Behind the Headlines

Eating your 5 A DAY 'could make you more optimistic'

Friday Jan 18 2013

'Another good reason to eat your greens: It makes you more optimistic about the future' is the cheerful news in the Daily Mail as a study finds a link between fruit and veg and optimism. But like the chicken and the egg, its unclear what came first…

Twitter diet? Tweeting can 'aid weight loss'

Wednesday Jan 16 2013

"Logging on to Twitter could help you shed a few pounds," the Daily Mail has reported. Its story is based on a study exploring the role of the online social network Twitter as part of a weight loss programme for obese and overweight...

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Fast-food 'link' to child asthma and eczema

Tuesday Jan 15 2013

'Teenagers more likely to have severe asthma and eczema if they eat fast food more than three times a week,' The Guardian reports. The claim is based on wide-ranging research looking at the dietary patterns of children across the world…

Body shape stories fail to kill off myths

Monday Jan 14 2013

"Pear-shaped women aren't protected from heart disease," the Daily Mail warns, going on to say that a new study "overturns 'myth' that it's better to have wobbly thighs than a fat stomach." Despite the headline...

Overweight people 'live longer' study claims

Wednesday Jan 2 2013

“Being overweight can extend life rather than shorten it,” is the headline in The Independent. This and related headlines come from a large review of previous research...

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Family meals 'help kids get their five-a-day'

Thursday Dec 20 2012

'Family meals aid five-a-day: Eating together at the table boosts children's intake of fruit and vegetables,' the Daily Mail reports. The news is from a study that aimed to explore the influence that the home...

Social networking 'makes people snack more'

Thursday Dec 20 2012

"Facebook 'encourages unhealthy snacking'," according to The Daily Telegraph. It reports on a study that apparently found that socialising with close friends online on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter...

TV chefs' recipes 'less healthy' than ready meals

Tuesday Dec 18 2012

'Researchers say recipes from Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson contain more calories and fat than meals from supermarkets,' The Guardian reports. This comes after a study that analysed the nutritional content of 100 recipes in bestselling cookery books…

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Energy drinks 'no better than a strong coffee'

Monday Dec 17 2012

'The only useful ingredient in beverages such as Redbull is caffeine', according to the Daily Mail, after new research argues that claims that other ingredients such as guarana and ginseng can boost energy, maybe a 'load of old bull'…

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No need for complicated diet plan – just eat less fat

Friday Dec 14 2012

A recent headline in the Daily Mail tells us to 'Ditch the fancy diets, just cut down on fat'. The news is based on a study looking at the effects of reducing the amount of fat in a diet has on weight loss...