Why are so many children becoming short-sighted?
Half the world may be short-sighted by 2050. Trials show more time outdoors cuts new cases in children, whatever they do there.
4 min read
a/health
Health. Sleep, movement, feet, gut and mood: how the body works and what wears it down.
Is loneliness really as bad for your health as smoking?
Across millions of people, loneliness and isolation raise the risk of early death by about a quarter. What it does to the body, and what helps.
4 min read
Is depression caused by low serotonin? What inflammation and the gut have to do with it
The "chemical imbalance" story is too simple. A quarter of people with depression have raised inflammation, and diet and exercise ease symptoms in trials.
4 min read
How much sleep do you really need?
Experts say seven hours or more; hunter-gatherers get about six and a half. Why both are true, and why the timing of sleep matters as much as its length.
4 min read
How much movement undoes a day of sitting?
A study of a million adults found about an hour of moderate activity a day cancels the extra risk of sitting eight hours. What counts, and why steps matter.
5 min read
Does making suicide harder actually save lives?
When Britain took the poison out of its gas supply, total suicides fell by a third. Fifty years of evidence says removing the means saves lives.
5 min read
Do cushioned shoes weaken your feet?
People who grow up barefoot have stronger arches and fewer flat feet. What the studies show, what they don't, and how to change shoes without getting hurt.
5 min read
Nothing matches that.