Medications like Ozempic ‘transformed’ diabetes care because they improved health outcomes, say experts

Obesity rates have decreased slightly in the US and while it’s too early to say whether the trend will hold and what’s causing the change, experts believe weight-loss drugs could be playing a role in continuing to lower obesity and reduce related health risks.

These medications – Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and others – are called GLP-1 agonists, and they were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. But they also show great promise for treating obesity and other health conditions, like heart disease , kidney and liver issues, sleep apnea , asthma , Covid complications and cancer , among others.

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A new study finds that breaking up your exercise is more effective, but Tim Dowling remains to be convinced

Let me start by saying that I am not looking for ways to be more tired. I’m tired enough. However, a new study suggesting that exercise punctuated by frequent breaks requires more energy than “steady-state” exertion has a certain counterintuitive attraction: I can exercise better by resting more.

The results of the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B , are striking. Volunteers on treadmills and stair climbers used 20-60% more oxygen when walking in bursts of 10-30 seconds than they did covering the same distance without stopping. This apparently has something to do with the sheer inefficiency of stop-start activity. “We found that when starting from rest, a significant amount of oxygen is consumed to start walking,” said the study’s author, Francesco Luciano. “We incur this cost regardless of whether we then walk for 10 or 30 seconds, so it proportionally weighs more for shorter rather than longer bouts.” Would this strategy, I wondered, work for me?

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From gamifying your to-do list to going for a regular morning walk, top tips for improving concentration from psychotherapists, health coaches and other experts

Forty-seven seconds. That was the average length of time an adult could focus on a screen for in 2021, according to research by Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California. Twenty years ago, in 2004, that number stood at two-and-a-half minutes.

Our attention spans – how long we’re able to concentrate without being distracted – are shrinking. Our focus – how intensely we can think about things – is suffering too. The causes: technology that’s designed to demand our attention; endless tools for procrastination at our fingertips; rising stress and anxiety disorders; and poor sleep quality. But there are solutions. From quick-fix hacks to major lifestyle changes, we asked experts for their tips on how to think harder for longer.

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Jamie Pearson, 27, had waited nearly 24 hours to see an NHS mental health worker after taking an overdose in August

A 27-year-old man who killed himself in a hospital toilet after waiting nearly 24 hours to see a mental health professional was badly failed by the NHS, his mother has said.

Jamie Pearson was admitted to Blackpool Victoria hospital’s A&E department after taking an overdose of high-strength painkillers on 17 August.

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When trust is shattered, the emotional impact can be devastating. But despite the pain it can bring, it is still possible to rebuild and heal

• The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work

Betrayal trauma can be an overwhelming experience that can leave deep emotional scars for years, if not a lifetime. Whether it occurs in romantic relationships, friendships or family dynamics, betrayal breaks the foundation of trust that holds relationships together. Repairing trust is the essential first step to healing and overcoming betrayal trauma. This journey requires time, effort, patience, and – most importantly – a commitment to rebuilding what was lost.

Sue* was on the brink of retirement when she first discovered that her husband had been unfaithful. “We had planned to do a big trip to Europe for four months when I turned 65, but that came crashing down when I found emails from another woman,” she told me during our first session.

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Eye experts explain links between screen time and shortsightedness and offer advice on how to prevent it

More than one in three children and teenagers worldwide are shortsighted , according to the largest study of its kind, and there are set to be more than 740m myopia cases worldwide by 2050.

The study has prompted calls for screen time to be discouraged and physical activity increased, but what is shortsightedness, why has it become such a concern, and can anything be done about it?

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If the prime minister has welcomed the debate in parliament, it is surely because he recognises changing public opinion

Sonia Sodha suggests (“ A rushed law is no way to make such a vital, painful decision as how to die ”) that assisted dying is being directed by No 10 as a party political issue and has not been given sufficient parliamentary attention.

In fact, as a Liberal Democrat committed to supporting assisted dying, I am free to vote however I want on the issue, with direction from neither my own party nor Labour. Working cross party for seven years, I have secured one debate in parliament, spoken in several others and taken part in fringe meetings at conference.

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Mechanical thrombectomy can save a patient from permanent disability or death, but its availability depends on where they live

Most stroke patients in England suitable for treatment that can save them from serious disability or even death cannot access it, new figures reveal.

It is estimated that at least 10% of stroke patients can benefit from a treatment known as mechanical thrombectomy. Under the procedure, a wire and stent is manoeuvred towards the brain to pull out the clot blocking the blood flow. The treatment reduces the adverse effects of a stroke and in the best outcomes a patient could walk out of hospital the next day.

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Pickiness ‘not down to parenting’ and peaks at seven years old, according to study

Parents who find themselves exasperated by their child’s fussy eating, take heart: the refusal to tuck into a broader range of foods is largely down to genes rather than parenting, according to scientists.

Researchers investigated eating habits in toddlers to teenagers and found that on average fussiness over food changed little from 16 months to 13 years old. There was a minor peak in pickiness at seven years, then a slight decline thereafter.

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