Labour's record on the NHS came under unprecedented attack yesterday from one of Britain's most senior doctors.

The NHS drugs rationing body is forcing cancer patients to remortgage their homes to pay for medicines freely available elsewhere in Europe, senior doctors have warned.

Atypical characteristics of children's linguistic development are early signs of the risk of developing reading and writing disabilities, or dyslexia. New research points to preventive exercises as an effective means to tackle the challenges children face when learning to read. The results achieved at the Centre of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research were presented at the Academy of Finland's science breakfast on 21 August.

A new Access Economics Report commissioned by Diabetes Australia has found that 3.71 million Australians are obese with a current estimated cost to the nation of $58 billion. The report titled "Growing economic costs of obesity in 2008" reveals that there has been a 137% increase since 2005 in the number of Australians who have type 2 diabetes as a result of being obese. The total cost of obesity includes $8.3 billion in financial costs and $49.

br> Unusually high levels of physical exertion do cause oxidative stress, but this does not result in any long-term damage to DNA. This is just one of the many outcomes revealed by an extraordinary research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF that are now published.

Research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England has discovered that obesity in later life does not make a substantial difference to risks of death among older people but that it is a major contributor to increased disability in later life - creating a ticking time bomb for health services in developed countries. The research is published in the August 2008 edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

A new Access Economics Report commissioned by Diabetes Australia has found that 3.71 million Australians are obese with a current estimated cost to the nation of $58 billion. The report titled "Growing economic costs of obesity in 2008" reveals that there has been a 137% increase since 2005 in the number of Australians who have type 2 diabetes as a result of being obese. The total cost of obesity includes $8.3 billion in financial costs and $49.

Tempting treats are being offered in small package sizes these days, presumably to help consumers reduce portion sizes. Yet new research in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people actually consume more high-calorie snacks when they are in small packages than large ones. And smaller packages make people more likely to give in to temptation in the first place.

As portion sizes have increased, Americans' waistlines have expanded. And as a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research demonstrates, consumers are tricked into drinking more soft drinks when retailers eliminate small drink sizes. No matter what the volume of the soft drink, customers tend to avoid the largest and smallest options, according to authors Kathryn M. Sharpe, Richard Staelin, and Joel Huber (all Duke University).

People at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes might be able to delay or prevent the disease by taking certain food supplements and making lifestyle changes, according to a new book by Dr. James W. Anderson, an internationally recognized authority on metabolic diseases and weight loss and professor emeritus of medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic, and it is growing at an alarming rate.

Beware of mini-packs and mini-foods, especially if you're a dieter. Chronic dieters tend to consume more calories when foods and packages are smaller, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. Authors Maura L. Scott, Stephen M. Nowlis, Naomi Mandel, and Andrea C. Morales (all Arizona State University) examined consumer behavior regarding "mini-packs," 100-calorie food packages that are marketed to help people control calorie intake.

Here in the UK, tomatoes are in season at the moment, and piled high at the market. They're one of my favorite foods - healthy, delicious and useful in all sorts of dishes. Read on for tomato facts that you might not know, and some ways to eat more tomatoes every day. ...

There are hundreds of diets, tips, books, and techniques out there for losing weight. Despite this, those who sustain long-term weight loss are few and far between. In this post, Ranae shares some pearls of wisdom that have helped her achieve her own weight loss, and in turn, have helped others....

Arkansas lawmakers will focus on health issues, including access to care, emergency care, childhood obesity and Medicaid, in the 87th General Assembly, state Surgeon General Joe Thompson said Wednesday at the second annual Arkansas Health Summit, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

For some multiple sclerosis sufferers, just getting out of bed is tough. For 43-year-old father-of-three Jon Salisbury, getting up took an hour and involved the help of his wife.

Apprentice finalist Claire Young strutted to television fame wearing her trademark four-inch high-heeled shoes - but the footware left her unable to move and frozen in agony.

Roger Vause, 65, a computer engineer from Wellingborough, Northants, underwent a new technique so he could go home the same day.

Newly-qualified midwife Sarah Cameron, 35, who works in a busy London maternity unit, shares her work diary with ADELE WATERS

Doctors are keeping cancer patients in the dark about new drugs that could extend their lives.