MSN Life & Style Blog: The home of health and wellbeing

The obesity row rages on this week: apparently we're not taking the subject seriously enough according to Nuffield Health. Its latest study claims that large celebrities such as Beth Ditto and James Cordon are giving the impression that it's acceptable to be overweight, and that some people are buying into this idea.

 

I mean, isn't the country fat-phobic enough already without Nuffield sticking its oar in?

 

I'm sure many people look at the likes of Cheryl Cole and Kate Moss and aspire to be slim, but does Nuffield Health really believe that people are going to aspire to remain overweight?

 

We are constantly being told about the potential health problems that obesity can bring and I really believe that demonising celebrities in this way will make no difference to the way we think about our weight.

 

What do you think? Are larger celebrities making it acceptable to be overweight? Tell us here.

 

 

 

The plight of the late Jade Goody enraged some and touched others, but it can't be denied that the legacy she has left behind her has resulted in some positive action being taken to prevent cervical cancer cases.

 

Until 2004 the lower age limit for cervical screening was 20, but it was raised after the World Health Organisation deemed it unecessary for women to be screened under the age of 25.

 

Yesterday the government took the decision not to have the age for cervical screening lowered to 20 despite pressure from charities and campaigns run by tabloid newspapers.

 

I think that it is a very state of affairs when Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all screen women from the age of 20, why should young women in England not have that option?

 

What are your thoughts on this issue? Should the government have lowered the minimum age for cervical screening to 20? Or do you feel that it should stay at 25 to avoid misdiagnosis?

Most of us chop up our veg before steaming or boiling it and probably wouldn't bother with the hassle of doing the chopping after it's cooked.  But according to new research by scientists at Newcastle University, it could be time to invest in a new saucepan.

 

Results from the study showed that carrots which are cooked whole and then later chopped contained 25% more of the anti-cancer compound falcarinol than those which are chopped before boiling.

 

The research also involved taste-testing and 80% of the people involved said that the whole vegetables were more tasty than those that had been pre-chopped.

 

What do you think about this new study?  Would one piece of research be enough to change the way your prepare your vegetables?  Let us know here.

 

 

With the summer all but upon us our attention is turning to summer holidays, weekends away and that all-important sun tan. There has never been more information available about protecting your skin from the effects of the sun, but it can still be confusing getting to grips with what is right for you.

Are you confused about SPF factors? Do you want to learn about how the sun damages your skin or different skin conditions? And what does it really mean if you have a mole? Put your questions exclusively to Lloydspharmacy clinical services pharmacist and suncare expert Louise Baglole and she'll post responses to the most popular ones on our message boards.

Post your questions by 12pm on Monday 22nd June and Louise will post up her answers by the end of the month.

You may have read my earlier blog post on the fat calculator, a tool which helped you to calculate your 'fat age'.  Now, thanks to a new health calculator, it's possible to measure how healthy you are in terms of fitness levels and weight.

 

All you have to do is enter your weight, height, age and a few other details (it really only takes a couple of minutes) and the tool generates targets and action plans for you to work towards to help improve your health.  Very handy if you're not sure how many grammes of carbs you're supposed to eat in a day!

 

Try it out here: www.dailymail.co.uk/health/healthCalc.html