Leading plastic surgeons called for tighter regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry this week, deeming it to be an under-regulated “wild west”.

The surgeons are members of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), and perform cosmetic surgeries both in the NHS and at leading private hospitals.

Members of the association believed that adverts for cosmetic procedures, which feature in the tabloids and in women’s magazines, should be banned.

BAAPS president Fazal Fatah said, “Over the last decade the BAAPS has worked tirelessly to educate the public on the many aggressive marketing gimmicks that not only trivialise surgery but endanger the patient”.

“We have warned against the unrealistic expectations set by reality ‘makeover’ shows and against crass competition prizes promising ‘mummy makeovers’ and body overhauls.

In a poll of 1,600 workers conducted by Nuffield Health, 72% said they had gone into work while sick on at least one occasion in the last year. More alarmingly, 53% admitted that they may have risked colleagues' health by coming to work.

On 18 October, the British Library, research organisation UKOLN and the Association of Medical Research Charities will launch the findings of the Patients Participate! project, in an event entitled Health in the Headlines: Making Sense of the Science?

The event – which is part of the British Library’s TalkScience series – will be chaired by Tracey Brown, director of the charitable trust Sense about Science.

Prime minister David Cameron has said that the government will consider introducing a tax to tackle Britain’s growing obesity levels.

The tax was approved as part of a goal to increase the average life expectancy of Danes. There is now a surcharge of 16 kroner (£1.85) for every kilogram of saturated fat in a product.

Employees under the age of 30 are much more likely to take time of work because of a cold, according to a survey carried out by vitimin producer Multibionta. The study, which involved 3,000 working adults in the UK, showed that over 70% of under-30s had taken a sick day during the past year. Contrastingly, just 46% of over-55s said that they had taken a day off.

Over a third of Britons are risking their health by putting off essential medical checks, according to the results of a new survey commissioned by HSF Health Plan and conducted by YouGov.

The survey found that 38% of UK residents are putting off medical checks, such as the dentist or optician, because of the cost. Many more women than men are delaying finding out if they need treatment or not (43% of women compared to 32% of men).

Stephen Duff, deputy chief executive of HSF Health Plan, says that this is a false economy, and that delaying essential treatment usually means more cost, pain and damage in the long run. "Putting off visits to the dentist or optician increases your chances of preventable diseases, like mouth cancer and glaucoma, not being discovered until it's too late. Many conditions unrelated to your mouth and eyes are detected by dentists and opticians in routine checks. Discovered early, these illnesses are usually simply treated, but, if left undetected too long, they can become life-threatening problems. For example, NHS Choices says that two out of every 100 people over 40 are affected by glaucoma, and Mouth Cancer UK says that mouth cancer kills one person every three hours in the UK because of its late detection."

David Wright, chief executive of the International Glaucoma Association, says, "It is not just sight and eye conditions, such as glaucoma and defective vision, that can be picked up by the optometrist; other health issues can also be detected, such as high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, brain tumours, blood clots and diabetes, so it is extremely important to not put checks off."

Putting off dental checks, says HSF Health Plan, can delay the detection of serious conditions like osteoporosis, oral cancer, acromegaly (pituitary gland tumour), leukaemia, Hodgkin's Disease and diabetes.

HSF Health Plan provides a special combined optical and dental option, providing contributors with an annual pot of money that can be used flexibly, depending on their needs, on either optical or dental care, privately or paying costs that the NHS does not cover.

Visit hsf.co.uk for more information.

Exercise can be a stress buster. Employees who can exercise at work are more productive, happy, efficient and calm, a study shows.

Two hundred people took part in the Bristol University experiment to test the impact of workplace keep fit facilities like gyms or classes. Exercise re-energised staff, improved their concentration and problem solving and made them feel calmer. Experts said the findings should encourage more businesses to provide facilities for staff to exercise. Indeed, almost half of the "Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2006" offered gym access to employees, say the latest study authors. However, their work in the Journal of Workplace Health Management, did find employees struggled to fit exercise around their work and felt guilty about being away from their desks. They also felt they might be criticised by colleagues for taking time out from their desk jobs.

The practical benefits of health-insurance are undisputed, but it’s equally vital in the battle for hearts and minds of employees relocated overseas, as Anna Lambert discovers

When it comes to protecting individuals who are being relocated overseas, health care is a major consideration. While certain parts of the world have health standards that are every bit as good as – and possibly better than – they are in the UK, there are some decidedly dodgy places, health-wise, where one can wind up, too. Employees need to ensure they’ve got all the facts at their fingertips regarding health set-ups in the country they’re going to, prior to actual relocation. And of course employers need to assure them that the necessary systems are in place should they become ill or have a medical emergency overseas.

Walking and cycling have the potential to tackle the worst effects of the UK’s growing health gap, which leaves the poorest people suffering from more illnesses and dying younger.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has written an introduction to an evidence review by UK sustainable transport charity Sustrans, and said transport infrastructure could encourage people to combine physical activity with their everyday journeys.

Active travel and health inequalities draws together a variety of research, which consistently shows that people from deprived areas have worse health.
From 2004 to 2006, deaths from heart disease in England’s most deprived areas were 71% higher than in the wealthiest communities. Men and women living in the most deprived areas of Scotland have a life expectancy ten years lower than the average. And the poorest Welsh communities have obesity levels one-and-a-half times greater than affluent areas.

Sir Liam said, “Some of the most disadvantaged groups in society are also the most sedentary, and the incidence of obesity, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease and mental health problems is higher among people in these groups.