A round-up of today's other health news in brief
Study links obesity with ovarian cancer
A link between obesity and ovarian cancer has been highlighted by a study of almost 95,000 women.
US researchers found that among women aged 50-71 being obese raised the risk of the disease by almost 80 per cent.
An association between high body mass and ovarian cancer was already known, but the new study provides powerful confirmation of the link. The association was only seen in women who had never used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after the menopause.
The findings, reported in the journal Cancer, support the hypothesis that obesity may enhance ovarian cancer risk through hormonal effects.
'Detox' claims lack evidence
Consumers are being misled into believing "detox" products actually work despite a lack of scientific evidence, a new report has found. No two firms used the same definition of "detox" and their claims were "meaningless", it said.
The study was complied by Voice of Young Science (VoYS), an organisation in Britain representing more than 300 PhD and post-doctorate students working in science.
It found that while manufacturers used the word "detox" to "promote everything from foot patches to hair straighteners", they were unable to provide reliable evidence or consistent explanations of what the "detox" process actually means.
Call for parents to monitor diets
The Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF) has called on parents to look at what their children are eating.
"New year's resolutions are not only for adults. Even young children can be taught to make some positive changes, particularly those concerning their health," said Dr Muireann Cullen, the NHF's manager. "It is essential for parents to recognise that they play an enormous part in shaping their children's food choices."