Health & Wellbeing

Friday, October 2nd marks the 18th annual Byte Night, a sponsored sleep out which sees more than 1,500 people across the UK spend the night exposed to the elements to raise money for Action for Children.  Over 230 sleepers have already pledged to take part in the 2015 Midlands event, to be held in St Paul’s Square, Birmingham

Adults in the West Midlands are taking 25 per cent fewer trips on foot compared with a decade ago, according to new data released today. The analysis, drawn by Diabetes UK from the National Travel Survey, reveals that local people made an average of 181 journeys every year by foot in 2013/14, a number that has gone down significantly since 2003/04 when 241 journeys were being made annually by foot, on average, in the West Midlands.

Diabetes UK is warning that children born to women with gestational diabetes are six times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. The charity is urging women to try to make sure they are a healthy weight, which is the most important thing they can do to reduce their risk of gestational diabetes.

International Blood Cancer Awareness Month has got off to a great start for Cure Leukaemia, thanks to a donation of £64,966 from fundraisers at Brindleyplace. The staggering amount of money was raised during Brindleyplace’s annual Dragonboat Festival which saw teams made up of local businesses from across Birmingham, battle it out against each other along the Birmingham and Worcester canal in traditional 40ft long Chinese dragonboats, all the way from Pitcher and Piano to the Barclaycard Arena.

The call is out to all Midlanders! ‘Let’s spare Just One More pound to help Cure Leukaemia fund Just One More specialist research nurse – and save lives. To mark international Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Cure Leukaemia is calling for the region to get behind its biggest-ever community fundraising campaign, Just One More.

Important changes need to be made at the highest level to urgently address the UK’s deteriorating dental health from sugar consumption, an oral health charity says. The British Dental Health Foundation is fully supporting new proposals made by one of the most outspoken voices in the campaign against excess sugar, chef Jamie Oliver.

A new study reveals that thousands of people could be putting their oral health at risk by not brushing their teeth in the evening because they are too tired. The survey of 10,000 UK adults, commissioned by GSK, as part of its Love Your Mouth campaign found that 45% of people questioned say they have gone to bed without brushing their teeth, which could increase their chances of cavities, gum disease and even tooth loss.

Three councillors who embarked on a weight loss challenge last year are preparing to tackle their first ever Carver Wolverhampton Marathon events next month. Councillor Paul Sweet, who has shed more than six stone in the last 11 months, is set to take part in the half-marathon at West Park on Sunday 6 September, 2015. Meanwhile, Councillors Stephen Simkins and Daniel Warren will be joining the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Ian Brookfield in the 20km cycle marathon.

With recent studies showing wellness tourism is growing twice as fast as any other segment in the travel industry, health-conscious guests can enjoy a fit-cation this September with a range of exclusive travel workouts available in Portland, Seattle, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Health chiefs have welcomed a new vaccination programme which will protect teenagers in Wolverhampton from meningitis and septicaemia. GPs will be inviting teenagers aged 17 and 18 – born between 1 September 1996 and 31 August 1997 – to come in for their vaccination, which will offer protection against inflammation of the brain and blood poisoning caused by four meningococcal strains.

People from across Birmingham and surrounding areas affected by muscular dystrophy or related neuromuscular conditions will be coming together at the Arden Hotel on the 31^st of October for a meeting of the Birmingham Muscle Group. The Birmingham Muscle Group, organised by Muscular Dystrophy UK, is a support and information group for people and their families with muscle wasting conditions.

Before every summer holiday comes weeks of healthy eating and exercise to ensure that we look our best on the beach – but we really shouldn’t bother, as new research reveals that Brits forget about their pre-holiday diet as soon as they’ve checked in their luggage and consume a host of bloat inducing food and drinks before they’ve even taken off.  

Birmingham’s John Taylor Hospice is inviting local communities to join together for its family-friendly Birthday Walk event. The annual walk marks the hospice’s birthday and organisers are keen for families who have been touched by hospice care to register to take part. Hannah Bryant from Sutton Coldfield, who is a maths tutor, wants to show her support for the hospice that cared for her dad by walking for the second year in a row.

The charity was awarded the Engagement with African Communities accolade in recognition of it’s outstanding work, building relationships with community and faith leaders across the city over ten years. Through the Birmingham African Forum, the charity promoted HIV testing and safe sex with this hard to reach group. It has also worked with community and faith leaders to combat discrimination. 

In America, Friday 4^th September will be officially ‘Lazy Moms Day’ with mums all over the country being encouraged to take it easy and have a day of relaxation.  It’s not a day that’s celebrated in the UK, but with a survey having indicated that women spend nearly double the amount of time on household chores than men, is it time we adopted something similar to highlight the gender housework difference.