Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at You

Children who spend more than two hours a day looking at a screen have problems:  their memory is worse than average, their language skills are more limited, and their attention span is shorter. Such are the findings of a major study recently published by The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. Overall cognition skills were found...

Children raised in religious homes are more likely to succeed academically than those from non-religious backgrounds, regardless of whether they go to a faith school or not. Such is the finding of recent research by the UCL Institute of Education, which analysed a cohort of pupils born in 1970, their religious upbringing and the school...

A staggering three in four parents are having to cook multiple meals each evening because of their own/partner/children’s restricted diets. This finding from a recent survey by Co-op follows the news that almost a third of us (30 percent) now have special dietary requirements or intolerances.   According to the statistics, our diets are increasingly in...

January is when many of us begin to daydream of summer holidays in the sun.  So here is some advice, way in advance: when you finally hit the beach this summer, your tan will be better if you sunbathe only every other day. Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel have found that the pigmentation...

Here is a sobering fact:  more children have placed bets in the past week than have drunk alcohol, smoked or taken drugs.  Such are the findings from an audit by the Gambling Commission. It also found that one in seven 11- to16-year-olds bet regularly, staking an average of £16 a week.  And those who start...

Teenagers who are tidy are more likely to live to old age, according to a recent 48-year study. The vast data analysis found that people who had been tidy, quiet, calm and empathetic as teenagers, had then tended to live well on into old age. On the other hand, the research also traced strong links...

One in three of us is keeping so quiet about some debts we’ve run up, that we haven’t even told our partners about them.  So finds a recent survey by a government-backed advice body. The Money Advice Service (MAS) says that the average hidden debt across the UK amounts to £4,164 per person, and that...

Up to a million of us will join a gym this month.  Up to 800,000 of us will have given it up by February.  But before you return to the couch, why not consider the following: Only do exercises that you enjoy.   Have fun, and nothing else!  Don’t torture yourself on the cross trainers if...

Hospitals are no place for getting a good night’s sleep.   In fact, now many patients who should still be in hospital are discharging themselves early – just so they can get some sleep. A recent study led by King’s College London has found that noise pollution in our hospitals regularly exceeds international recommendations.  There is...

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock has advised that people should be taking ‘greater responsibility’ for their health by cutting down on how much they eat and drink. He believes that taxpayers have a role to play in easing pressure on the NHS by focussing on prevention rather than expecting cure.  Public Health England is to...

How to survive Christmas When people want your money for their charity Learn a poem by heart this Christmas – and stay sharp Don’t cook and sleep at the same time Shared meals are more fun Taking yourself on holiday Beware of selfies The loneliness of our young people Yo-yo dieting is ‘worse for your...

Remember the reason for the season. It’s Jesus’ birthday, not yours! Plan ahead. How much can you realistically afford? Don’t just head for the shops with your credit card. Don’t do the last-minute buying frenzy. Shop early, when you can think clearly. Christmas is an expensive time of year for everyone.  With some close friends...