Thursday 5 November 2015

Is a brisk walk better for losing weight than going to the gym?

Is a brisk walk better for losing weight than going to the gym? "A brisk 30-minute walk five days a week is more effective than any other form of exercise for keeping weight down," The Times reports. That is the reported conclusion of two researchers who looked at data from the annual English Health Surveys from 1999 to 2012.

As expected, they found people who regularly walk briskly for half an hour five days a week were likely to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than people who are less active.

The study found women and those over the age of 50 were most likely to have a lower weight if they walked regularly. By walking, the researchers mean brisk walking that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat slightly, not a gentle stroll.

Walking was also linked to having a smaller waist size – although, for men, sport and other forms of exercise were more strongly linked to waist size than walking. Sport and exercise were also linked to a lower BMI, although the link was not as strong as it was for walking.

However, this study does not seem to have compared the effects of the two types of activity directly, so we cannot say for sure – as many in the UK media have done – that walking is more effective than other types of exercise. NHS Choices

Hospital trust admits deaths charges

Hospital trust admits deaths charges The NHS trust that ran Stafford Hospital pleads guilty to criminal charges in relation to four deaths. BBC News

Invest in pathology services to boost diagnosis and cut costs, urges report

Invest in pathology services to boost diagnosis and cut costs, urges report Investment in pathology services would boost the quality of diagnosis, cut NHS costs and narrow health inequalities, says The Royal College of Pathologists. OnMedica

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The cancer drugs fund lottery: Relief as life-extending breast cancer drug is one of seven spared the chop - but nine more will be axed 

The cancer drugs fund lottery: Relief as life-extending breast cancer drug is one of seven spared the chop - but nine more will be axed  Some 4,100 cancer patients will miss out on breakthrough cancer drugs in England next year as a result of the cuts, down from the 5,500 who would have missed out if some drugs had not been saved. The Daily Mail

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Hospital doctor found guilty of manslaugher after blunders left a six-year-old boy dead

Hospital doctor found guilty of manslaugher after blunders left a six-year-old boy dead Jack Adcock, who had Down's syndrome and a heart condition, was misdiagnosed by "incompetent" Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba. The Daily Telegraph

NHS: Junior doctors to proceed with strike ballot after Jeremy Hunt's last-minute proposals branded misleading

NHS: Junior doctors to proceed with strike ballot after Jeremy Hunt's last-minute proposals branded misleading The BMA said the amended proposals also failed to address concerns around the removal of safeguards. The Independent

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NHS: UK now has one of the worst healthcare systems in the developed world, according to OECD report