According to a report published today from economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research, banning fast food advertisements on television could reduce the number of overweight children in the United States by as much as 18%. However the team of researchers from Lehigh University, Georgia State University and City University of New York Graduate Center questioned the practicality of such an approach, which has been put into effect only by Sweden, Norway and Finland till now.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opened its first overseas office on Wednesday in China, with others planned around the globe to control quality of food imported in to the country. David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for foods said, "We are currently importing about 15% of the food we eat in the United States, and it is increasing every year. It's much easier if we can build the collaboration at a local level rather than trying to do it from 8,000 miles away."

According to new research from the University of Sydney, Nicotinamide (VitB3), a vitamin found in meats, nuts grains and cereals may be more effective than sunscreen in preventing skin cancer. The water soluble vitamin B3 works to protect the immune system and prevent damage from both UVA and UVB radiation and can be taken in tablet form or added to sunscreen.

According to a new study, daily dose of aspirin or other "nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug" (NSAID) significantly improves the test results of men with prostate cancer.

By taking aspirin, the level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) getting lower than the level of clinical suspicion. This shows that it is helping the body to fight the disease.

PSA test is a method used to measure the level of prostate cancer, with higher blood PSA levels suggesting a higher chance of having prostate cancer.

Going by the latest figures released, Canada's health care spending is growing faster than the economy, outpacing inflation and population growth. Representing 10.7 per cent of the gross domestic product, health care spending has reached $171.9 billion or $5,170 per person, the highest share ever recorded in Canada.

When it comes to province-wise per-person spending, the figures for Alberta and Manitoba stand at $5,730 and $5,555 respectively. The provinces that spend the lowest are Quebec at $4,653 and British Columbia at $5,093.

The NHS budget has doubled in the past five years, from £45bn to £90bn, the fastest growth in its history. While some NHS workers have enjoyed a pay bonanza, it has not been spread evenly. The biggest rises have gone to doctors, with senior GPs who run their own practices enjoying rises of 58 per cent on average in the three years from 2003 - an average income of £113,614.

The NHS bosses have been accused of "double standards" for getting huge pay hikes while frontline staff took an effective cut.