Tag: health news

Malta steps up measures against killer virus from China

Malta has announced a series of precautionary measures against a deadly virus that has killed 130 people in China. An isolation centre is being set up outside Mater Dei Hospital for mild cases of coronavirus. Health minister Chris Fearne confirmed that no cases of the killer virus have been reported in Malta. He said isolation precautionary […]

Malta-Gozo air ambulance to get a major upgrade

Malta’s air ambulance is to get a major upgrade. The new service will be launched next month with a modern helicopter replacing the current one, as well as a new back-up aircraft. The air-ambulance service is used daily to transport patients from Gozo General Hospital to the helipad at St Luke’s Hospital. Dr Nadine Delicata […]

Lidl Malta to make changes to popular products in 2020

Lidl has announced it will make major changes to some of its most popular products in a bid to encourage healthier lifestyle choices – and tackle childhood obesity. The supermarket giant, which has eight stores in Malta and Gozo, will remove cartoon characters from all its own-brand cereal packaging by the spring. The move is […]

Only 1 in 5 teenagers in Malta exercise every day

Maltese teenagers are generally fitter and healthier than those in Italy, Australia and New Zealand, according to a global study. However, just one in five 11 to 17-year-olds in Malta get as much exercise as they need to to stay in shape. The figures also showed that 81.4 per cent of teenagers in Malta do […]

Malta hosts international conference on medical cannabis

Malta is set to be one of the first countries to offer high-grade medical cannabis in Europe. Maltese economic minister Chris Cardona told a conference in St Julian’s that it was the ‘duty’ of governments ‘to help patients who will benefit from the therapeutic effects of the drug’. He was speaking at the first ever […]

Tell your Maltese nanna to lay off pastizzi for a while

Your Maltese nanna might need to lay off the pastizzi for a while. Nearly one in every three people over 65 in Malta is obese, shocking new figures have revealed. The island’s spiralling obesity crisis – fuelled by junk food, poor diets and sedentary lifestyles – means that Malta’s older generation is among the fattest […]

Here’s how you can save a life in Malta

Pupils at some schools in Malta and Gozo have been learning how to perform CPR. The lessons were part of World Restart A Heart Day. They were shown how they might be able to save the life of someone who is having a cardiac arrest. The theme of the day was ‘everyone in the world […]

Why you should always look on the bright side of life

Looking on the bright side of life can help you live up to 15 years longer, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who enjoy simple pleasures, have a sunny disposition and a positive outlook on life are much less likely to have heart attacks and strokes. Optimists are also 70% more likely […]

Glass of wine or two before bed ‘can help weight loss’

Is it too early to be talking about wine? Possibly – but if you need a little motivation to get you through the day, then this could be it. If you’ve ever felt a little twinge of guilt about the calorific content of a glass of wine, then new findings from the University of Alberta […]

Fruit juices and sugary drinks linked to cancer risk

Just a third of a can of fizzy drink a day can raise your risk of cancer, research suggests – and fruit juice is just as risky. Experts found that just 100ml of sugary drink could raise your risk of the disease by 18 per cent – a typical can is around 330ml. Among women, […]

Children risk obesity ‘owing to lack of sleep’

A third of primary school children are not getting enough sleep, putting them at risk of obesity, experts have warned. A new poll found that 43% of adults sleep less than the recommended minimum of seven hours a night. Around a third of primary and 70% of secondary school pupils sleep for less than nine […]

Pregnant women urged not to eat potato crisps

Pregnant women have been warned not to munch on crisps when pregnant as it could affect the baby and its growth. A new study by The Journal of Physiology found that crisps actually contain an omega-6 fat called linoleic acid, which previously was thought to be linked to benefiting health, however, that is not the […]

Wine can PREVENT sore throats, scientists reveal

If you’ve ever heard someone tell you that alcohol is good for your health, it turns out they might be right. Scientists have discovered that a glass of wine is a fantastic disinfectant for germs, including those that cause sore throats. The study was intended as a follow up to research carried out in 1988 […]

Most dieting blogs on social media ‘give bad advice’

Slimmers should not trust weight loss and diet advice on social media blogs, according to scientists. They found just one in nine of the most popular sites gave accurate information. Health experts claimed that social media bloggers often ‘offer inaccurate or biased diet advice’. Some touted opinion as fact and failed to provide evidence for […]

Parents ‘don’t realise how fat their children are’

Malta has one of the worst child obesity rates in the world, with more than 40% of Maltese children classed as officially obese. But now a new study claims parents often underestimate how fat their children are. Researchers found that mums and dads often use words such as ‘chubby’, ‘solid’ and big boned’ rather than […]

Eating a bar of dark chocolate every day ‘is good for you’

Chocolate lovers have new reason to celebrate. Scientists have discovered the sweet treat is good for us. Eating just a few squares of dark chocolate every day lowers blood pressure in just one month, a study suggests. While milk chocolate has its benefits, 90 per cent cocoa was found to have the strongest effect. Researchers […]