Fat Risk

 

28 May 2011 - Children who get insufficient sleep at night are more likely to become overweight, according to researchers in New Zealand. A study, published on the BMJ website, followed 244 children between the ages of three and seven. It said more sleep was linked to a lower weight, which could have important public health consequences. UK experts said there was "no harm" in drawing attention to the link between reduced sleep and ill health. The children were seen every six months when their weight, height and body fat were measured. Their sleeping habits and physical-activity levels were recorded at ages three, four and five.The researchers found that those children who had less sleep in their earlier years were at greater risk of having a higher Body Mass Index at age seven. This link continued even when other risk factors, such as gender and physical activity, were accounted for in their research. Suggested reasons for the link include simply having more time to eat and changes to hormones affecting appetite.

Mladic

 

27 May 2011 - Today I just want to keep it short. All I have to say is that I am delighted that Ratko Mladic was finally caught and that he will hopefully be extradited to The Hague soon. It is 16 years too late, but the sooner this man sits behind bars the better. Remember Srebrenica, Serajevo, and so on. By the way - 2011 turns out to be quite a year: the 'breaking news' does not stop. What is next?

Oprah

26 May 2011 - One of the most-watched programmes in US history, The Oprah Winfrey Show, has ended after 25 years. But the impact of its hostess goes far beyond television. Her first episode, entitled How to Marry the Man/Woman of your Choice, suggested this was to be a daytime show like any other.But some 4,560 episodes later, the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Tom Hanks have been lining up to appear at her farewell show, which is broadcast on Wednesday. During those 25 years, Winfrey has become a household name, a cultural phenomenon and one of the richest people on the planet.As she signs off to continue work on her own cable channel, her ability to get the newsworthy guests appears undiminished. This month, President Obama talked about why he felt the need to publicly produce his own birth certificate. And Sarah Ferguson spoke about not being invited to the royal wedding. The recording of one of Oprah Winfrey's final shows at the United Center in Chicago became a night filled with tears, appreciation and A-list celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Madonna. Many will Oprah - but we have probably not heard the last of her.

Marmite War

25 May 2011 - Denmark has already threatened to reimpose national border checks to control immigration, now it has moved to expel the savoury spread Marmite. Danish officials say the product breaks food safety laws because of its added vitamins and minerals. The Danish authorities must give their permission for products with such additives to be sold. Over the past few years several well known items including breakfast cereals have been banned. Already a shop in Copenhagen has been ordered to remove jars of Marmite from its shelves, says the BBC's Europe correspondent, Chris Morris, in Brussels. He says outraged expats in the country are already threatening a campaign of civil disobedience and there are suggestions that the Danish ban could break European laws.

Vuvuzela Again

25 May 2011 - We have not heard a lot about the Vuvuzela - the horns used by football fans celebrating last year's World Cup. It is now revealed by experts that the Vuvuzela may not only cause noise pollution but also spread diseases. A short burst on the instrument creates a spittle shower similar to a sneeze, travelling at a four million droplets a second, a PLoS One journal study shows. In crowded venues one person blowing a vuvuzela could infect many others with airborne illness like the flu or TB. Organisers are considering whether to allow them at the 2012 London Olympics. Critics say they are anti-social and unsafe because of their potential to generate a din louder than a plane taking off. Dr Ruth McNerney, who carried out the latest work at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said a "vuvuzela blowing etiquette" may be needed rather than a ban. "Just as with coughs or sneezes, action should be taken to prevent disease transmission, and people with infections must be advised against blowing their vuvuzelas close to other people," she said.

Lama Droppings

23 May 2011 - One of the world's greatest ancient civilisations may have been built on llama droppings, a new study has found. Machu Picchu, the famous Inca city set in the Peruvian Andes, celebrates the centenary of its "'discovery" by the outside world this July. Dignitaries will descend on site for a glitzy event in July marking 100 years since US explorer Hiram Bigham came upon the site, but the origins of Machu Picchu were far less glamorous. According to a study published in archeological review Antiquity, llama droppings provided the basis for the growth of Inca society. It was the switch from hunter-gathering to agriculture 2,700 years ago that first led the Incas to settle and flourish in the Cuzco area where Machu Picchu sits, according to the study's author Alex Chepstow-Lusty. Mr Chepstow-Lusty, of the French Institute of Andean Studies in Lima, said the development of agriculture and the growing of maize crops is key to the growth of societies. "Cereals make civilisations," he said. Mr Chepstow-Lusty has spent years analysing organic deposits in the mud of a small lake, "more of a pond really," called Marcaccocha on the road between the lower-lying jungle and Machu Picchu.

Great Picture (35)

22 May 2011 - It seems to be THAT time of year again. The Icelandic authorities have imposed a local flight ban after the country's most active volcano, Grimsvotn, began erupting. A plume of smoke has risen 20km (12 miles) into the sky from the volcano.And although Iceland's Meteorological Office says the eruption should not cause widespread disruption to air traffic, I am worried about upcoming holiday plans.Last year, ash clouds from another Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokul, led to the closure of a large section of European airspace. Anyway, not much that can de done about it - but to enjoy the beautiful picture.

Maritime Museum

22 May 2011 - The Maritime Museum in Amsterdam is undergoing a major renovation (in fact most Amsterdam seem to undergo a major renovation... ). The Museum is to reopen before the end of the year. Initially the Museum catered for about 40,000 visitors per year, but the good collection and the 350 years-old historical building attracted annually more than 200,000 visitors in recent years. The layout and interior have to be changed to cope with the increase of visitors. A climate control system will also be installed. The Museam reckons that visitor numbers will further double in the coming years. After the renovation the visitors will enter through the courtyard, which is now almost completed. Visitors will be invited to explore the Museum through different routes and different exhibitions, so it will not get too crowded. Go & see! It looks beautiful.