Obesity: what a waist
Neville Rigby: Public health campaigns make a fetish of BMI – body mass index. In reality, it's a fat lot of good compared to a tape measure
The human cost of screening for Down’s
Tom Shakespeare: We must provide better information about Down's syndrome to help inform the traumatic decisions behind the statistics
Most people ignore government advice on alcohol consumption
Those in skilled work, and the young, are more likely to drink in excess of the recommended number of units
Nice backs minimum pricing on alcohol to cut harmful drinking
Recommendation by government's expert advisory body will stir up public controversy over the issue
Swine flu jab ‘is safe in pregnancy’
Vaccine against swine flu is completely safe for pregnant women and could also help to protect their unborn child, expert says
The Simpsons’ obesity drive
Neville Rigby: The health department thinks Homer and family can promote healthier lifestyles. D'oh! Or should that be DoH?
A revolution in care
Jackie Ashley: Conference season 09: Setting up a National Care Service would be equivalent to the creation of the NHS – now to tell the public what social care is
Don’t criminalise young sex
Peter Tatchell: Like it or not, people under the age of 16 have sex – the current law of consent doesn't protect them, it persecutes them
Foggy guidelines won’t help the dying
Yvonne Roberts: The DPP's explanations on assisted suicide are just confusing. We need proper parliamentary debate and intelligent legislation
Burnham’s poor prescription
Ann Robinson: There are many reasons why the health secretary's plan to abolish GP practice boundaries would be bad for patients