Waistline 'cancer risk for women'

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Almost half of women are putting themselves at risk of cancer due to their bulging waistlines, experts warned

Almost half of women are putting themselves at risk of cancer due to their bulging waistlines, experts have warned.

While a common perception is that men carry more weight around their middle, Government figures show 44% of women in England have a large waistline, compared with 32% of men.

Experts recommend that women have a healthy waist measurement of less than 31.5in (80cm) while white and black men keep to less than 37in (94cm). Asian men should keep their waist measurement under 35in (90cm) due to higher risks from too much fat.

Experts from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) called on both sexes to think about shedding a few pounds if they are overweight or have a big waist.

Excess body fat increases the risk of all cancers, but is strongly linked to cancers of the bowel, pancreas, breast and womb lining.

Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science for the WCRF, said: "We tend to think that men are more likely to put weight on their stomach. But these statistics show that, actually, women in England are more likely to have a raised waist circumference than men.

"This is why it is important that we let women know that this is just as relevant for them, particularly as breast and endometrial cancers account for about a third of newly diagnosed cancers in women.

"We need to raise awareness among both men and women that both being overweight and having a large waistline are cancer risk factors. That is why it is a good idea to measure both your waist and also your body mass index (BMI). Over the last few years the evidence has become increasingly strong that excess body fat, and particularly fat carried around the middle, is a cancer risk factor."

People can measure their waists by putting a tape measure half-way between their lowest rib cage and the hip bone.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "Taking your own waist measurement is not easily accomplished, particularly after the 15th mince pie and the understandable desire to fiddle the figures. Get someone else to take it accurately."

Two-thirds plan new year resolution

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Losing weight topping the list of new year's resolutions, a survey suggests

Nearly two thirds of Britons are planning to make a new year's resolution, with losing weight topping the list, research suggests.

Around 64% of people said they will make a resolution for 2011. Of these, 55% said they wanted to lose weight and 49% planned to exercise more, according to price comparison website gocompare.com.

Improving finances was the third most popular resolution, at 44%, followed by eating more healthily, 35%, and looking for a new job, 16%.

A further 16% planned to take up a new hobby, 15% hope to spend more time with family and friends, 14% will try to stop smoking or at least cut down on the habit and 11% plan to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink.

Just under half of those who plan to make a financial new year's resolution said they hoped to reduce their outgoings, 30% want to reduce their debt and 28% hoped to save money towards a deposit for a home.

One in 10 people are hoping to buy a house or move during 2011 and 8% plan to pay more money into their pension.

Two fifths of people said they were making a new year's resolution because they genuinely hoped they would be able to change their behaviour, although 54% admitted they would probably have broken their pledge by the end of January. Just 14% thought they would be able to maintain their new behaviour for between six and 12 months.

John Miles, of gocompare.com, said: "Most people will make new year's resolutions in 2011 and, unsurprisingly, health, fitness and money matters top the list.

"A new year presents us with a new start and an opportunity to look forward as well as reflecting on the changes we want, or need, to make in our lives.

"Money worries are clearly very much front of mind still. The fact that more people are resolving to sort out their finances than spend more time with their family, quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption put together tells us a lot about the economic outlook for 2011."

Brain 'link to political views'

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Brains of 90 students were scanned in the UCL study

Neuroscientists are examining whether political allegiances are hard-wired into people after finding evidence that the brains of conservatives are a different shape to those of left-wingers.

Scans of 90 students' brains at University College London (UCL) uncovered a "strong correlation" between the thickness of two particular areas of grey matter and an individual's views.

Self-proclaimed right-wingers had a more pronounced amygdala - a primitive part of the brain associated with emotion while their political opponents from the opposite end of the spectrum had thicker anterior cingulates.

The research was carried out by Geraint Rees, director of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, who said he was "very surprised" by the finding, which is being peer reviewed before publication next year.

It was commissioned as a light-hearted experiment by actor Colin Firth as part of his turn guest editing BBC Radio 4's Today programme but has now developed into a serious effort to discover whether we are programmed with a particular political view.

Professor Rees said that although it was not precise enough to be able to predict someone's stance simply from a scan, there was "a strong correlation that reaches all our scientific tests of significance".

"It is very significant because it does suggest there is something about political attitudes that are either encoded in our brain structure through our experience or that our brain structure in some way determines or results in our political attitudes."

Mr Firth - who recently declared he had ended public support for the Liberal Democrats - said he would like to have party leader and now Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg subjected to the tests. "I think we should have him scanned," he said.

He said the coalition made him "extremely uneasy" but would not rule out voting Lib Dem in future: "I would have to see what identity they took on because I don't recognise them at the moment. I think all three parties are in a state of re-evaluation."

Talking about the experiment, he said: "I took this on as a fairly frivolous exercise: I just decided to find out what was biologically wrong with people who don't agree with me and see what scientists had to say about it and they actually came up with something."

Ferguson vents frustration at ref

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hit out at referee Lee Mason for failing to rule out a controversial late equaliser from Birmingham midfielder Lee Bowyer in a 1-1 draw at St. Andrew's.

Ferguson was fuming after feeling that Blues substitute Nikola Zigic had handled the ball and committed a foul when challenging for a Roger Johnson cross which Bowyer eventually converted.

The share of the spoils means United will head into the new year top of the Barclays Premier League, but that was no consolation for Ferguson.

He said: "There was a foul to begin with and then he (Zigic) has handled the ball. If you don't get a decision like that in that situation, what chance have you got.

"It is a great shame because the way we played in the second half we deserved the three points.

"The first half was a non event but we played ever so well in the second period. Having got in front, we should have finished them off. We just needed a bit more care but their goal should not have stood."

Blues boss Alex McLeish admitted his side "got a bit of luck" with Bowyer's goal but was full of praise for their performance.

The draw lifted them out of the bottom three and means they have only lost once at home in the last 16 months.

McLeish said: "I feel that we got our reward for perseverance, good concentration, tactical awareness. The players adhered to everything we asked them to do.

"We are not at a safe distance away from the bottom of the table at present but these sort of points could be crucial, bonus points really."

Mancini wants years of Mario magic

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Mario Balotelli

Roberto Mancini has admitted hat-trick hero Mario Balotelli might be suffering from homesickness but he remains confident the Italy striker still has a big future at Manchester City.

It has been claimed that the 20-year-old - who scored a penalty in each half and a tap in before half-time as City thrashed Gerard Houllier's wretched Aston Villa side 4-0 - wants to return home, less than six months after leaving Inter Milan to join the Blues revolution.

"It could be that he is homesick," said Mancini. "But I don't think it is a long-term problem. He is 20. It is the first time he has left his family. It is normal for him to miss them."

As for his reluctance to celebrate, something Mancini chided Balotelli about less than a week ago, the City boss reflected: "Every player has his behaviour. That is part of his image. Mario is a good guy. He is not like he is on the pitch. He likes to create this image of being hard. But he was happy because the supporters supported him throughout the game."

The Italy forward will have something to smile about at the end of the season if City continue to meet opponents as ragged as Villa were. Gerard Houllier's side simply had no answer to the brilliance of David Silva, who toyed with the midlands outfit and had a major part in two of Balotelli's goals.

Adam Johnson claimed the other two assists, the first a corner that Joleon Lescott steered home with a near post header that the referee's assistant adjudged to have cross the line before Barry Bannan cleared it.

Houllier, who has won just three times in 14 Premier League matches with Villa, concedes his side are in a relegation dogfight.

It is not a scrap they look particularly well equipped for on this evidence and the total absence of City old-boys Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland, who had a knee injury but would not have been selected anyway, is a mystery given the performances of those who did turn out.

"Before this game, another three points, which we could have got against Fulham or Manchester United, would have put us in the top half," reflected the Frenchman.

"But I told the players they also have to look the other way. There is a drop zone behind and we are very near. We are in a dogfight for that. We have to acknowledge that."

Kean: Samba wants to stay

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Steve Kean

Blackburn manager Steve Kean believes defender Christopher Samba is now happy to stay at Ewood Park.

Samba was stripped of the captaincy by Kean prior to the Boxing Day defeat by Stoke after reportedly saying he wanted to quit in protest at the handling of former boss Sam Allardyce's recent departure. Samba missed that game and Tuesday's 3-1 win at West Brom with an ankle injury, but Kean is confident he has cleared the air with the player.

"He is happy to see how things develop in the transfer market and he is starting to think about staying at the club, which is a bonus for us," said the Rovers boss.

"He pushed himself for 35-40 minutes in a fitness test but he still felt his ankle. He was gutted to miss the game.

"I'm convinced he will be fit for Sunderland (on January 1) and I am delighted to say he does not want to hand in that transfer request."

There have been reports of further player unrest at Rovers but there seemed little sign of it in a lively performance at The Hawthorns which delivered Kean's first win.

Nikola Kalinic twice put Rovers ahead either side of a Jerome Thomas equaliser but was then sent off shortly after Mame Biram Diouf added a third.

West Brom rallied and hit the bar but Blackburn held on after Gabriel Tamas was also dismissed for bringing down Diouf.

Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo felt his side contributed to their own downfall.

"It was bad defending," said the Italian. "After five minutes we were chasing the game already and that is tough in the Barclays Premier League."

12 die as Russian plane crashes

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

A Russian Antonov military cargo plane crashed killing all 12 crew members

An ageing Russian military cargo plane has crashed, killing all 12 people aboard, officials said.

The Federal Investigative Committee said the An-22 plane was on a flight from the south-western Voronezh region to the Tver region north-west of Moscow when it crashed in the Tula region, about 120 miles south of Moscow.

It said that along with the crew piloting the Antonov, the giant four-engined turboprop aircraft was also carrying another crew to the Migalovo military airbase in the Tver region.

The cause of the crash was not immediately determined.

The An-22, which was designed in the 1960s, has a payload of 60 metric tons and is capable of airlifting about 300 troops. Only a handful are still in service with the Russian air force. The plane that went down on Tuesday was built in 1974.