health

Single mothers benefits myth exposed as figures show two thirds now in a job

Single mothers are just as likely to be in work as women who have no children, official figures show, busting preconceived myths that they are more dependent on state welfare. More than two-thirds (67.8 per cent) of single parents – overwhelmingly women – are now in employment, up from 43.8 per cent just over 20 years ago. Three out of four married or cohabiting mothers have jobs, according to the Office for National Statistics figures, published this summer to reflect the period between January and March.

Why you should stop measuring your BMI to find out if you're healthy

For decades, official guidance has decreed that the way to find out if you’re a healthy weight is by measuring your BMI. Last year, a study by UCLA concluded that tens of millions of people who had overweight and obese BMI scores were in fact perfectly healthy. There are a myriad of reasons why BMI isn’t as accurate a measure of health as many of us were brought up to believe, but one of the main ones is that BMI can’t distinguish between fat and muscle.

The perfect time of day to nap revealed

Power napping is undoubtedly a skill. Many people also experience post-lunch sleepiness or a lack of alertness, making it the perfect time to nap. You should aim to nap for 20 to 30 minutes - any longer and you risk falling into a deep sleep which could actually leave you feeling groggy for an hour after waking up.

Weighing yourself daily linked to weight loss, says study

For many, the prospect of losing weight without changing your diet sounds too good to be true. In a study of 294 female students by researchers at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, it was found that those who hopped on their scales every day over two years saw a drop in both BMI and body fat compared to those who didn’t.

The one drink you should never order on a plane

Ever wonder why the beverage cart takes so long to get to the back of the plane? This drink is to blame.

Photo of smiling lung cancer sufferer taken hours before diagnosis goes viral

A personal trainer is trying change misconceptions about how people with serious illnesses look – by sharing a glowing photo of herself which was taken hours before she was diagnosed with cancer. Vicky Veness, 30, from Cheltenham, was told she had stage-four lung cancer on the same day that the beaming snap was taken. Doctors initially “brushed off” her symptoms as asthma, meaning it took 18 months for her to be diagnosed with lung cancer.

Why counting macros is the secret to fitness success

For a long time, the general consensus has been that if you want to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories and burn more off, creating a calorie deficit. “I think counting macros can be hugely useful - perhaps the most useful thing - for people wanting to reach their health, fitness or weight loss goals,” personal trainer Harry Smith explained to The Independent. Macro is short for macronutrient, of which there are three: protein, carbohydrates and fats.

6 ways to stop a summer cold

Because no one wants to get ill on holiday

Baby 'neck floats': Latest craze is 'potential death-trap', warn experts

“Neck floats for babies scare me to death, and I hope they scare parents,” says Kyran Quinlan, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center and former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention.

Peanut allergy cure for children could be close after Australian researchers make major breakthrough

Australian researchers may have finally found a cure for peanut allergies in children. In a small but long-term medical trial by the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, two thirds of children were cured of their allergy. The 48 children were treated with an experimental immunotherapy treatment.

Iceland close to becoming first country where no Down's syndrome children are born

Iceland is close to becoming the first country where no-one gives birth to a child with Down's syndrome. Pre-natal tests were introduced in the early 2000s, and the vast majority who receive a positive test have terminated their pregnancy. While the tests are optional, all expectant mothers are informed about their availability, and up to 85 per cent choose to take it.

Female body builder dies from eating too much protein

A young woman has died after consuming too much protein. 25-year-old bodybuilder Meegan Hefford, from West Australia, was found unconscious in her apartment and rushed to hospital. It wasn’t until her death that doctors discovered Hefford had been living with a rare condition that meant her body couldn’t break down protein.

High school teenager’s photo goes viral after she brings baby brother into classroom

A 17-year-old girl’s Snapchat post went viral after she shared a photograph from her high school classroom with her three-year-old brother sleeping on her lap. A family emergency prevented their mother from being able to collect baby James from daycare and were forced to ask eldest daughter Stiles Parish to pick him up, thinking she’d return home with him. Curry told ABC news that she has never asked her daughter to collect James before, insisting that this was a one-off emergency.

Turns out women don't crave chocolate before their periods

We'll need to think up other excuses.

‘Mini hulk’: Four foot one man defies his dwarfism to become a bodybuilder

An 25-year-old man from Greensburg, Pennsylvania has become an Instagram sensation as one of the shortest body builders in the world at just 4’1”. With more than 35,000 followers on the photo-sharing platform - where he goes by the name of "mini hulk" - Vince Brasco has a condition known as acondroplasia. It is the most common form of dwarfism whereby the arms and legs are shorter than the average person but the torso is the same size.

Woman loses unborn babies after rare twin-to-twin transfusion

A woman has revealed her heartbreak of losing her unborn twins 18 weeks into her pregnancy due to a rare condition called Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), which sees one twin taking more nutrients than the other. The mother is Vienna Girardi, who rose to fame on the 2010 series of American reality TV show, The Bachelor. The first sign of TTTS is often that one twin has more fluids than the other, so after her perinatologist noticed that, Girardi had an ultrasound.

PGAD: The rare condition that means you're constantly sexually aroused

A young woman has spoken out about what it's like to suffer from a very rare condition that meanss she's constantly sexually aroused, which brings a lot of pain and discomfort. 23-year-old Amanda McLaughlin was diagnosed with persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) in 2013.

Hair loss: Why it happens and what you can do about it

If you're experiencing it, don't despair quite yet.

Could this 'healthy' drink actually be making you feel hungrier?

Well, this is unexpected

Diet drinks and food actually trigger weight gain and diabetes, says new study

Diet drinks and food actually trigger weight gain and diabetes, says new study

Is sparkling water bad for you?

Well, this is unexpected

4 Simple Ways to Hit the Restart Button on Your Fitness Goals

After missing workouts and taking extended breaks from the gym, you need to build your endurance back up to its previous level, and jumping straight in where you left off can have a negative effect on your morale. Try easing yourself in with a two week workout schedule that involves instructed gym classes or short and sweet, follow-along workouts that give you the no-pressure, addictive high of endorphins that's keep you going back. Getting back into a clean eating mindset can be tough, but as we all know and are made in the kitchen so it counts for more than exercise in the long run.

The spot on a plane with the most germs? It's not the bathroom

The top answer might freak you out.

21 of the Most Delicious Fall Soup Recipes

Get your kids to eat their greens with this clever hack

It's backed up by a scientific study too.