The Scientific Guide to a Healthier You

welcome

Is the leftover Christmas cake more appealing than one of your five a day? Has the Fitbit been replaced by the remote control? If you’re already struggling with your New Year’s Resolutions, you’re not alone. Everyone’s lives are busy, making it all too easy to fill up on unhealthy snacks or skip a workout. We all know we should eat healthily, exercise and get some good shut-eye. But how much cardio do you need to fight the flab? What diet is right for you? How many hours of sleep do you need a night? It can be hard to track down useful advice when websites, magazines and books all seem to offer confusing and conflicting info. So, in this special issue, we’ve cut through the jargon to reveal the science behind what…

eye opener

Pain killer Is it an alien landscape? Modern art? Rare mineral? Actually, none of the above. This colour-enhanced image is a close-up of aspirin crystals, which have been magnified hundreds of times. Aspirin has been used for over a century to treat pain, reduce fever and prevent heart disease. More recently, it has even been known to reverse tooth decay and decrease the risk of certain types of cancer. The main ingredient of modern aspirin – acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) – was first synthesised in 1853. But the medical use of its active component (salicylic acid) goes way back. Found in plants (especially willow trees) where it triggers processes, such as flowering and defence mechanisms against disease, salicylic acid was extracted and used as a natural painkiller by ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, native Americans and…

diet & exercise

Despite all your best intentions, do you get your five fruit and veg a day? How about regular workouts? We all know what we should be doing, but a healthy diet and exercise regime are hard to stick to. Science has proven the wealth of health benefits you get from eating the right foods and regularly breaking into an exercise-induced sweat. Research shows that good nutrition supports the immune system, improves brain performance and reduces the risk of disease, anxiety and depression. Regular exercise helps keep your weight in check, strengthens muscles and decreases stress. But did you know that dark chocolate can actually be good for you? Or that modest amounts of red wine have a positive effect on your gut bacteria? Read on to find out more surprising…

the science of fighting   fat

The statistics tell their own story. One in four people in England are now classified as obese, compared with one in six in the 1990s. Fifty-eight per cent of women and 68 per cent of men are now overweight. Being overweight makes us less healthy: a new study published in Lancet Public-Health shows a clear relationship between hospital admissions and body weight. But it also matters because being overweight makes many people unhappy. A British Social Attitudes survey revealed that people who are overweight suffer significant stigma, and that 53 per cent of the British public are intolerant, believing that most overweight people could lose weight if they tried. But the science shows that it's not simply a matter of being weak-willed. “There are clear reward pathways for food in the brain and…

how fat are we?

More than half a billion people in the world are obese. Increasingly sedentary lives and a shift in diet are to blame. The South Pacific island of Samoa has the highest proportion of obese people – a whopping 74.6 per cent are considered obese. In fact, South Pacific nations reign in the top 10 – only Kuwait is not in the region. Elsewhere around the world, there is a direct link with income – the prevalence of obesity is four times higher in high-income countries than low-income ones. African and Asian countries generally have very low obesity levels. Less than 2 per cent of the populations in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered obese. To be defined as obese, you need…

tips to help you fight fat

1 Eat slowly Research presented at a recent American Heart Association meeting has found that eating quickly expands your waistline and increases heart disease risk. According to Yeo, eating too quickly means you’re not leaving enough time for your gut to release hormones signalling to the brain that you’re full. So hunger continues and you keep on eating. 2 Avoid ‘empty’ calories Empty calories are sugary foods that make you gain weight, but don’t make you feel full. Fizzy drinks and fruit juices deliver large concentrations of sugar to the gut so quickly and easily that your intestines barely register it has hit them. Proteins and complex carbs, like beans, wholegrains, nuts and leafy vegetables, take longer to break down – so they’re in your gut longer and produce lasting ’fullness’ feelings. 3 Don’t…