A number of health experts in the US have said that the addictive properties of sugar are just as strong as those in alcohol and tobacco and have therefor called for its regulation.

Researchers from the University of California believe that sugar could be just as damaging to health as alcohol and tobacco, and have called for the introduction of new policies which would control the rising consumption of sugar and sweeteners.

Imposing tax on unhealthy foods is becoming an increasingly popular method for governments wishing to promote healthy eating on a nationwide basis. Denmark and Hungary for instance, have introduced a tax on saturated fat, whilst the French government have plastered a tax on soft drinks.

In response to the rising concerns about the amount of sugar in the average US diet, researchers are now proposing that similar policies be introduced across the board for sugar and sweeteners.

According to figures, sugar consumption has tripled globally during the past 50 years, which could be a contributing factor to the rising obesity, diabetes and heart disease rates.

Commenting on the idea of a sugar tax in the journal Nature, Professor Robert Lustig – a leading child obesity expert – said that only taxing one type of food could have unintended negative consequences. Lustig fears that introducing a tax on foods containing sugar could result in individuals cutting back on their fruit and vegetables in order to save money for other purchases.

Instead, Lustig has recommended subsidies for fruit and vegetables and tax on fat, salt and sugar.

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Experts looking at UK hospital and mortality data from 2002 to 2010 have found an astounding 50% reduction in deaths resulting from heart attacks.

The investigation, published in the British Medical Journal, consisted of data taken from more than 800,000 men and women who suffered heart attacks over the last decade.

Researchers believe the figures can be attributed to a combination of better preventative measures and improvements to the NHS.

Over half of the decline was a result of a decline in the number of heart attacks, and just under half was a decline in deaths after a heart attack.

The researchers have said that deeper investigations are needed in order to gain a better understanding of why the number of heat attack deaths has fallen, and what specific treatments or preventative measures can be attributed to the fall.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the BHF, said: “This impressive fall in death rates is due partly to prevention of heart attacks by better management of risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol and due partly to better treatment of heart attack patients when they reach hospital. But far too many heart attack victims still die from a cardiac arrest before medical help arrives. Many of these deaths could be prevented by rapid cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”

To find out how a nutritionist could help prevent and treat a heart attack, take a look at our Heart Disease page. To find a nutritionist suitable for your needs, please use our nutritionist search tool. 

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Contrary to the popular belief that fried food is one of ‘heart health’s’ biggest enemies, new research has revealed that if it is cooked in olive oil or sunflower oil it poses little to no risk. 

Experts have revealed that eating friend food may not actually be bad for the heart as long as it is cooked in either olive oil or sunflower oil.

Researchers at the Autonomous University of Madrid questioned 40,757 adults about their diet for the purpose of the study.

None of the participants were showing any signs of heart disease at the beginning of the 11-year study, but by the end there had been 606 reported heart disease events and 1,134 deaths.

Despite health experts having said for many years now that fried food could put the heart at risk, the results of the survey showed no link between heart disease or premature death and fried food.

Fried food was previously thought to be so unhealthy because as the food absorbs the fat in cooking it becomes more calorific.

However, now it has been revealed that there is very little evidence to support this notion.

The researchers have warned that their findings were from the study of a typical Spanish diet, in which oils that are considered to be healthy are found in abundance. The UK diet is very different so researchers are unable to say whether the effects would be the same.

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Experts predict there will be an extra 2.5 billion people living on our planet by 2050- that’s the equivalent of the Chinese and Indian populations combined. So how on earth do you feed 9.5 billion people when food supplies are already under immense strain?

According to the UN, we will have to double our current food production in order to sustain such a huge amount of people- but with one billion of us already starving, how is an increased rate of production going to be possible?

The problems we face are numerous: climate change is reshaping the face of agriculture and making the land harder to farm; the oceans are chronically overfished and a large proportion of the world faces increasing water shortages.

Overpopulation is calling for a major overhaul of current agricultural practice. The next few years are set to give rise to a new generation of farmers- the ‘radical farmers’, who are already finding bright, innovative ways to restructure our food industry and conserve our precious resources.

On the menu for 2050:

• Insects

Ray Mears eat your heart out- spiders, worms, ants, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers and locusts are predicted to rise in popularity over the next few years and experts are viewing insect farms as a high possibility. Bugs are rich in protein, low in fat and cholesterol, high in calcium and iron and above all- plentiful. They require little space for farming and emit fewer greenhouse gases than conventional livestock. And as if it couldn’t get any better- they can live on our waste products- paper, algae and industrial waste.

The UN and EU have both backed the insect farm concept and are keen to see if the practice is feasible. The EU is currently offering €3 million to its member states to promote the use of insects in cooking.

The Dutch government is already researching ways of insect farming, and have considered ways to extract insect protein without forcing squeamish westerners to eat creepy crawlies.

• Artificial meat

Artificial, or ‘cultured’ meat is grown in giant vats from stem cells. Western eating habits are spreading across the world and causing havoc for livestock farmers. More land is needed to support livestock, meaning that more woodland needs to be destroyed. Experts believe we could produce the first artificial hamburger by next year, although it might be tasteless due to having no fat or blood.

If you would like to know which foods offer the highest nutritional benefit for the least ecological impact, a nutritionist may be able to help. To find out more about how eating healthily can benefit your health, please visit Nutrition Topics. Alternatively, search for a nutritionist.

View and comment on the original Guardian article. 

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer has suggested that there could be a link between processed meats and pancreatic cancer.

The Swedish study which analysed data from 11 trials and 6,643 patients suffering from pancreatic cancer found that for every 50g individuals added to their diet the risk of cancer increased by 19%.

Eating red processed meat has already previously been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, and as a result the UK government have recommended that individuals do not exceed 70g of processed meat per day.

Professor Susanna Larsson who was involving in conducting the study described the findings as ‘controversial’ when speaking to the BBC.

“It is known that eating meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer, it’s not so much known about other cancers.” She said.

Whilst far more research is needed in order to cement the findings, Larsson has said that because pancreatic cancer has such poor survival rates it is really important to diagnose the condition as early as possible and to find ways of reducing the risk of developing the condition in the first place where possible.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

Italian researchers have found that increased exposure to newspapers, online articles and nutrition advice increases the likelihood of a person maintaining a healthy diet.

The study took place in the Molise region of southern Italy and involved over 1,000 randomly selected adults. Along with collecting nutritional information from the participants, researchers also collected data concerning the use of mass media.

Study author Marialaura Bonaccio said: “We sought to see whether most informed people had better eating habits than those less exposed to information”.

All participants were required to fill out a questionnaire designed to determine how much time they spent watching television, reading newspapers and browsing the internet.

Individuals who reported a high exposure to mass media tended to eat a healthier Mediterranean-style diet involving lots of fruit and fresh fish, compared to those who were less exposed.

The next stage of the study will be to explore how changes to the way people find information will change their dietary habits. The internet offers a great plethora of conflicting nutritional advice. What effect will this increased exposure have on our health?

For expert, fact-based nutritional advice, you may wish to consult a nutritionist. For more information of how a nutritionist could help, please visit Nutrition Topics.

View and comment on the original Medical News Today article. 

A report from the Commons science and technology committee has recommended that individuals have at least two alcohol free days each week and is calling for a review of current UK alcohol guidelines.

The report, which has been welcomed by many charities and health experts, has said that their are “sufficient concerns” about the current recommendations.

The law currently recommends that men do not regularly exceed more than three to four units per day and that women do not drink more than two to three. In addition, it also states that after heavy drinking individuals should give their body at least 48 to recover.

However, the report is suggesting that the above guidelines appear to endorse daily drinking and have said that two alcohol free days each week would send a clear message that drinking everyday should be avoided.

The report has also said that reducing the limit for older people and pregnant women could be of benefit.

Committee chairman, Andrew Miller, has said that alcohol guidelines are crucial in the governments fight against excessive drinking, so it is vital that they are kept up to date and easy to understand.

Currently many individuals remain unaware of what volume of alcohol qualifies as a unit, which is what the current alcohol guidelines are expressed in.

Alan Maryon-Davis, a professor of public health believes misunderstanding could be part of the current problem. “Broadly speaking [alcohol guidelines] are fit for purpose, but they need a bit of clarification.”

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A controversial book by French diet guru Pierre Dukan is due to be published this Thursday.

The book, ‘An Open letter to the Future President’, urges the French government to award school children extra marks for having an acceptable BMI.

Mr Dukan has assured critics that his idea isn’t designed to punish children for being overweight, it is simply designed to motivate them to lose weight by reinforcing positive associations.

According to the European Union’s statistics agency, 12.7% of French women and 11.7% of French men are obese. That’s around half of the percentage of obese people in Britain.

In spite of having one of the lowest rates of obesity in Europe, experts still believe obesity is a growing problem in France. In a bid to prevent the rise of obesity, the French government has introduced a series of obesity-fighting measures, including increasing the tax on fizzy pop.

Mr Dukan said: “There is nothing wrong with educating children about nutrition. This will not change anything for those who do not need to lose weight. For the others, it will motivate them.”

To find out more about the detrimental effects of child obesity and how a nutritionist can help, visit Nutrition Topics. Alternatively, use our search tool to get help and advice from a nutritionist near you.

 View and comment on the original Telegraph article. 

The government is set to launch a new healthy eating campaign in a bid to prove to families that it is possible to eat healthily even on a low budget.

The campaign, which is set to be published on the Change 4 Life website, aims to show families how to cook healthy meals for no more than £5.

Popular TV chef Ainsley Harriott is fronting the efforts, having devised a cookbook of healthy and nutritious meals all of which can be thrown together for a budget busting £5 and under. Harriot has also filmed a series of cooking tutorials, which again will be featured on the Change 4 Life website so families are able to cook along to instructions.

In addition, all families who have signed up to the government’s Change 4 Life website are set to receive leaflets through the post containing a taster of the recipes.

Supermarket chains Asda, Co-op and Aldi have agreed to sell some of the ingredients at a discounted rate for a set period of time, though as it stands the amount of discount remains unknown.

Anne Milton, Public health minister said: “The new year is a good time to think about losing weight. The Supermeals campaign will give us all some great ideas for balanced meals on a budget.”

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Getting fit, exercising more, losing weight and eating healthily top the country’s most popular New Year’s resolutions every year.

It seems the season of excess – spending too much on presents, eating too much food, drinking too much and lying about too much watching Christmas TV – has bought about an epidemic of national guilt.

January is famously the month of austerity. It’s at this time that we all start to asses our lives and wonder where we went wrong. We compile lists of resolutions, promising ourselves that we will get that dream job and lose that excess weight.

According to a survey by Gocompare.com, however, a massive 40% of us will break our resolutions before the end of the month and 87% of us will break them within the next 6 months.

Another poll by bread company Hovis, which focussed specifically on weight-related resolutions, found that New Year diets usually last about 15 days and only 20% of women reach their weight-loss goal.

A worrying 35% put on even more weight than they lost in the first place.

Hovis ambassador Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton told the Metro: “It’s worrying to think that women put pressure on themselves to lose weight quickly and then suffer emotional repercussions if they give up or don’t see the desired results.”

Of the 2000 woman questioned, only one out of five kept to strict diet plans like Dukan and Atkins, which both require followers to cut out certain food groups.

The real key to losing weight healthily, effectively and sustainably, is to eat a balanced diet. Crash diets may provide temporary results, but many women pile the weight back on after a few weeks.

For a healthy, personalised diet plan, you are advised to contact a nutritionist. A nutritionist will help you to reach your goals, whether it be to recover from illness, lose weight or simply to cook nutritious meals. Explore our Nutrition Topics pages to discover how a nutritionist can help.

View and comment on the original Metro article.