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Low-fat products can have a higher content of added sugar or other processed carbohydrates

Don’t be worried about putting a bit oil on your salad or veges, but don’t overdo the foods with the reduced fat claims. That is the message from a Deakin University study just published in Public Health Nutrition which shows that many of the foods claiming low fat status are in fact packed with energy.

9 Jun 2004

FDA warns against use of domperidone to increase milk production

In response to reports that women may be using an unapproved drug, domperidone, to increase milk production (lactation), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning breastfeeding women not to use this product because of safety concerns. Today, FDA also issued six letters to pharmacies that compound products containing domperidone and firms that supply domperidone for use in compounding.

9 Jun 2004

Lovastatin and Simvastatin have a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer

Men who take even small amounts of common cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lovastatin and Simvastatin have a significantly reduced risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers.

9 Jun 2004

New Hampshire begins statewide West Nile virus detection activities

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services' Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) has begun statewide West Nile virus detection activities in partnership with other state agencies

9 Jun 2004

Junk food manufacturers should be banned from targeting unhealthy products at children

The BMA's Annual Conference of Public Health Medicine called on the government to ban television advertising of junk foods before the watershed, and on all channels aimed at children.

7 Jun 2004

Obesity threatens health of women in nations previously not known for a growing percentage of overweight citizens

Around the globe, obesity has become a problem for many poorer women in most countries with upper-middle income national economies and even some with lower-middle income economies, an important new international study concludes.

7 Jun 2004

750,000 low-income adults in Los Angeles County live with hunger

More than three-quarters of a million low-income adults in Los Angeles County live with hunger or make daily decisions about whether to eat or pay for other essential needs such as shelter or clothing, according to a new UCLA Center for Health Policy Research report.

7 Jun 2004

BMA Scotland response to launch of consultation on smoking in public places

Responding to the launch of the Scottish Executive's public consultation on smoking in public places, Dr Bill O'Neill, Scottish Secretary of the BMA said: "I am pleased that the Scottish Executive has finally succumbed to public pressure and launched a consultation into the creation of more smoke free public areas.

7 Jun 2004

FDA has announced the results of a comprehensive review of all outside activities performed by FDA employees

Dr. Lester M. Crawford, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has announced the results of a comprehensive review of all "outside activities" performed by FDA employees.

5 Jun 2004

UK's Hepatitis C ex-gratia payment scheme to launch

The Skipton Fund, the body set up to administer the UK-wide ex gratia payment scheme for people infected with Hepatitis C from NHS blood or blood products, will launch and begin processing applications on July 5 2004.

3 Jun 2004

Adrenaline packs a powerful punch in the use of antidepressants

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that norepinephrine (adrenaline) plays an important role in animals in determining behavioral effects in some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, regardless of which biochemical pathway the drug uses to alleviate symptoms of depression.

3 Jun 2004

150 top scientists debate and offer expert advice on cutting edge vaccine research

More than 150 top scientists, researchers and public health experts from around the world will meet in Switzerland next week to present, debate and offer expert advice on cutting edge vaccine research and development, as well as vaccine policy and implementation.

3 Jun 2004

Dire health consequences for millions of people in Darfur, Sudan

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of dire health consequences for millions of people in Darfur, Sudan. A significant increase in disease and death is inevitable without a rapid increase in external help.

3 Jun 2004

FDA investigates school lunch illness in Massachusetts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are actively investigating what may have caused four outbreaks of illnesses in children related to meals served at several schools in Massachusetts.

3 Jun 2004

Growing problem of obesity in women from developing countries

Increasing obesity threatens to undermine the health of women in nations previously not known for a growing percentage of overweight citizens, the researchers say. As the amount of available food grows in most countries, the condition is becoming a greater issue for poorer women than for richer ones.

2 Jun 2004

Harvard and government of Cyprus to launch health initiative

The Government of the Republic of Cyprus will establish an international research, education and training effort for the environment and public health in association with the Harvard School of Public Health.

2 Jun 2004

Anti-violence money directed at wrong end of the problem

Millions of dollars allocated to this Sunday’s (June 6) launch of the federal government’s National Elimination of Violence Against Women Campaign would have been better directed to programs with long term vision, aimed at prevention of the attitudes leading to violence.

2 Jun 2004