Older People

Men and women are more likely to make a positive health behavior change if their partner was also making a change according to research from University College London (UCL).

Co-author Jane Wardle, Professor of Clinical Psychology at UCL, says:

"Unhealthy lifestyles are a leading cause of death from chronic disease worldwide. The key lifestyle risks are smoking, excess weight, physical inactivity, poor diet and alcohol consumption."

Older people in England are being left "high and dry" by councils cutting back on the care they provide, Age UK says. Research by the charity showed the numbers getting help had fallen from just over one million three years ago to 850,000 last year. Age UK said the cuts were one of the major causes behind the growing pressures on A&E units. Read more here.

A Northern Ireland health trust plans to halt daily delivery of meals to older people at home replacing it with a fortnightly delivery of frozen meals. The plan has been criticised by the SDLP's health spokesman.

The trust said people would continue to receive a nutritious meal and would benefit from a wider choice of options.

A lack of exercise could be killing twice as many people as obesity in Europe, a 12-year study of more than 300,000 people suggests.

University of Cambridge researchers said about 676,000 deaths each year were down to inactivity, compared with 337,000 from carrying too much weight.

They concluded that getting everyone to do at least 20 minutes of brisk walking a day would have substantial benefits. Read more here.

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