By Lilian Anekwe
Our roundup of health news headlines on Thursday 11 November
The Daily Mail says imposing a fat tax on all of us, and charging more for deep-fried sausages and kebabs, would be the best way to tackle obesity according to a study by boffins at the World Health Organisation.
Given the scale of protests in London yesterday at plans to charge students more to go to university and leave them with even less money for trips to the kebab van, I would hope that there would be real anarchy at the prospects of a tax on chips.
Maybe that's the sort of drastic action we need, as The Times warns that we're all so fat that our organs are becoming ‘worn out', leaving surgeons with no option but to use poor quality hearts, livers, pancreases and kidneys.
My liver is undoubtedly already considerably worse for having been indoctrinated to vodka, but at least my poison is legal. The Daily Telegraph reports that many of you will not be able to say the same though, as Britain is the cocaine capital of Europe, according to the annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Far too many of us still see it as a harmless recreational drug, and the experts are warning this could have dire consequences for public health.
The nationals carry several ‘damning reports', today. A culture of fear, bullying and secrecy led to shocking failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS trust, according to The Times report of the ongoing public inquiry.
Two out of three elderly people in NHS hospitals receive poor care, according to National Confidential Enquiry in Patient Outcome and Death, The Guardian says.
And a survey of elderly people in 700 care homes by the Relatives and Residents' Association found tens of thousands of elderly care home residents are isolated and alone with no contact apart from care home staff.
Some token bonkers health stories in the Daily Mail: Two glasses of orange juice a day double the risk of gout in women.
Scientists have created a 'mighty mouse' with muscles that stay powerful as it grows old, providing hope for an elixir of youth, the Daily Mail says. That's not me being facetious, that's pretty much the top line of the story.
And The Independent reports that a doctor is being sued for libel for claiming a £125 breast enhancement cream did not work.
Dr Dalia Nield, a consultant plastic surgeon at the London Clinic, said in a newspaper interview that it was ‘highly unlikely' that the cream, reported to have been used by busty celebs including Scarlett Johannsson and Kelly Brook, actually did work.
For the sake of libel protection, Pulse has no idea whether the aforementioned celebrities have availed themselves at any time of any kind of wonder cream, breast enhancement procedure, or acting lessons.
Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know and we'll update the digest throughout the day...
Daily Digest
