One of the great problems that health educators face is making their advice attractive. This is particularly true in a sybaritic age, when people opt to watch the telly rather than go for a bracing country walk, and nibble sweets rather than follow a less seductive ‘wholesome’ diet. This makes it difficult to get the [...]

What can’t be seen is easily forgotten. People will spend thousands of pounds on cosmetics and botox injections to improve the appearance of their face, but totally ignore the health and comfort of their feet. Yet these unseen ‘pedal extremities’ are a major source of health problems. Surveys suggest that about 80% of elderly people [...]

Many families are feeling the effects of the recession and are trying to reduce their household expenditure. Like Errol Flynn, they’re finding that their gross habits are not matched by their net incomes. Conspicuous consumption and needless waste are now de trop. Today’s watchwords are recycling, thrift and make do-and-mend. I was brought up to [...]

I stopped smoking at the age of eleven, probably because it was no longer a daring thing to do. By that time many of my chums at school were congregating behind the bicycle sheds to have a quick drag on roll-ups they’d made from discarded cigarette butts. Since that time I haven’t smoked, chewed of [...]

Holidays are one of the finest protections against fatigue and stress – providing they’re chosen with care. Considering their importance, it’s amazing that so little scientific study has been made of their biological and psychological effects. One of the earliest researchers in this field was Professor Pierre Delbarre, of the Cochin Port Royal Hospital in [...]