Author: vulgavis

What is the most effective intervention for ensuring weight recording in pregnancy?

What is the most effective intervention for ensuring weight recording in pregnancy?

Posted by | Feb 14, 2019 | |

Feet on scale [credit: Mater Mothers’ Hospitals] Why focus on healthy weight gain in pregnancy? Gestational weight gain (GWG) outside of guidelines is linked with negative health consequences for both the mother and her baby. Pregnant women who gain weight in accordance with the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines, also adopted for use in Australia (where we did our study), have the lowest risk of pregnancy and birth-related complications. Women who gain more are more likely to experience high blood pressure and diabetes in pregnancy, longer hospital stays after birth, and Cesarean sections. They are also more likely...

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The obesity-paradox: impact of body composition on cancer survival

The obesity-paradox: impact of body composition on cancer survival

Posted by | Feb 13, 2019 | , , , |

BMI (body mass index) is used to determine whether a person is a healthy body weight. But it has flaws. © Sherry Young / Fotolia As long as I remember, people told me to always exercise and eat well to stay fit and healthy. Despite recent efforts in both the public and private sector to promote the consumption of healthier foods and motivate people to be more physically active, obesity remains a major concern worldwide. There are currently about 2 billion people overweight, of which 650 million are obese, indicating that obesity has nearly tripled since 1975 (WHO, 2016)....

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Can mathematics inform elimination efforts?

Can mathematics inform elimination efforts?

Posted by | Feb 9, 2019 | , |

Many parasitic worms, including those that cause onchocerciasis, yaws, trachoma, and schistosomiasis, are the target of mass drug campaigns to control or even eliminate disease in endemic communities. As we have talked about before on this blog, mass drug administration requires herculean efforts by local health workers, national control programmes and the NGOs to provide drugs and aid in facilitation of drug distribution. Figure 1. This is a graph of plague deaths in one of the first papers describing modern mathematical models of infectious diseases. Developed by Kermack , McKendrick , and Walker in 1927. The standard approach to quantifying...

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World Cancer Day: We Are And We Will

World Cancer Day: We Are And We Will

Posted by | Feb 8, 2019 | , , , , , , |

World Cancer Day 2019 / Custom Poster As Editors, we are committed to innovative research that positively transforms our communities. We unite with authors, editors, researchers, and readers around the world to make cancer a global health priority. One of the ways in which we do this is by continually participating in a broader initiative, the Springer Nature Grand Challenges Portal, which bridges the gap between the research we publish and real world problems. Our most recent post to the Global Health challenge introduces research highlights in cervical cancer, and leads our readers to a quiz to test their...

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BMC Nutrition: Editor picks of 2018

BMC Nutrition: Editor picks of 2018

Posted by | Feb 7, 2019 | , , , , , |

Take a break to avoid a snack Excessive sedentary time has been identified as a contributing factor to cardiovascular disease, but sedentary behavior is nevertheless becoming more common in the workplace. Alongside the adverse health effects associated with sedentary behavior, prolonged sitting also provides opportunity to snack, and subsequently the consumption of junk food is also linked to an increased chance of cardiovascular disease. Although sedentary behavior and diet are separate life style concerns, interventions addressing poor diet are often combined with interventions that address physical activity. Much is already known about combined interventions that address overall diet and...

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