Is sugar the demon that we think it is? Most health professionals would say a resounding, 'YES'! Listen to Evita Bezuidenhout's very good expose' on the roots of sugar addiction which, like any addiction, are subtle and gratifying. They can lead to so many chronic diseases, obesity being just one of them. In a country with a growing middle class, the ravages of diabetes are beginning to take their toll on the health of this section of the population. For this, a sugar tax may be a deterrent. But, if people's mind sets are not changed, they will just look for their sugar fix somewhere else. And then, will the sugar tax collected be used to educate people on healthy eating…

'I was heavy. You've seen me in movies, you know what I looked like. I was a total idiot' Tom Hanks has suggested he is responsible for his diabetes diagnosis because he was once an “idiot” with his diet and weight.  There are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is the most common, especially among older people, and is associated with obesity. If left untreated Type 2 diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure, and even lower limb amputation. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Symptoms include needing to urinate often, feeling thirsty constantly and feeling tired.  Hanks was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2013. At the time, he said his fluctuating weight because of roles such as Castaway and Philadelphia could be…

Patients who reverse their diabetes and then keep their weight down can remain free of the condition, new research has found. The study found that even people who have had Type 2 diabetes for up to 10 years can reverse their condition after adopting a very low calorie diet. Professor Roy Taylor, a world expert on the condition which affects two-and-a-half million people in this country and is growing, published his latest findings in the journal Diabetes Care. The Professor of Medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle University has previously shown that patients with Type 2 diabetes who successfully lose weight can reverse their condition because fat is removed from their pancreas, returning insulin production to normal. A study led by Professor Taylor…