Behind the Headlines

Smoking increases risk of bowel cancer in women

Wednesday May 1 2013

BBC News has revealed that, "Women who smoke have a higher risk of cancer than men," reporting the results of a new study examining the relationship between gender and bowel cancer caused by smoking. The large-scale study found that smoking…

Breast implants may make cancer harder to spot

Wednesday May 1 2013

“Breast implants may harm breast cancer survival chances,” The Guardian warns, along with other media sources reporting on the same subject. It is important to stress that the research the media has reported does not suggest...

Hormone drugs can cut breast cancer

Tuesday Apr 30 2013

“Hormone treatments can cut breast cancer rates in at-risk women by 38%,” reports the Daily Mirror. The news, covered by much of the media, is based on...

Does fish in Mediterranean diet combat memory loss?

Tuesday Apr 30 2013

The health benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet have hit the headlines, with The Daily Telegraph reporting we should, 'Eat oily fish to prevent memory loss,' while the Mail Online focuses on how oily fish can keep the memory 'sharp'...

Have taller women evolved to have more babies?

Monday Apr 29 2013

“Taller, skinnier women have evolved to have more babies than their shorter counterparts,” the Mail Online website has claimed. It reports on research examining...

Parasite genes drive up antimalarial resistance

Monday Apr 29 2013

"New drug-resistant strains of the parasite that causes malaria have been identified," is the worrying news being reported on the BBC News website. Covering the same piece of research, The Guardian outlines the ongoing "scientific detective hunt in…

Negative parenting linked with kids being bullied

Friday Apr 26 2013

“Children who have overprotective parents are more likely to be bullied by their peers,” BBC News explains. The news correctly presents the findings of a major study on the effects of parenting on a child’s risk of being bullied, but it focuses…

1 comment about ‘Negative parenting linked with kids being bullied’:

Can belief in God help with depression?

Friday Apr 26 2013

"Believing in God can help treat depression," the Mail Online website claims. But how much faith can we put in this story?...

4 comments about ‘Can belief in God help with depression?’:

Sugary soft drinks linked to raised risk of diabetes

Thursday Apr 25 2013

'One soft drink a day increases Type 2 diabetes risk by a fifth,' The Independent warns, reporting on a European study that has examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes and sugary drinks. The study…

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

Thursday Apr 25 2013

The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced. This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further…