Reconciling urbanisation and global food security

Changing our diets and food choices can have a knock-on effect on global supply and demand – even balancing the impact of our rapid urbanisation on food security.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Wrong

It’s no yolk, there’s nothing special about breakfast. Indeed, a new study shows that, contrary to popular belief, eating or skipping breakfast has little influence on people’s weight.

Eating more fruit and vegetables is good for mental health

Many studies show that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for your physical health, but the latest research suggests that it might be good for your mental wellbeing too.

What price food security?

Events such as extreme weather, over-fishing, and geopolitical crises are already causing sudden losses in global food production, and these ‘shocks’ are likely to become more common, posing significant threats to global food security.

Time for joint action on obesity, undernutrition and climate change

A new report from The Lancet Obesity Commission has drawn links between obesity, undernutrition and climate change and calls for strong global actions that address all three issues at once.

Untangling the politics of children and food

Parents face an uphill battle against the food industry’s tactics to sell unhealthy food to their children, but if we’re going to build a healthier world for the next generation, we need to do this through education, not guilt.

How to feed a growing population healthy food without ruining the planet

If we’re serious about feeding the world’s growing population healthy food, and not ruining the planet, we need to get used to a new style of eating.

Organic, free-range, fairtrade or vegan: sifting fact from fiction

Making it easier for consumers to assess the ethical credentials of products – through in-store information, accredited labeling systems or apps – would help people make more informed choices about the food they buy.

Are genes, joules or gut bugs to blame for weight gain?

Some people look to blame their genes or their guts for putting on weight, rather than eating too much, so what does science say about which one of these influences holds the master key to body weight?

Healthy eating can spare your wallet as well as your waistline

While people often use the supposed cost of healthy eating as an excuse to maintain their bad diet, ditching junk food can actually save you money as well as benefit your health and waistline.

Don’t ditch the bread: Moderate carbohydrate intake is good for health

Eating carbohydrates in moderation seems to be optimal for health and longevity, according to new research published in The Lancet Public Health. The observational study of more than 15,400 people from the USA found that moderate consumers of carbohydrates had the lowest risk of mortality.

Obesity needs smarter solutions than ‘sin taxes’

Obesity is a consequence of our actions, rather than a rational choice, but there is scope for governments to get involved and improve our options through a range of ‘smart’ solutions beyond higher taxes on junk food.