Wednesday 7 October 2009

News: Depression 'can double chances of becoming obese' - Telegraph

People who suffer from anxiety or depression are 33% more likely to become obese according to research published in the British Medical Journal today, reports the Telegraph (7 October 2009). The research was conducted by University College London.

More news about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health at www.therapyme.com.

Thursday 1 October 2009

News: Daily sweets 'linked to violence' - BBC News

Can eating sweets make you sour? Research from Cardiff University suggests a link between eating sweets daily as a child and violent crime in later life, as reported by BBC News (30 September 2009).

The UK study examined data of 17,500 people and found that 69% of people who were violent at the age of 34 had eaten confectionery on a daily basis during childhood.

Researcher Dr Simon Moore led the study: "Our favoured explanation is that giving children sweets and chocolate regularly may stop them learning how to wait to obtain something they want.

"Not being able to defer gratification may push them towards more impulsive behaviour, which is strongly associated with delinquency. Targeting resources at improving children's diet may improve health and reduce aggression. We are fairly confident that this is a realistic relationship - the key is explaining what the mechanism is behind this relationship. We think that rewarding bad behaviour in childhood with confectionary can lead to later problems but we need to look at this more closely."

More news about psychotherapy, counselling and mental health at www.therapyme.com.