily. This smart age supplement is designed to work from the inside out. The soft gel capsules contain a total of 19 ingredients, such as biotin, marine collagen and omegas 3 & 6, which help reverse the signs of ageing. Start taking two capsules a day for two months now, and you could…

There’s nothing lovelier than opening Christmas cards from family and friends you haven’t seen for a while, is there? With our busy lives, the weeks and months can whizz by with little contact with loved ones – and that makes the exchange of Christmas cards all the more important. So, wouldn’t it be fantastic for your family and friends to receive a handmade card? What’s more, with this incredible £5 card-making kit, you can create the best cards ever! The 160-piece bumper kit includes blank background cards, adhesive tape, festive craft papers, Christmassy pictures and sticky pads – to make your cards 3D! – plus 24 envelopes and step-by-step instructions. Before long, you’ll be cardmaking like a pro and putting big smiles on the faces of those you hold dear.…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Back in the 1700s, a volcano erupted on Lanzarote for six years, leaving a quarter of the island covered in a moon-like surface that people still flock to see. But, apart from its unusual lunar landscape, the best thing about this iconic island is the guaranteed, year-round sunshine. Add in its turquoise seas, thermal springs and air fresh enough to blow away your cobwebs, and you’ve got a fantastic destination for winter sun and wellbeing. Spanish actress Penélope Cruz is a huge fan. INSIDER’S GUIDE Get pampered to the max across the island, from thalassotherapy (sea water) and fresh water therapies, to volcanic rock, mud and local plant treatments. The Thalasso Teguise Beach U-spa at the Barceló hotel is an excellent place to enjoy some well-earned treats. From…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 7 Nation with no monarch (8) 9 Selection (6) 10 Solidifies (4) 11 Astounded (10) 12 Item of crockery (5) 14 Magazine edition or number (5) 15 Ensign, banner (4) 16 Ebb or flow, e.g. (4) 17 Loses traction (5) 18 Clemency (5) 23 An amassment of stamps, e.g. (10) 24 Unit of bread (4) 25 It’s often one of two in a pod (6) 26 Royal daughter (8) DOWN 1 Uncover, display (6) 2 ---- and bolts (4) 3 Long, loose coat (5) 4 Perfume (5) 5 Reluctant to release ownership (10) 6 Timetable (8) 8 Carves, slices (4) 13 Bouncing frame (10) 15 Pursued (8) 19 Section of a will (6) 20 Sharp…