Obesity

Dietitians plead: Don't be afraid of eating fruit if going sugar-free, fructose-free

"I think there is a bit of confusion about where sugar is found and which are the ones we should be reducing and which are the ones we should be including," dietitian Charlene Grosse told ABC Radio Perth.

Ms Grosse said the mainstream promotion of sugar-free diet programs, constant warnings about the consumption of soft drinks and fruit juice, and reports about the impact of high-fructose corn syrup additives had fed into a belief that even fresh fruit could be bad for your health.

Intense cleanse, weight loss, kick-start: Will a detox diet really rid your body of toxins and make you healthier?

Promising to rid your body of the "toxins" resulting from poor diet and lifestyle, the claim is these diets will leave you cleansed and revitalised — and perhaps a few kilos lighter to boot.

But do these programs, which often involve consuming expensive powders and potions, really do anything to improve your health?

Want to avoid looking like Santa this festive season? Here are some ways to avoid a holiday blowout

It's no wonder the festive season is a peak time for weight gain many of us spend the entire year ahead trying to reverse.

Doctors call for sweet drink levy to tackle obesity in Australia

The Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges, representing bodies including the Royal Australian College of GPs, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, has developed a six-point obesity action plan to tackle what it calls the most pressing public health issue.

Professor Nick Talley, head of the Committee of the Presidents of Medical Colleges, said urgent definitive action was needed.

"We need leadership, not just telling people to lose weight," he said.

Should obese passengers pay more?

Airline seats have been one-size-fits-all since the beginning. Today, those 16.5 to 18-inch wide seats are anything but.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has more than doubled since 1980. In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight, and over 600 million were obese. (WHO defines "overweight" as a BMI greater than or equal to 25 and "obese" as a BMI greater than or equal to 30.)

Why has an Indian state imposed a 'fat tax'?

The recently-elected Communist government says the 14.5% tax is aimed at making people more conscious about food choices and curbing obesity.

"This is more of a preventive measure as Kerala's food habits are changing dramatically. People are eating a lot of junk food and rejecting traditional food," says Finance Minister Thomas Isaac.

Fruit to advance Pacific health

Steven Underhill from the University of the Sunshine Coast had launched a four-year study which will look at strategies, crop selection, market transport and fruit production in Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.

According to RNZI, Dr Underhill said the islands did not have the abundance of locally grown fruit that people might think.

Bleak outlook for Pacific on World Health Day

RNZI reports the focus of World Health Day this year is Beat Diabetes with emphasis on scaling up prevention, strengthening care and enhancing surveillance.

The Director-General of the Pacific Community Colin Tukuitonga said diabetes rates in the region continue to climb at an alarming rate and a multi-dimensional approach is needed if there is to be any hope of slowing let alone stopping the trend.

Breast Cancer: Are you at risk?

Being Female:

While it might seem obvious that women are more likely to get breast cancer, men can get it, too. However, a woman is about 100 times more likely than a man to get breast cancer.

Age:

A woman's risk for breast cancer increases with age. In fact, about two-thirds of invasive breast cancers are discovered in women age 55 or older.

Inherited Gene Mutations: