Protecting your fitness data from the insurance companies

Wearable fitness devices are not only being embraced by health conscious consumers, but by a insurance industry keen to use people’s data for their own ends.

Understanding our cravings for alcohol and fast food

A UNSW psychology experiment has shown why it can be so hard to direct our attention away from cues that might lead to behaviour we’d like to avoid, like drinking alcohol and eating unhealthy food.

Medical ‘selfies’ can boost patient care

Taking medical ‘selfies’ and sharing them with a doctor empowers and reassures healthcare consumers, and can improve doctor-patient relationships, a two-part QUT-led study has found.

Staying active after 40 helps keep you alive

Keeping physically active or becoming more active during middle and older age is associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of past activity levels or existing health conditions, according to international research.

Obesity is the new normal but it’s still a health risk

More people are now overweight than ever, but this doesn’t alter the fact that obesity increases a range of serious health risks, as well as affecting people’s quality of life.

Worker workouts in the workplace work

A new study from Germany shows that a personalised programme of exercise can help workers improve their health and reduce the risk of metabolic diseases.

Are pharma handouts to nurses affecting your healthcare?

Substantial pharmaceutical industry payments to Australian nurses and pharmacists are raising questions around their influence and Substantial pharmaceutical industry payments to Australian nurses and pharmacists are raising questions around their influence and prompting calls for greater transparency.

The gene therapy revolution is here

As we enter an era, where once incurable diseases become curable; be prepared for some challenging debates about how to pay for gene therapy and the value of a human life.

How to win the hunger games

Many people have been able to lose weight, but most of them regain it over time. Understanding the physical, hormonal and psychological drivers of weight gain could help dieters and physicians achieve better results.

Ultra-processed foods linked with heart disease and early death

Two new studies have underlined the links between heart disease and processed food such as packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals and ready meals.

Tackling rheumatoid arthritis among first Australians

In an Australian first, a national charity, Dragon Claw, is promoting Indigenous health in remote Indigenous communities in their own languages.

The best probiotics are found in real food

Supermarkets, health food stores and pharmacies are full of products claimed to have beneficial probiotic effects, but the best way to boost your health remains a proper, balanced diet.