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London (dpa) – Everybody sits on it and some people are said to talk out of it, but one thing a rear end is not associated with in most minds is disease risk – no ifs or buts about it. But according to University of Westminster health researchers, changes to the shape of a person’s behind "may reflect underlying metabolic differences" that in turn could signal how likely someone is to develop type 2 diabetes. Drawing on health data covering over 80,000 people in the UK, the team found indications that there are "distinct, sex-specific patterns in the gluteus maximus that were associated with type 2 diabetes." Going from pert to bony or bubbly to wobbly could be a bad sign, it turns out. Of those found to have developed diabetes, "men showed muscle shrinkage, while women showed enlarged muscle that was likely due to infiltration of fat within the muscle," the researchers said. The findings "suggest that men and women have very different biological responses to the same disease." For those worried about having a big booty, diabetes risk should not be among the reasons for concern. The team suggests that what counts is the shape and not the size. "Unlike past studies that mainly looked at muscle size or fat, we used 3D shape mapping to pinpoint exactly where the muscle changes, giving a much more detailed picture," said study co-author Marjola Thanaj of the University of Westminster’s Research Centre for Optimal Health. "People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape, while ageing, frailty and long sitting times were linked to muscle thinning," Thanaj said, before presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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Children who start using their fingers early are more likely to become better at calculating later, a Swiss study has found. Should parents and teachers rethink the stigma around finger counting, and when might it signal a problem? Geneva (dpa) – Counting on fingers in primary school is not a sign of weakness but an important tool for learning mathematics, according to a long-term study by researchers in Switzerland published in Developmental Psychology. The team found that children learn arithmetic better when they use their hands. Parents and teachers should not stop children from counting on their fingers, said study author Catherine Thevenot of the University of Lausanne. "Children should never be ashamed to use their fingers. They should be proud to use them to solve calculations." Last year, Thevenot published a study on pre-school children showing that their arithmetic performance can be improved if they are taught to count on their fingers. Previous research had suggested that from about age seven, children who do not use their fingers perform better than finger counters. Thevenot and colleague Marie Krenger examined what lies behind this.They tracked the longer-term development of around 200 Swiss children aged 4 and a half to 7 and a half, this time without instruction on finger counting, and observed them adding at regular intervals. The results showed that the earlier children called on their fingers, the more likely they were to become some of the best at calculating later on. Children who never counted on their fingers over the years showed the weakest performance, the researchers reported. According to the authors, the reason children without finger help do better from about age seven is that they had previously learned to calculate with their hands, then moved on to mental arithmetic. Former finger counters outperformed both children who had never used their fingers and those who continued to rely on them. If children over age eight still need their hands to calculate, this could be a sign of difficulties, Thevenot said. But even then, she added, they should not be scolded, because using their fingers likely helps them reach the next developmental stage, only a little later than others. The following information is not intended for publication dpa al xx n1 hu

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As winter approaches, the longer nights and colder temperatures can have a significant impact on your sleeping patterns. London (PA Media/dpa) – Shorter, darker days and a drop in temperature can have a noticeable effect on how active we feel during the day – but what about at night? From restless nights in a chilly bedroom to waking up groggier than usual, winter can disrupt our sleep in many surprising ways. To find out exactly what is going on, we spoke to Dr David Garley, GP and director of The Better Sleep Clinic. He explained how the colder weather and changes in daytime activity can influence our sleep at this time of the year, and shared some practical tips on how to help you stay well-rested throughout the colder months. What happens to your body temperature as you fall asleep? “When you move from the wake phase to the sleep phase of your circadian rhythm, that’s marked with a drop in your core body temperature of about 0.5°C to 1.5°C,” explains Garley. “So, if you’re very hot, you may struggle to make that transition, and that is why many people struggle to sleep in the summer.” However, if you room is too cold, that can also be an issue. “You want your bedroom to be cool,” advises the GP. “This exact temperature will be different for different people. You don’t want your room to be icy cold, but on the cooler side is definitely helpful.” Can really cold temperatures affect your ability to get to sleep? “If it’s really cold, then your body will be focused on maintaining temperature rather than slipping into sleep,” explains Garley. “For example, if you’re shivering in bed then you’re unlikely to fall asleep. In that situation, you do need to find ways to warm up your environment a bit.” Can cold temperatures affect the quality of your sleep? “People often only think about the number of hours they’ve slept, but it’s also important to think about whether you reach those deep stages of sleep,” says Garley. “If you get what we call these ‘arousals’ from sleep [such as extreme or sudden coldness], they won’t always necessarily wake you up entirely, but they can pull you into the lighter stages of sleep which are less refreshing. “So, if your body has shifted focus to maintaining body temperature, you may find that you have shallower sleep or actually wake up.” This happens a lot in camping, for example. “Campers often find that around 3am in the morning, when there’s that real temperature drop, that they wake up and feel absolutely frozen solid,” says Garley. Can winter-related illnesses disrupt our sleep quality and quantity? “If you have got inflamed airways, your nose is running, you’ve got a cough and a sore throat you will probably find it harder to fall asleep,” says Garley. Also, these symptoms may increase your likelihood of snoring. “A lot of people find that they only snore if they have got a cold or if they’ve got hay fever,” says Garley. “If your airway is a bit more swollen and a bit more narrow, you are more likely to snore more.” Something like a common cold could also potentially worsen the symptoms of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. “Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder associated with snoring, where your upper airway repeatedly closes as you sleep and you get these pauses in your breathing which leads to really fragmented sleep,” explains the GP. “So, if you’re already on the cusp of obstructive sleep apnea and then you get a cold, you might find that you actually do get clinically significant obstructive sleep happening with really fragmented and poor quality sleep.” Can Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) impact your sleep? Mental health and sleep are closely intertwined. “Anxiety can make it quite difficult to fall asleep and depression can cause early morning awakening, but research also shows that this actually works the other way around, too,” says Garley. “Research suggests that poor sleep can cause anxiety and depression, which means there’s a system which can feed into itself. “Therefore, if you’re getting depressed as a result of seasonal factors, then that low mood can certainly impact your sleep.” Is there any other ways that cold weather may impact our sleep? This seasonal change and wintry weather often alters people’s routines, which can have a knock-on effect to their sleep. “The shorter, darker days mean that people often don’t go out socialising as much, stop exercising and/or aren’t getting that exposure to sunlight, and these factors are really important for maintaining good quality sleep,” highlights Garley. Here are Garley’s top tips for improving your sleep this winter… Keep to a routine “Despite it being darker and colder, do try to keep your routine as normal as possible,” advises Garley. “Don’t let the seasons push you around. You want to feel that you’re in the driving seat of your own life.” Stay active “When you exercise, you tend to build up a stronger drive for sleep at night,” says Garley. “If the cold, dark weather is stopping you, then try to find an indoor activity to keep that momentum going.” Layer up in the night “With temperature control and sleep, using layers can be quite good,” recommends Garley. “If you put an enormous duvet on at night, then you might wake up all sweaty in the middle of the night, so using multiple thinner layers can be a good way to manage that.” Keep your room at a cool temperature Find a temperature that works for you. “You want your bedroom to be cool, but not cold,” recommends Garley. Go for a walk “Go outside into the daylight on your lunch break,” recommends Garley. “Getting that light dose is so important for maintaining that consistent circadian rhythm.” Don’t force it If you are struggling to sleep, get up and do a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again, then return to bed. “If you can’t sleep, try not to force it,” says Garley. “If you lie in bed and get annoyed, then that independently is going to stop you from sleeping.” The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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Berlin (dpa) – If you're into vegan fish alternatives with seaweed, you may well think you're getting a healthy amount of iodine, as you normally would by eating fish. After all, seaweed is one of the best food sources of the trace element, an essential component of your thyroid gland hormones. Excess iodine can cause thyroid dysfunction, however, with a host of harmful symptoms, such as a rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, shakiness, diarrhoea and insomnia. With this in mind, German consumer protection advisors wanted to know the iodine content in vegan alternatives to fish/seafood with seaweed. They selected six products on the market – including substitutes for tuna, smoked salmon and caviar – and sent them to a laboratory for testing. This is what they found: One product contained no appreciable amount of iodine, as it was under the detection minimum of 10 micrograms per 100 grams. All of the others had appreciable amounts ranging from 29 to 226 micrograms per 100 grams, three of which could be termed "iodine-rich" (more than 45 micrograms per 100 grams) and therefore serve as a dietary source of the micronutrient. The product with the highest iodine content, a 140-gram tin of a vegan tuna alternative, contained 316 micrograms of iodine, the consumer protection advisors report, noting that the amount exceeds the recommended daily intake. By comparison, 140 grams of tinned tuna contains between 21 and 28 micrograms. Undoubtedly not all consumers are aware that certain vegan substitutes have large amounts of iodine, they say, warning that ingesting high concentrations on a regular basis – for example by eating the aforementioned vegan tuna alternative daily – can disrupt normal thyroid function. The recommended maximum daily intake of iodine is about 600 micrograms – from all sources together, such as iodized salt, fish, dietary supplements and, yes, seaweed products. Although a product's list of ingredients shows whether it contains seaweed, this says nothing about the iodine content, the consumer advisors point out. This depends on the type of seaweed (such as kelp, nori, kombu or wakame), the amount used and natural fluctuations. They add that specifying iodine content is required only when manufacturers label products as "rich in iodine" or an "iodine source," or the content exceeds 2,000 micrograms per 100 grams dry weight. Neither was true of any of the products tested. Nevertheless, consuming normal servings of vegan fish alternatives with seaweed – as in the case of the tuna substitute – can lead to unwitting ingestion of large amounts of iodine, the advisors warn. To be on the safe side, they recommend that people with a thyroid condition query the manufacturer about such products' iodine content before consumption. As for everyone else, the best way to ensure a healthy iodine intake is to eat a balanced diet, in which vegan fish alternatives with seaweed can definitely play a role. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn cwg neb xxde ob arw

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Berlin (dpa) – Some public toilets are so dirty and smelly that many people feel like turning around and running back out the moment they open the cubicle door. But when nature calls, there's usually no choice. Even the most disciplined bladder or bowel has a breaking point – and attempting negotiations rarely ends well. The strategy is often to take a deep breath and push through the disgust. And that reaction is perfectly normal. "Mother Nature doesn't want us humans to become infected with pathogens," says Markus Egert, professor of microbiology and hygiene at Furtwangen University. "That's why we have an innate aversion to two things – corpses and faeces." But how high is the risk of catching a stomach bug in a public toilet? There are no studies showing how many infections actually originate from using public restrooms, Egert says. However, it is certainly possible to encounter potentially harmful germs there – for example if someone with norovirus used the toilet beforehand. With this virus, even a very small amount can be enough to cause an infection. However, one point should reassure many people who worry about sitting on public toilet seats. "Anything that lands on our thighs, trousers or bottom won't make us ill. The germs have to enter our mouths for that to happen," says Egert. In his view, the real risk comes from touching contaminated surfaces in public toilets and then continuing with daily activities without washing your hands properly with soap and water. So it's no surprise that the top advice is to wash your hands after using the toilet – and to do it thoroughly. That means wetting your hands, lathering them with soap for 20 to 30 seconds, rinsing well and drying them completely, preferably with a disposable towel. You can also reduce the amount of germs on your hands while using the restroom. "The trick is to touch as little as possible," says Egert. However, those who carefully cover the seat with toilet paper may want to rethink the ritual. From a hygiene standpoint, Egert says it offers little protection. "The more I fiddle around in the cubicle, the more likely I am to touch things I otherwise wouldn't," he explains. That often means touching the toilet seat and paper repeatedly – especially when the paper slips and needs to be adjusted. For those who absolutely don't want their skin touching the seat, Egert's alternative is what he calls the "ski squat" technique – hovering in a squat above the toilet. Strong thighs help and precision is key – you want your aim true, so everything lands in the bowl, not on the seat. Future users will thank you. A simple way to make your restroom visit more hygienic: close the lid before flushing. It keeps potentially germ-laden droplets from taking flight. A final tip is one most people follow instinctively in public toilets anyway: don't linger. The longer you stay, the more aerosol particles you inhale. Still, Egert adds some reassurance: "I wouldn't hold my breath either." The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn rid xxde mls arw

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Autistic kids are at higher risk of suicide. Why don't their parents and doctors know? Many youngsters mask, which can exact a powerful psychological toll on autistic kids, and is strongly correlated with depression, anxiety and suicide. Medics are seeking ways to help. Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – When Anthony Tricarico was diagnosed at 7 with autism spectrum disorder, his parents, Neal and Samara , were told that he might need extra support at school, so they made sure he got it. When doctors suggested therapies for his speech and motor skills, they sought those out too. But when their kind, popular, accomplished boy began to experience depression and suicidal ideation as a teenager, no one told them that the same thinking patterns that powered many of Anthony's achievements might also be amplifying his most harmful thoughts, or that the effort of masking his autism could be hurting his mental health. None of the people or organizations they contacted for help said Anthony might benefit from therapies or safety plans adapted for autistic people, or even that such things existed. They did not say that he might not show the same warning signs as a non-autistic teenager. And only after he died from suicide in May 2024 did the San Diego County couple discover that autistic kids — particularly those like Anthony, whose disability is not immediately apparent from the outside — aremore likely to think about and die from suicide , andat earlier ages , than their neurotypical peers. "Our son has always been different. So why wouldn't how we approach suicide be different?" Neal said. Suicide is aleading cause of death in the US for kids aged 10 to 18. Prevention strategies that take neurodiversity into account could go a long way toward reducing the number of young lives lost too soon. Autism researchers and advocates are working to develop better screening tools and interventions based on the unique strengths and differences of an autistic brain. A crucial first step is educating the people best positioned to help kids when they're in crisis, like parents, counselors, pediatricians and social workers. "These are kids that are experiencing all sorts of heightened risk," said Danielle Roubinov , an associate professor and director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . "We're aware of the need for tailored approaches. We're doing this research. We're trying to get the word out. And [suicidality] is something that is treatable. This is something that responds to intervention." The percentage of US children with an autism diagnosishas risen steadily in recent decades, from 1 in 150 8-year-olds in 2000 to 1 in 31 in 2022. The diagnostic definition haschanged dramatically in that time, inscribing children with a broad range of abilities, needs and behaviors within a single term: autism spectrum disorder. Today, the diagnosis includes children whose autism was previously overlooked because of their propensity for "masking," the act of consciously or unconsciously suppressing autistic traits in order to blend in. For autistic children without intellectual disabilities, like Anthony Tricarico , masking often enables them to participate in mainstream classes or activities. It's also why many children, especially girls, aren't diagnosed with autism until later in childhood. Masking can exact a powerful psychological toll on autistic kids, and is strongly correlatedwith depression, anxiety and suicide. Children across the autism spectrum are far more likely tostruggle with mental health conditions than their allistic, or non-autistic, peers. A2021 study of more than 42,000 caregivers of children ages 3 to 17 found that 78% of autistic children had at least one co-occurring psychiatric condition, compared with 14% of non-autistic kids. Contributing factors include the stress of living in a world that's sensorially overwhelming or socially impenetrable. Lights, noises, smells and crowds that others barely notice may cause incapacitating anxiety. For kids who cope by masking, constantly deciphering and mimicking social responses is often cognitively and emotionally exhausting. "Masking is actually a risk factor of suicide for autistic people," said Lisa Morgan , founder of theAutism and Suicide Prevention Workgroup , who is autistic herself. Autistic people at all agesare more likely to die by suicide than those who aren't autistic. That disparity begins early. One2024 meta-analysis found that some 10% of autistic children and teens had attempted suicide, a rate more than twice that of non-autistic peers. Their struggles are often invisible. Neal and Samara had never heard of masking. They saw how Anthony thrived on schedules and sameness. He rose precisely at 5 am for a long workout, chugged the same protein shake afterward, took a shower at 7 am on the dot. At the time they thought he was extremely disciplined; they believe now it was also Anthony's way of fulfilling his need for routine and predictability, a common autistic trait. They also saw that he preferred to keep his diagnosis a secret. In middle school, Anthony announced that he no longer wanted any accommodations for his autism: no more individualized education program, no more behavioral therapy, no more telling new friends or teachers about his diagnosis. "It's my belief he just wanted all that to go away, and to just be like everyone else," Neal said. The pandemic hit Anthony hard. He couldn't work out at his favorite spots or fish, a beloved pastime. Other kids might have defied the closures and gone anyway, but Anthony followed rules with inflexible intensity, Neal said, especially the ones he set for himself. His mental health started to decline. In 2022, during his freshman year, Neal and Samara learned that Anthony told a friend he was having thoughts of suicide. They called the California suicide hotline , where a volunteer told them to contact his school. A counselor determined that since Anthony didn't have a plan, he wasn't at immediate risk. When Neal and Samara asked him about it, he sounded almost dismissive. It was fleeting, he said. It wasn't real. It's impossible to know Anthony's true thoughts. What is known is that suicidal ideationcan look very different in autistic kids. About a decade ago, psychiatrist Dr. Mayank Gupta started noticing an uptick in a particular type of patient at the western Pennsylvania inpatient facilities in which he worked: bright children from stable home environments who began having serious suicidal thoughts in early adolescence. They showed few of the typical youth-suicide risk factors, like substance use or histories of neglect. A surprising number had autism diagnoses. At the time, Gupta associated autism with behaviors like minimal verbal communication and noticeable differences in body language or eye contact. Nothing in his training or continuing education discussed the breadth of the autism spectrum, or how it might relate to children's mental health. He searched the literature, and was stunned to findhow much published work there was on autism and suicide. "In the last seven to eight years, there's been more and more evidence, and more and more research," he said. But not enough of it has made its way to the local psychologists, psychiatrists and pediatricians that parents are most likely to turn to for help with a struggling child. Adults often assume that a child who can speak fluently on a variety of subjects can explain their thoughts and feelings with a similar level of insight. But up to 80% of autistic kidshave alexithymia , or difficulty identifying and describing one's own internal emotional state. For this reason, "it makes sense that all of the interventions that have been designed for a neurotypical youth probably aren't going to translate in the same way to autistic youth," said Jessica Schwartzman , an assistant professor of pediatrics at USC's Keck School of Medicine a…

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A long lecture, a loud party or simply a cold – and suddenly your voice is hoarse or gone altogether. What exactly happens when you lose your voice and how to get it back. Berlin (dpa) – Raspy. Breathy. Strained. Weak. When you're hoarse, sending a voice message, presenting a project at a meeting, dictating an address to your car's navigation system, or simply having a phone call can be difficult. "We're a communicative society, and voice plays a major role in people's jobs too. So having it fail you due to hoarseness isn't just unpleasant, it's a big problem," says Dr Christopher Bohr, head of the Clinic and Policlinic for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Medicine at Regensburg University Hospital in Germany. It's a problem many of us have had, if only on occasion. Here are answers to some pertinent questions: How and why does hoarseness occur? Your voice is produced by airflow from your lungs – which act like a pair of bellows – upwards through your trachea (windpipe) to your larynx (voice box). There it meets two bands of tissue, your vocal folds ("cords"), which open when you breathe but close when you speak, causing them to vibrate and create sound waves. Your vocal tract – pharynx (throat), oral cavity (mouth) and nasal cavity – then filters the sound waves, shaping your voice, its timbre and pitch. "Your voice is in good working order when your vocal folds are highly flexible and completely open and close," Bohr says. "If this isn't the case, you become hoarse." Hoarseness can occur when inflammation makes your vocal folds swell and lose flexibility. Vocal nodules, polyps or cysts on the folds can also disturb airflow and hence their vibrations. In short, says Bohr, "anything that hinders the opening and closing of the vocal folds can cause hoarseness." Common culprits include colds, laryngitis or overuse of your voice, for instance by trying to carry on a conversation in a loud pub or make yourself heard teaching a classroom of noisy children. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic condition in which stomach acid rises into your oesophagus (food pipe), is another possible cause of hoarseness. Smoking, regular alcohol consumption and inhalation of large amounts of dust can irritate your larynx and vocal folds as well. What can you do to treat hoarseness? Since hoarseness results from your vocal folds' loss of flexibility, it's important to restore it as far as possible. You can do this by keeping them moist, for instance with hyaluronic acid tablets or salty lozenges. They increase salt levels in your saliva, thereby increasing moisture in the folds' cells. Saline solution inhalations can be beneficial too. And be sure to drink plenty of water, or perhaps warm tea with camomile, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, or sage, which moisturizes. The most effective measure, however, is probably to rest your voice. If this is impossible, say, because you've got an important appointment when you'll need to speak, it might be a good idea to warm up your voice a little beforehand – but go easy on it. "Clearing your throat or whispering doesn't help at all," says Bohr. "On the contrary, it only further irritates your already irritated vocal folds. Whispering puts a lot of strain on them." It's best to speak in a middle vocal register and natural, low volume. Something else to keep in mind: "If you feel phlegm build-up on your vocal folds, coughing is gentler than clearing your throat," says Dr Antoniu-Oreste Gostian, head physician in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at St Elisabeth Hospital in Straubing, Germany. When is hoarseness reason to see a doctor? If it lasts longer than three or four weeks, you should definitely try to determine the cause and rule out a serious condition, such as cancer of the larynx. "When detected early, cancer of the larynx is now nearly 100% curable," Bohr says. So make an appointment with an ENT physician. Can you strengthen your voice through training? Yes. Using your voice better can reduce strain on your larynx and vocal folds. "If your voice isn't resilient enough for your job or private life, you should get a thorough voice diagnosis," says Gostian. The first place to turn is a specialist in phoniatrics, who, with a speech therapist, can work out a tailored treatment plan for you. You can also do some simple voice exercises on your own. "Softly hum a melody, or try the LAX VOX method, which involves humming through a straw into a glass of water," suggests Bohr. Strange though it may sound, it's quite effective. Can your mental state affect your voice? Yes, psychological factors sometimes play a role in hoarseness. A classic example is psychogenic aphonia, a disorder in which a person, due to psychological or emotional stress, either fully loses their voice or can only speak in a hoarse whisper. Incidentally, someone's emotional state can be read in their voice. By analyzing parameters such as pitch, volume and speech rate, modern artificial intelligence (AI) systems can gauge how tense or excited a person is. When you're excited, the pitch of your voice is often higher because muscles in your larynx contract, stretching your vocal folds and making them tauter, which causes them to vibrate faster. When you're relaxed, your voice is usually lower. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn coi bzl rid nhr xxde ob arw

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Ultra-processed foods – such as ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, many ready meals and fizzy drinks – are a leading cause of the "chronic disease pandemic", say the authors of a new study. London (PA Media/dpa) – Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are a leading cause of the “chronic disease pandemic” linked to diet, with food firms putting profit above all else, global experts have warned. Writing in The Lancet medical journal, 43 scientists and researchers joined forces to argue that UPFs are “displacing” fresh foods and meals, worsening diet quality, and are linked to multiple chronic diseases. They said: “The key driver of the global rise in UPFs is the growing economic and political power of the UPF industry, and its restructuring of food systems for profitability above all else. “The industry comprises UPF manufacturers at its core, but also a broader network of co-dependent actors who collectively drive the production, marketing and consumption of UPFs.” UPFs have been linked to poor health, including an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and early death. Examples of UPFs include ice cream, processed meats, crisps, mass-produced bread, some breakfast cereals, biscuits, many ready meals and fizzy drinks. UPFs often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt, sugar and additives, which experts say leaves less room in people’s diets for more nutritious foods. UPFs also tend to include additives and ingredients that are not used when people cook from scratch, such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial colours and flavours. Writing in The Lancet, the global team said that, although some countries have brought in rules to reformulate foods and control UPFs, “the global public health response is still nascent, akin to where the tobacco control movement was decades ago”. They said government policy, including in high income countries like the UK, has done little to change the “commercial and structural determinants of the problem”, instead focusing on consumer responsibility, industry partnerships, and voluntary self-regulation in industry, such as when companies replace sugar in some foods with sweeteners, or reduce fat. “This policy inertia reflects the co-ordinated efforts of the industry to skew decision making, frame policy debates in their interest, and manufacture the appearance of scientific doubt,” they said. They argue that the main barrier to policies to protect health is “industry’s corporate political activities, coordinated transnationally through a global network of front groups, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and research partners, to counter opposition and block regulation.” These activities include direct lobbying, “infiltrating government agencies”, and filing lawsuits, they added. The experts argue that the “continuing rise of UPFs in human diets is not inevitable” and, while research into their effects continues, this should not delay policies aimed at promoting diets based on whole foods. The dietary share of UPFs remains below 25% in countries such as Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and across Asia, but it is 50% in the US and UK, the research said. Action is needed now to tackle UPFs directly rather than relying on current measures, it added. Professor Chris Van Tulleken, from University College London, one of the authors, told a press briefing there had been a “three-decade history of reformulation by the food industry”. He added: “We took the fat out first, then we took the sugar out. We replaced the sugar with the sweeteners, the fats with gums. These products have been extensively reformulated and we have seen obesity, particularly obesity in childhood and other rates of diet-related disease persistently go up in line with reformulation. “This is not a product level discussion. The entire diet is being ultra-processed. “And remember that built into the definition of ultra-processed food is its purpose. Its purpose is for profit. And so as long as you’re reformulating, if your purpose is still profit, you’re unlikely to cause positive health outcomes.” Several experts commenting on the Lancet papers called for more, better quality research into the impact of UPFs, adding that current studies have shown a link with poor health but not a direct cause. Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said “it seems to me likely that at least some UPFs could cause increases in the risk of some chronic diseases (certainly not all – there’s little evidence of an increase in cancer risk, for instance). “But this certainly doesn’t establish that all UPFs increase disease risk. “There’s still room for doubt and for clarification from further research.” He said he was not advocating that no public health action about UPFs is taken until all the research gaps have been filled but said there was a need for “transparency” about “what we have good evidence for and what we don’t.” Professor Jules Griffin, from the University of Aberdeen, said the authors had shown “a wide range of chronic diseases are associated with increased consumption of ultra-processed foods” but “association may not be causation, as the authors freely admit”. The following information is not intended for publication pa dpa coh

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Washington (dpa) – It's something well familiar to many who have tried to muster up the motivation to head to the pub after a few joints. But there is now also hard evidence that smoking weed can lead people to drink less alcohol, say the team behind new research. In a study led by Brown University researchers, volunteers were given a mix of marijuana of varying potency levels and placebos – after which they were "offered servings of their preferred alcoholic beverage on a tray" or the option of cash in lieu. Participants were less inclined to take a drink if they had smoked a joint rather than a placebo, the researchers found, cautioning that the results "don’t mean that cannabis should be recommended as a therapeutic substitute for alcohol." "Cannabis reduced the urge for alcohol in the moment, lowered how much alcohol people consumed over a two-hour period and even delayed when they started drinking once the alcohol was available," Jane Metrik, a psychiatry professor, describing the team's findings. The authors warned that "cannabis itself can be addictive and that — just as is the case is for alcohol — there is risk for progressing to problematic use of cannabis, as well." Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the research was based on a series of laboratory visits by 157 participants described as heavy drinkers who smoke cannabis at least twice a week. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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Beijing (dpa) – People unconsciously blink in time with the rhythm of music they are listening to, according to a study published in PLOS Biology by researchers in China. "We found that people’s spontaneous eye blinks fall in step with the musical beat — even without being told to move," said co-author Yi Du of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, sharing her surprise at the phenomenon. "What surprised us most was how reliably a 'small-movement' like blinking locks to the beat — it’s a tiny action that reveals a deep coordination between hearing and action, which we did not expect at all," Yi Du was quoted as saying. For the investigation, the team analysed the behaviour of 123 young adults while they listened to Bach chorales. None of the participants had musical training. The researchers measured their brain activity and eye movements, and found that blinking was linked to a neural response to the rhythm. They interpreted this as an indication that the brain closely tracks the structure of sounds, but only when attention is directed at the music. In a further experiment, participants had to detect a red dot on a screen while listening, and the result was that blinking no longer kept time. The researchers attributed this to the musical patterns being processed less strongly. The following information is not intended for publication dpa pls yyzz n1 may

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