Health & Wellbeing

Another Blue Monday, another tidal wave of winter sun holidays offered as an answer to the January blues, with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a depressive illness thought to be triggered by a lack of sunlight, affecting around two million people in the UK. Yet, for those tackling depression and anxiety (when every Monday is a Blue Monday) a dose of winter sun offers no long term solution, with the same struggles waiting upon return home.

Health chiefs in Wolverhampton have welcomed the publication of new government guidelines on safe levels of alcohol consumption. The guidelines from the UK's Chief Medical Officers recommend that men and women who drink regularly should consume no more than 14 units a week – the equivalent of six pints of beer or seven standard glasses of wine. Pregnant women should not drink at all.

Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, spoke at a rally and march against student bursary cuts last weekend. In advance of the actions, Bennett, who will march alongside nurses, midwives and allied healthcare professionals, said: “The government’s plans to scrap the National Health Service bursary and replace it with loans is yet another assault on our ailing health service. Nurses and midwifes form the backbone of the NHS and funding for them to train to care must be protected."

With almost two million DVDs sold in a decade¹,the UK’s Queen of Fitness Davina McCall was beamed onto the iconic National Sea Life Centre last night in Birmingham City Centre as part of a national campaign to fire up the nation to get fit in five weeks in 2016.

People in Wolverhampton are being urged to make one small lifestyle change to improve their health and wellbeing this January. JanUary 2016, the new name for National Obesity Awareness Week, takes place from Monday 11 January to Sunday 17 January and seeks to highlight simple steps people can take to live a healthier lifestyle.

New research by Alzheimer’s Society shows that 38% of people in the West Midlands mistakenly think that once a person with dementia stops recognising loved ones, they don’t benefit that much from spending time with them. In a separate survey of 300 people affected by dementia, the charity also found that 64% of those living with the condition felt isolated from friends and family following a diagnosis.

Young adults are being urged to make regular eye checks one of their New Year’s resolutions by leading sight loss charity RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People). The reminder comes as research commissioned by the charity reveals that almost half (47 per cent) of all adults aged 34 or younger have not had an eye test in the last two years. That’s despite almost three quarters (74 per cent) knowing they should have a check-up at least every two years.

She's struggled in the past with yo-yo dieting. And after a lifetime of diet woes, Oprah Winfrey has given a candid insight into her weight loss struggles, delivering a powerful speech in a new advert for Weight Watchers. The 61-year-old speaks frankly in the emotional video, which shows the star at various sizes, as she hopes to inspire people to start their own weight loss journey.

Public Health England (PHE) is highlighting the debilitating nature of serious lung diseases for which smoking is the biggest preventable risk factor, after the latest GP figures reveal that the number of people diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the West Midlands region reached 108,367 in 2014-15. Nationally over 1 million people are living with COPD. COPD is the umbrella term for serious lung conditions that include chronic bronchitis and emphysema. 

New research by Alzheimer’s Society shows that many people in the West Midlands are confused over what could be a sign of dementia and what is more likely to be general absent-mindedness. The findings come as Alzheimer’s Society reveals that calls to its Helpline increase by a staggering 60 per cent (Dec 2014 – Jan 2015) from people seeking advice and support after the festive season, many of whom are worried about what could be signs of dementia.

Research by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed the gifts that people of the West Midlands were hoping not to find under their tree this year - with the selfie stick topping the chart as the least desirable Christmas gift of 2015. This comes as the BHF launches their annual unwanted Christmas gifts campaign, encouraging people to donate their unwanted Christmas gifts to their local BHF shop to fund life saving research.

Students in Wolverhampton are being urged to get vaccinated amid concerns that cases of meningitis could spike during the winter months. They should speak to their GP now about getting the MenACWY vaccine to help protect them from meningococcal disease – which can lead to meningitis and septicaemia, or blood poisoning. Teenagers aged 18 and 19 can receive the vaccine for free, regardless of whether they’re studying or pursuing other activities.

The British Heart Foundation are calling for people to sign up for the their annual London to Brighton Bike Ride on Sunday 19^th June 2016 and help fight back against cardiovascular disease which is responsible for a quarter of all UK deaths. There are currently around 645,000 people living with these conditions in the West Midlands and it is responsible for over 14,100 deaths each year. The BHF is fighting back through its life saving research.

Diabetes UK are searching for those unsung heroes in the community who go above and beyond what is expected of them to help support people with diabetes. Every year thousands of people volunteer aside hours of their time to Diabetes UK and their efforts make a real difference to the lives of those living with the condition. Our Inspire Awards are a chance to thank them for their contributions and highlight how their work has had a positive impact on the lives of others.

In late September 2013, Kerry Ford, a 46 year old teacher, was in the Falkland Islands going about her daily life, while her veteran husband Nobby was undergoing an operation to remove scar tissue left over from an earlier procedure at another hospital. Five days after this second operation Nobby suffered a carotid artery blow out, an unexpected complication causing brain damage.

Following the release of the Department for Transport’s latest THINK! Drink Drive campaign, which states that ‘A second drink could double your chance of being in a fatal collision’, alcohol safety experts are calling for drivers to be aware of their alcohol levels the morning after drinking and not just immediately after. 20% of the UK’s drink-driving convictions are as a result of ‘morning after’ breath tests, and in 2014 alone, alcohol accounted for 5,650 accidents and 8,320 casualties on UK roads.