Roundup of this week’s international health news on 4 November 2013.
International health news
- Recession hits healthy eating – Increased food prices and stagnant incomes are driving people to choose cheap, processed food options rather than fresh fruit and veg.
- India’s booming surrogacy industry – India is one of the few countries to allow commercial surrogacy, with many couples paying women to carry children for them.
- Early puberty linked to obesity – Girls in the USA are experiencing puberty much earlier than previous generations, researchers suspect diet and weight to be the cause.
Health advice
- Sleep more and eat fewer calories – Children who sleep more tend to eat less and are less likely to put on weight suggests a new study.
Country health alerts
- France: First rabies case since 2008 – A kitten has died of rabies near Paris, the first case since a dog died in 2008. France has been officially rabies free since 2001.
- UAE: Insulin demand soars – An increasing awareness of diabetes among the general population and healthcare workers is driving the demand for insulin in the gulf state.
- Canada: Private healthcare options needed – Long waiting times despite increased spending means authorities must look abroad for universal care with private options.
Image courtesy of Zsuzsanna Kilian (sxc.hu).