News: 8-14 May 2017

Healthier. Happier. Straight Answers:  Small changes can make a difference to your health.

The slimming pills that put me in hospital: Fake drugs are now a multibillion dollar international industry, but for those who have ended up inadvertently taking them the personal consequences can be life-changing.

After bowel cancer, I understand why people are tempted to reject treatment: Where people who are very sick, and sometimes dying, choose to ignore evidence and medical expertise and walk away from treatments that may save their lives. Instead they opt for alternative therapies that might meet their emotional needs, but are backed by little more than anecdotes and personal experiences.

Reinventing Yourself After Cancer: What Drives You?:  Being a Breast Cancer Survivor Is a Relief, but It Takes Time to Re-adjust.

People with cancer being sold idea of ‘healing diets’ that can damage their chances of survival:  More Irish people with cancer are trying out non-evidence based diets and treatments that can damage their chances of survival.

New drugs on the PBS: what they do and why we need them: This week, the government announced the latest additions, amendments, and deletions from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Explainer: what is cancer radiotherapy and why do we need proton beam therapy?: In last night’s federal budget, the government dedicated up to A$68 million to help set up Australia’s first proton beam therapy facility in South Australia.

Eczema Awareness Month: Parents of school aged children need good advice on how to stem the damage that bullies inflict on their child who can appear different because of their eczema and the way it looks.

One in five school-aged children in NSW considered overweight or obese, new research shows:  Sometimes it’s actually hard for General Practitioners to raise healthy weight with families.

From Ireland:

People with cancer being sold idea of ‘healing diets’ that can damage their chances of survival:  More Irish people with cancer are trying out non-evidence based diets and treatments that can damage their chances of survival.

11 Complaint upheld by advertising standards authority:  The effectiveness of self-regulation in Ireland and shows that advertisers in Ireland are completely on board with the ASAI in their bid to protect consumers and ensure the highest standards of advertising and marketing communications