Make-believe medicine

Do placebos work? New research suggests they work surprisingly well - in fact rather better than some conventional drugs. By Jerome Burne.

Obesity linked to TVs in toddlers’ bedrooms

The first research into TV and pre-school obesity blames the growing practice of giving toddlers their own bedroom TVs.

Salts cut death in pregnancy

A cheap and simple treatment can halve the chances of women developing a dangerous complication of pregnancy which kills more than 50,000 mothers and their unborn babies a year worldwide.

Diet industry will be winner in battle of the bulge as Europe goes to fat

A tide of obesity will sweep Europe over the next four years and cause a boom in the diet industry as consumers try to get back into shape, market analysts said yesterday.