The true cost of treating yourself: One mince pie will take 45 minutes to jog off, while a Christmas dinner will take 13 MILES

From politely accepting a few mince pies, to treating yourself to an extra glass of mulled wine, it's not hard to see how the calories will begin to add up. Tim Hart, head nutritionist at Reebok Sports Club in Canary Wharf, London, has revealed the time and exercise it would take to burn off popular Christmas meals and snacks. He also advises swapping mince pies for six squares of dark chocolate - and Christmas pudding for jelly.

Boy, 4, suffers a stroke after rollercoaster ride: Violent head movements lead to tearing of an artery near his brain

Doctors recorded the unusual case in the journal Pediatric Neurology, as the boy was the youngest person ever to be recorded in medical literature as having suffered a stroke after riding a rollercoaster.

Could this pizza help you LOSE weight? With just 200 calories it promises to help you shed pounds - but give you all the nutrients you need 

EXC: The Exante pizza is said to have just 200 calories compared with at least 500 in a regular thin crust base with sauce - plus the recommended daily amount of minerals and nutrients.

Soaring numbers of young boys self-harming: Cases of 10 to 14-year-olds admitted to hospital increases by 45%

Experts said the surge in young boys self-harming, shown by Health and Social Care Information Centre figures, is due to bullying, stress at school and sexual pressure.

Being an extremist is BETTER for your health than holding moderate views: 'People with stronger political opinions do more exercise'

Political centrists should consider developing stronger opinions to improve their health, to the level of right wingers like Nigel Farage, say University of Sydney researchers.

Shocking moment man discovered he had a metre-long African guinea worm living in his foot for at least FOUR years

Buried at the back of his ankle and the front of his sole, the disintegrated parts of a metre long worm are shown in a gruesome X-ray taken at a Sydney hospital.

Could a lie in dramatically improve your life? Experts call for workers to start at 10AM to improve sleep quality

A stock photo of a woman sleeping.



CXP86G Woman sleeping

Pennsylvania experts said 'delaying the morning start time of work,' could have a major effect. They found that for every hour that work was delayed, people got 20 minutes more sleep.

Woman covered in 'fish scales' lives in excruciating pain due to disease which causes her skin to grow seven times faster than normal

Nusrit Shaheen, 30, from Coventry, is thought to be Britain's oldest survivor of Harlequin Ichthyosis, an extremely rare genetic disorder which causes the skin to grow seven times faster than normal. Four of her siblings died from the disease at birth. For the 30-year-old, each day is a battle. But she refuses to let her condition get in the way of living her life, playing sport and studying - determined to be a role model for children affected. 'I really want to show to young kids with this condition that you can grow up to a good age and you can do everything that you want to do in life,' she said. 'Just because you are born with this doesn't mean that it has to affect what you do with your life.'

Could VIAGRA improve memory? Drug used to treat erectile problems could be used to stave off dementia

Scientists from St George's, University of London believe Tadalfil - which is in the same family as Viagra - could treat dementia by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow to the brain.

Drug commonly prescribed for back pain DOESN'T work - and is 'no better than a sugar pill'

Doctors from the University of Rochester, U.S. found the drug pregabalin - which is commonly prescribed all over the world to treat lower back pain and tingling in the legs - works no better than a placebo.

Tea breaks AREN'T a waste of time at work, say scientists - they improve your mood and make you more creative 

BWH6E9 Cup of tea, from above

Tea breaks can help boost the mood of workers as well as improve their ability to solve problems in the workplace creatively, a study by Unilever - supported by scientists - has found.

Would YOU sit on this chair to live longer? Two-legged design forces people to move - reducing risk of cancer and heart disease

French designer Benoit Malta was inspired to address a lack of physical activity after discovering office workers spend 70 per cent of the day sitting, increasing their risk of cancer and heart disease. With just two legs, the 'Inactivite' chair relies on the user engaging the muscles in their core to keep it upright. 'Our living spaces are conceived with the idea of time-saving and cutting down on physical activity,' said Mr Malta. 'Stationary behaviour is so common now, most people have little physical activity during the day. The chair is an important part of your life, as most of us stay sitting for more than 70 per cent of the day. The challenge of the chair was to propose a product which tried to encourage movement.'

Why having a muffin top could kill you: People with a large stomach are more likely to suffer from sudden, fatal heart condition 

New research published in the British Medical Journal shows midriff bulge can trigger sudden cardiac death. This is caused by an unexpected loss of heart function, which rapidly reduces blood flow.

Is SALT triggering your headaches? Cutting intake 'can reduce episodes by a third' (and you're probably eating way more than you think)

Scientists from John Hopkins University, U.S., found cutting salt to three grams a day - the equivalent of a Big Mac and large fries - reduced headaches by 31 per cent.

How a glass of wine before bed wreaks havoc with your sleep: Alcohol disrupts body's internal timer and triggers insomnia

Doctors from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, U.S., found drinking before bed led to disrupted sleep. Even after stopping drinking, people suffered insomnia due to withdrawal symptoms.

Ebola vaccine trial suspended after patients report suffering joint pain

The trial taking place at the University of Geneva was suspended today after four of 59 volunteers reported suffering joint pain in their hands and feet. The trial is set to resume in January in 15 volunteers.

Woman wakes from seizure to discover she's given birth to a tiny 1b baby while just 24 weeks pregnant

Gemma Jamieson, 23, from Hull, East Yorkshire, collapsed and suffered a huge fit when she was just six months pregnant. Her shoulder started twitching, her tongue swelled up and she had difficulty breathing. Her husband Dale, 24 (pictured right), gave her mouth to mouth and rushed her to hospital. There, she was treated for the pre-eclampsia that had caused her convulsions. She woke up three days later having had a caesarean section and giving birth to son Tyler, who weighed just 1lb having been born so prematurely. 'I couldn't believe it - I had no memory of giving birth - it was all so surreal,' Mrs Jamieson (who is pictured left and right) said. Tyler was rushed to another hospital to be treated for a chronic lung infection. He then required 17 blood transfusions and a heart operation at just one month old. Doctors said he had a one in ten chance of survival and a 98 per cent chance of being blind, but five rounds of laser eye surgery saved his sight. Now, at 17 months old (pictured left and right), he is at home enjoying time with his parents.

Superbugs could kill 10 MILLION people a year by 2050 and cost the world economy $100 TRILLION unless urgent action is taken to tackle growing resistance to antibiotics

Drug-resistant infections like E.coli already kill 700,000 people across the world each year, but economist Jim O'Neill claims the trend is set to worsen if drastic action is not taken.

What a man's SPERM says about his general health: Poor quality semen are 'more likely to suffer high blood pressure and hormone disorders'

Doctors from Stanford University School of Medicine are the first to link sperm quality to overall health. Men with fertility problems should be checked for early signs of other conditions, they said.

Is this powder the secret to making you slim? Supplement added to bread and smoothies makes us feel fuller quicker and dampens cravings 

Scientists from Imperial College London and the University of Glasgow found overweight people ate nearly a sixth less from an all-you-can-eat buffet when the new powder was added to their food.

Toddlers who share a bed with their parents 'have a higher risk of asthma' in later childhood 

Bed-sharing at the age of two years was associated with an increased chance of wheezing and with an increased chance of being diagnosed with asthma at age six, say Dutch researchers.

Young woman died from cervical cancer at 23 after being refused a smear test - but still managed to buy her family Christmas presents before she passed away

Derry

Sorcha Glenn, 23, from Derry (pictured left), was worried about cervical cancer, which had killed two of her grandmothers, and so asked her doctor for a smear test at age 22. Three years shy of the national age limit for the test, she was refused. Two months later she suffered abnormal bleeding and back pain, and a GP carried out a smear test. A month later Miss Glenn was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Despite the treatment, she died on October 24th this year. But despite being ill in hospital she still managed to buy all of her family members a gift to open on Christmas day (she is pictured right with boyfriend Matt Lynch on Christmas 2012). Her family are now campaigning for women to be given smear tests on demand, which they believe could have saved her life. Pictured (inset) is a photograph of Miss Glenn on a Christmas decoration in the family home.

Medication nation: Astonishing 50% of women and 43% of men in the UK are on some form of drug

The Health Survey for England, collated by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, found statins, pain relief and anti-depressants were the most commonly prescribed drugs.

Hypnosis 'helps breast cancer patients': Patients put in trance before operations 'spend less time in hospital'

Hypnosis helps women recover more quickly from debilitating breast cancer surgery, researchers claim in finding presented as a symposium in Texas.

The mother who sued the NHS for giving her this perfect little girl 

Aged 18 Katie Kelly-Ince (left) found her contraceptive implant hadn't been inserted properly. Katie, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire, took legal action and the NHS admitted liability for the catastrophic blunder. Despite loving daughter Niamh (right) she says her pregnancy robbed her of her youth, independence, ambitions

Breastfeeding can cut a woman's risk of cancer by a fifth: Thousands of cases could be avoided if mothers persevered with feeding for six months

Research found those who breastfed were 10 per cent less likely to get breast cancer. But in Britain, just 23 per cent of women breastfeed for the World Health Organisation's recommended six months.

Do YOU have the heart attack gene? Mutations DOUBLE the chance of suffering attacks in middle age

Scientists from the Broad Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and other institutions analysed the genomes of 10,000 people, half of whom suffered a heart attack early in life.

Sleeping badly in old age could spark dementia: Scientists warn those who spend less time in deep sleep are more likely to lose brain cells

A new study by the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute found those who spent less time in deep sleep were significantly more likely to lose brain cells than those who sleep deeply.

Is wearing make-up harmful during pregnancy? Exposure to beauty chemicals is linked with lower IQ in children, study claims

A controversial study by Columbia University in New York has found that exposure to the highest levels of two phthalate chemicals led to a lowering of IQ scores at age seven by more than six points.

Christmas without the calories! Chef creates world's healthiest festive lunch with less fat than a bag of nuts (but do you really want to start with butternut squash?)

Nutritionist Gurpareet Bains, bottom right, has come up with the three-course Christmas meal called the 'Guilt-Free Gala', which contains just 930 calories, over two-thirds less than the classic festive dinner. The meal consists of a starter of butternut squash and pear soup followed by a main of turkey poached on mulled wine spices, left. The dessert, top right, is a superfruit pudding with green tea and chia seeds.

What does your tongue say about your health? From allergies to syphilis, the signs of illness hidden in your mouth

Scientists in India have developed a new test to spot 14 different conditions. It is aimed at those people who live in remote areas and don't have regular access to a doctor.

Death of the vasectomy? Injectable gel could offer temporary birth control for men

Scientists based in San Francisco are working on a substance called Vasalgel - an injectable 'barrier' that seals the small tube that carries sperm, called the vas deferens.

Mother-of-three died from severe pancreatitis after she had two operations cancelled because she had HEAD LICE 

Lindsay Swanson was diagnosed with a lethal form of the disease in October 2012, but the two gallstone removal operations were cancelled at Leicester General Hospital.

Does zapping to boost brain power do more harm than good? Scientists call for electrical stimulation to be regulated

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that brain stimulation can hamper some people's ability to perform sums but can help those who find maths to be stressful.

Mother-of-five addicted to eating TOILET PAPER: 25-year-old gets through an entire loo roll a day after developing bizarre cravings during pregnancy

Jade Sylvester, 25, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, began to experience the strange craving for toilet paper when she was pregnant with her youngest son Jaxon, and has not been able to break the habit since giving birth. She eats up to a loo roll a day, ingesting eight pieces every time she visits the toilet (she is pictured left and right with some toilet paper). Her children tell her to stop, but she can't resist the urges. She suspects she suffers from Pica syndrome, an eating disorder characterised by the desire to eat items with no nutritional value, such as stones, sand, paint and dirt.

Cancer screening still misses 2,000 victims a year: mammograms fail to detect tumours in women with 'high density' tissue 

Mammograms fail to detect tumours in women with what are termed 'high density' breasts, which means their breast tissue is thicker. They are also at much higher risk from breast cancer.

Why putting on just 1lb could be bad for your health - blood chemicals linked to heart disease, diabetes and liver problems increase with weight gain

If you are slim, you might be forgiven for thinking it wouldn't matter if you put on a pound or two. But when it comes to your health, every pound matters, according to a study from Finland.

Could the Ebola epidemic trigger surge in malaria? Deaths have fallen by 50% but WHO warns vital resources are being diverted to fight Ebola 

The WHO director general Margaret Chan warned the collapse of health systems and the suspension of malaria programmes in West Africa is 'threatening to reverse recent gains' against malaria.

The 'healthy' ready meal con: Counting calories DOESN'T work - it's the quality of them that matters (so you're actually better off having a home-cooked meal)

Every supermarket has its own 'healthy option' food range that claims to be low-fat, low-calorie, no added sugar. But British experts say anything with these claims should be avoided. Dr Aseem Malhotra, a consultant cardiologist and the science director of pressure group Action on Sugar said four daily tablespoons of olive oil contains about 500 calories. 'This a food that has clear benefits: it will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia,' he said. 'Compare that to a can of Coke. It contains just 139 calories, but we know which one is linked to type-2 diabetes.'

'Racketeer' management consultants go from one £4k-a-day NHS job to another: Academic warns health service is being held to ransom 

The health service's expenditure on such advisers has more than doubled to £640 million from £313 million in 2011/12 - enough to employ an extra 2,000 nurses.

The smart skin that could give prosthetic hands a sense of touch - and is sensitive enough to let its wearer distinguish between a wet and dry diaper

Researchers in South Korea say their skin is extremely similar to human skin. It is stretchy, like real skin, and even has a built-in heater so it feels like living tissue. It can sense pressure, temperature, and humidity, and researchers tested the artificial skin on a prosthetic hand, and found the wearer could even sense if a diaper was wet or dry.

A night out with the lads IS good for men: Male bonding lowers stress levels (and is more relaxing than an evening with the wife or family)

Men feel less threatened by outsiders when in a male group and this bravado prevents them getting stressed, said scientists from the University of Gottingen, Germany.

Simple blood test could detect breast cancer long before symptoms appear - and spell the end of the mammogram 

Oxford University scientists have developed a test which detects high levels of 'heavy' zinc in the blood. This is a marker for cancer as this type of metal is expelled by cancerous cells in the breast.

Trying to slim? Have your dessert first! Eating sugar-rich food at start of a meal found to keep appetite in check 

Researchers from Imperial College London believe that feasting on sugar-rich foods at the start of a meal could help keep people's appetites in check. The discovery could lead to new diet drugs.

Can't say no to cake? Your brain may have been hijacked by the bugs in your stomach 

AT3DGM A girl looking at a plate of fairy cakes

Are you really in charge of your appetite and weight? It might seem a strange question, but new research suggests that we may not choose our own diets.

The baby with a heart-shaped head: 3D scan shows boy's skull in the womb before it had fully developed

When excited parents Beverley Winter, 20, and Ben Platt, from Stockport, went to discover the sex of their baby at a 16-week 3D scan, the ultrasound revealed he had a heart-shaped head. 'It was a shock,' said Miss Winter. 'I looked at my fiancé Ben and we both asked if it was going to stay like that.' Maternity staff on hand quickly reassured the worried couple - their baby's head had not yet developed properly. Little Logan was born safely in September, and the ultrasound image has now become a treasured memento.

Drinking two fizzy drinks a day 'raises blood pressure': Chemical in the lining of cans puts heart patients at risk, scientists warn

Doctors from the Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea, found the concentration of BPA in urine increased by 1,600 per cent when participants drank out of cans rather than glass bottles.

The obesity pill could replace exercise by turning 'bad' fat to 'good'

Harvard scientists have discovered two molecules that convert white 'bad' fat into brown 'good' fat cells in the body. They hope the discovery could be 'the first step towards a pill that can replace the treadmill.

Half of deaths in pregnancy are 'avoidable': Oxford study lays bare heavy toll of mental health and heart problems 

Experts warn increasing levels of obesity and older women giving birth could worsen the situation. The figures come from a review into maternal death by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit.

Doing the housework means men get LESS sex: Researchers reveal chores seen as feminine can put women off

Researchers from the Juan March Institute in Madrid studied data based on relationships of 4,561 middle-aged US couples over 20 years, including their sex lives and chore habits (illustrated).

Agonising condition that causes woman's skin to feel like it's 'burned by hot flames and injected with splinters of glass' leaves her trapped indoors for 20 YEARS

Shabana Islam, 35, has been confined to her London home for almost a decade by undiagnosed condition which causes her skin to crack into painful wounds with every movement. She was forced to give up her career as a fashion designer. Specialists remain baffled and have yet to offer Miss Islam a a diagnosis. They believe it could be a condition known as chronic actin dermatitis, where the skin becomes inflamed after being exposed to light. 'It's like I'm being burned by hot flames and at the same time splinters of glass are being injected into my skin,' she said. 'I can't even cry because my tears sting my eyes and face because of the cracks in my skin, it's relentless.'

Drinking coffee cuts diabetes risk: Regular drinkers tend to have smaller waist and BMI

A stock photo of a beautiful woman holding a coffee cup at her desk in office.

Three cups of tea or coffee a day could lower the risk of diabetes, according to a new study of nearly 9,000 people.

Why the weekend may be bad for you: Think it's your chance to recuperate after a hard week? Think again! It's a health danger zone 

CRXK25 Barefoot young woman lying on sofa and reading book, shallow depth of field, focus on foot soles

You might have thought it was your chance to recuperate after a hard week, but as we reveal, while they won't kill you, weekends may be bad for your health.

Could Prozac treat PMS? Scientists claim the antidepressant could ease monthly misery of irritability and mood swings

Mood swings triggered by PMS are caused by plummeting levels of a hormone that stabilise emotions. Bristol University scientists believe Prozac raises levels of the hormone, and so should stop fluctuating moods.

Heartwarming picture shows brave toddler who lost all four limbs to meningitis learning to crawl 

The parents of Harmonie-Rose Allen (right, before becoming ill), one, from Bath, Somerset, feared she would not be with them to celebrate Christmas, after contracting meningitis. Now after a series of operations to remove her limbs, she is on the road to recovery. The incredible photograph on the left shows her learning to crawl, after opening the first door of her advent calendar with the help of her mother last week. The youngster's plight touched the hearts of thousands of people who have already raised £100,000 to help her cope with life without arms or legs. Her family say she is facing the challenge with remarkable good nature - as these first photos show. Her mother, Freya Hall, 20, said: 'Ross and I are extremely proud of Harmonie. She has come so far and fought so hard to be here with us. We will make her life as amazing and fulfilling as we can.'

The 'suicide' headaches so intense they reduce grown men to tears 

Jim Soar

Like at least 60,000 others in the UK, I suffer from cluster headaches, which leave those they afflict in temporary agony, writes JIM SOAR.

Scan tracks movement of white blood cells to show if asthma drugs work

Coloured chest X-ray (front view) of the healthy lungs in a 24 year old female patient.

A scan that tracks the movement of white blood cells through the lungs could help diagnose asthma - and more importantly, it could show if a patient's drug treatment is actually working.

Woman, 24, died after taking overdose of raspberry ketone slimming pills - which each had the same amount of caffeine as FOUR cans of Red Bull

Cara Reynolds, 24, from Edinburgh, suffered a heart attack after taking a large number of Forza raspberry ketones (inset). Doctors who analysed the over-the-counter tablets said each contained as much caffeine as four cans of Red Bull - and that she died from a fatal amount of caffeine in her body. Raspberry ketones have been endorsed by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey and state they are 'natural' supplements to aid weight loss. But Miss Reynolds' father Michael, 55 (inset), is calling for the 'deadly' pills to be taken off the shelves in the UK. He said: 'My entire world has collapsed since I lost my Cara. Our beautiful girl paid less than £20 and bought these pills from a website. They are targeted at vulnerable, young women who already have body image issues. If the ketones had not been so readily available, Cara might still be here today. These pills need to be taken off the shelves to stop this happening again.'

Family so desperate to save their daughter from cancer they're crushing drinks cans at the scrapyard to raise pennies for £150,000 life-saving treatment abroad

EXCLUSIVE: Joni-Mai Stevens, eight, from Hornchurch, is battling five inoperable tumours on her skull, spine and ribs after rare form of bone cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma, returned for a second time.

Newborn baby is scalded more than 40 times with a hot knife by Indian tantric healer - who claimed it would cure her pneumonia

Somvati Seheriya, 22, from Sheopur, in Madhya Pradesh, India, was convinced a local healer could treat her daughter. But when she developed a fever, she rushed her to hospital.

Menthol cigarettes are MORE addictive than regular tobacco: Scientists find flavouring makes the brain more sensitive to nicotine

Scientists from California Institute of Technology, U.S., found smoking menthols triggered more receptors sensitive to nicotine to develop in the area of the brain associated with addiction.

Parents could add 13 years to their children's lives by stopping them eating junk food, says Jamie Oliver

The Celebrity chef told ITV's Good Morning Britain that children are not programmed to reach for fatty and sugary snacks, and so it is a parent's job to make healthy food appealing.

Girl, 19, with a phobia of STICKERS that left her terrified of shopping and unable to wrap presents is cured by hypnotherapy

Jade Marshall, 19, from Brighton, discovered she was scared of stickers at seven years old.The head of her friend's bed was covered in stickers and she was so scared she asked to go home, and when she couldn't, had to sleep on the floor. In the years afterwards, her fear became a full-blown phobia (she is pictured, left, with some stickers). She was too scared to go shopping because of the price stickers, and it affected her work as a nursery worker because children would bring in strips of stickers. Eventually Miss Marshall went to see a hypnotherapist, who claims he coined the term 'pittakionophobia' for her rare phobia. Last month, Miss Marshall was cured, and is now able to take the price stickers off her Christmas presents without worry, for the first time ever (she is pictured, right, taking a sticker off of some fruit).

Pizza and Chinese takeaway could soon be counted as one of your '5 a day' portions of vegetables under new rules

Pizzas, risotto and Chinese takeaways could all soon carry the official 5 a day logo under plans being considered by the Department of Health.

Obese people and those with diabetes or heart disease should stay at home during rush hour say scientists who warn 'traffic pollution aggravates health conditions'

Doctors at the European Society of Cardiology warned air pollution can lead to high blood pressure and impaired insulin sensitivity, risk factors for obesity and diabetes.

Does fruit cake last forever? Scientists say combination of alcohol and dried fruit means most puddings last much longer than the 'use by date'

Experts at North Carolina State University, U.S., said illness-causing bacteria is unlikely to grow on a fruit cake, because the alcohol helps kill bacteria and prevent mould.

New 'Pac Man' drug gives adults the cholesterol levels of a baby: Injections are hailed as most important development since statins

The drug Alirocumab all but eliminated bad cholesterol in a third of people already taking statins, says Professor Kausik Ray, of St George's Hospital, London.

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