• Greece bans smoking, again
• Russia: Moscow bans night-time vodka sales in health drive
• Study: Green leafy vegetables cut diabetes risk

• Nurses' one-year certificate programme in Maharishi Ayur-Veda and women's health offered online by US university
• VedAroma essential oils: Enlivening wholeness, health in the physiology
• Supporting the success of VedAroma essential oils on a global scale

• Too little sleep bad for teenagers' diets: study
• US grapples with bedbugs, misuse of pesticides
• Pakistan's flood victims frustrated with medical care

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Greece bans smoking, again
2 September 2010 - Greece banned smoking in all indoor public places again on Wednesday in yet another effort to persuade Europe's heaviest smokers to kick the habit. The new government hopes fines and vigilance will work after a similar attempt in 2009 was largely ignored. The new law forbids smoking in areas such as hospitals, schools, airports, bus stations, taxis, cafes, and restaurants. (more)

Russia: Moscow bans night-time vodka sales in health drive
2 September 2010 - Moscow banned night-time sales of vodka and other spirits on Wednesday, part of a nationwide drive to curb crime and disease linked with Russia's national drink. The ban is among a series of tough measures to reduce alcohol abuse ordered last year by President Dmitry Medvedev as part of a fight to slow Russia's persistent population decline. He called alcoholism a 'national disaster' that undermines public health and hampers the economy. (more)

Study: Green leafy vegetables cut diabetes risk
20 August 2010 - Eating more green leafy vegetables can significantly cut the risk of developing diabetes, scientists said on Friday. British researchers who reviewed six earlier studies on links between diabetes and the consumption of fruits and vegetables found that eating an extra serving a day of vegetables like spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduced adults' risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 14 per cent. (more)

US study: Smoking scenes on the decline in top movies
19 August 2010 - There's a lot less smoking in the movies these days, a new report shows. Tobacco use in US movies peaked in 2005 and has been on the decline since, according to research that looked at the most popular films from 1991 to 2009. Last year more than half of the 145 top movies released didn't show any smoking at all. That's a record for the past two decades. For films aimed at children or teens, the percentage was even higher -- 61 per cent. The report 'shows that Hollywood is perfectly capable of making movies without as much smoking and people still come see them,' said the US study's lead author. (more)

South Africa: Cape Town launches meat free day
16 August 2010 - The City of Cape Town has launched a campaign to encourage people to eat less meat -- at least once a week -- for the sake of the environment and the welfare of humans and farm animals. The Meat-free Day initiative puts Cape Town at the forefront of other African cities in this regard, as it is the first on the continent to officially throw its weight behind the cause. Meat-free Day is backed by the city's Health Portfolio Committee, the members of which were unanimous in their support. (more)

UK, Iceland lead fall in Europe breast cancer deaths
12 August 2010 - Death rates from breast cancer have fallen markedly in Europe in the past 20 years with Britain and Iceland leading the way, scientists said. England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, had the second, third, and fourth largest decreases of 35 per cent, 29 per cent, and 30 per cent. Breast cancer mortality declined 45 per cent in Iceland. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in wealthy nations. (more)

Getting fit in midlife, better late than never
9 August 2010 - Exercising in your 40's, 50's, and 60's is like saving for your retirement, experts say. Starting early is money in the bank, but even late bloomers can reap astonishing benefits. 'The game isn't over, even if you haven't been active,' said Dr Angela Smith, past President of the American College of Sports Medicine. 'Aerobic fitness, bone health, agility, you may be able to catch up. It's remarkable to see the things people can actually do.' Smith, a physician at Philadelphia Children's Hospital, said studies have shown that even octogenarians can double their strength with weight training. '... many of the non-sport activities, swimming, weight training, yoga, people can do just fine in 40's, 50's, 60's,' she added. (more)

No smoking in school: China fights against tobacco
8 August 2010 - In an uphill battle, China has committed to banning smoking at public indoor venues by 9 January next year, in accordance with a global anti-tobacco treaty backed by the World Health Organization. Over the past several years, China has banned tobacco advertising on radio, television, and newspapers and outlawed smoking in some places, such as on airplanes. During the 2008 Olympics, Beijing and other host cities in China went smoke-free. In recent months, China banned smoking at pavilions and restaurants in the Shanghai Expo, as well as the Health Ministry's own 19-story office building in Beijing -- the first central government agency to prohibit smoking indoors. Weeks ago, authorities also instructed kindergartens and elementary, secondary, and vocational schools to ban smoking on campus and bar teachers from lighting up in front of students. (more)

US Senate votes to increase child nutrition funds
5 August 2010 - The Senate on Thursday approved $4.5 billion in additional funds for child nutrition programmes over the next 10 years, in a move that backers said was the largest investment in those feeding programmes ever. The measure passed the Senate unanimously. A House of Representatives committee has approved a bill providing nearly double the amount of money, so the initiative still has several steps to go through in the Democratic-controlled Congress before final passage. (more)

US: Senate passes bill to make school lunches healthy
5 August 2010 - Food in the school lunch line would be healthier under child nutrition legislation passed by the Senate Thursday, a key part of First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to end childhood obesity. The $4.5 billion legislation passed by voice vote would create new standards for all foods in schools, and also expand the number of low-income children eligible for free or reduced cost meals. A similar bill is pending in the House after committee approval last month. Congressional passage of the bill would be only the first step. Decisions on what kinds of foods will be sold, and what ingredients may be limited, would be left up to the Agriculture Department. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Nurses' one-year certificate programme in Maharishi Ayur-Veda and women's health offered online by US university
1 September 2010 - The School of Nursing and Health Professions at Brandman University in the United States is offering a new one-year certificate programme for nurses: Maharishi Ayur-Vedic Medicine Mother-Baby Health Care. The programme is being offered online as one of the university's many professional programmes for working adults. Learning the Transcendental Meditation Programme is a prerequisite for other courses including: Good Health through Prevention; Self-Pulse Analysis For Good Health; Diet, Digestion, and Nutrition; and Maharishi Vedic Mother-Baby Health Care. The Transcendental Meditation course may also be taken for nurses' Continuing Education Units. (more)

VedAroma essential oils: Enlivening wholeness, health in the physiology
29 August 2010 - Vaidya Manohar, a great expert in Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care from India, discusses Maharishi VedAroma essential oils as a means to help create wholeness in the physiology, the basis for a disease-free, suffering-free world. (more)

Supporting the success of VedAroma essential oils on a global scale
28 August 2010 - After experiencing first-hand the benefits of Maharishi VedAroma essential oils, a participant from a VedAroma course held this spring in Provence, France has made his focus to give people around the world the same opportunity. (more)

Award-winning medical doctor to visit Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center, Lancaster, USA: Free public lecture 12 September
25 August 2010 - Karen Pirc, MD, PhD, will be in residence 1-20 September at the Maharishi Vedic Health Center at Lancaster, Massachusetts, USA. On Sunday, 12 September at 2:00pm, Dr Pirc, who is medical director of the renowned Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Bad Ems, Germany, will give a free public lecture: Ayurveda Made Easy! Simple Steps for Prevention, Purification and Rejuvenation. The lecture will include tips and easy-to-follow steps on how to improve balance in both mind and body to support a long, vital life. (more)

VedAromas: Simple tool to bring balance to the physiology
25 August 2010 - A doctor of chiropractic discusses VedAroma essential oils as a simple tool to bring balance to the physiology, which he has found very useful in his practice. (more)

Rising coherence in national consciousness brings prevention to forefront of health care
24 August 2010 - Amid many indications of increased coherence in collective consciousness, society is now waking up to the need for prevention in the field of health care. In a recent example cited by Dr Peter Swan, Minister of Communication for the Global Country of World Peace, Reuters London reported that 'a ban on smoking in public places in England led to a swift and significant drop in the number of heart attacks, saving the Health Service £8.4 million in the first year . . . . ''The message is clear: investment in prevention pays,'' ' a health official said. (more)

Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre to be built in Austria
18 August 2010 - A grand new Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Centre and hotel for seminars is to be built in Austria. The Health Centre, featuring on-site natural healing hot springs, will be an exemplary facility in the world. It will also be a perfect Vastu--built according to principles of Vedic Architecture, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. (more)

Making the connections: How Transcendental Meditation improves your brain

11 August 2010 - The Huffington Post (August 11) reported on recent research, conducted at American University in Washington, DC, which shows that the daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation Technique creates more efficient, integrated brain functioning. The unique experience of 'transcending' gained during TM practice, writes journalist Jeanne Ball, neutralizes the stress, which negatively impacts brain functioning. (more)

Healing 'traumatic stress' through the experience of the Transcendent
3 August 2010 - Like the sun that dispels darkness, it is the experience of the Transcendent--Transcendental Consciousness, identified by scientific research as a fourth major state of consciousness--that is able to dispel the intense levels of traumatic stress besetting individuals and families today, said Dr Robert Roth, Director of Expansion for the Transcendental Meditation Programme in the United States, recently. In his Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has provided a simple technique to directly experience the transcendental field of consciousness in a systematic, reliable, repeatable manner. (more)

New studies show reduced depression with Transcendental Meditation
3 August 2010 - Two new studies in the US have found that the Transcendental Meditation Technique is an effective approach for reducing the symptoms of depression. The research was conducted at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles and the University of Hawaii in Kohala; results were presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Seattle, Washington, USA. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Too little sleep bad for teenagers' diets: study
2 September 2010 - Teenagers who sleep less than eight hours a night on weeknights eat more fatty foods and snacks than those who get more than eight hours of sleep a night, US researchers said on Wednesday. They said getting too little sleep can result in chronic changes in the diet that can increase the risk of obesity, especially in girls. Prior studies have shown that too little sleep can lead to weight gain, but the new findings show where the extra calories come from. Increasing intake of fatty foods, which are typically high in calories, can increase the overall daily caloric intake, and if it happens routinely, it can lead to excess fat. (more)

US grapples with bedbugs, misuse of pesticides
1 September 2010 - A resurgence of bedbugs across the US has homeowners and apartment dwellers taking desperate measures to eradicate the tenacious bloodsuckers, with some relying on dangerous outdoor pesticides and fly-by-night exterminators. The problem has gotten so bad that the Environmental Protection Agency warned this month against the indoor use of chemicals meant for the outside. Bedbugs, infesting US households on a scale unseen in more than a half-century, have become largely resistant to common pesticides. As a result, some homeowners and exterminators are turning to more hazardous chemicals that can harm the central nervous system, irritate the skin and eyes, or even cause cancer. Authorities around the country have blamed house fires on people misusing all sorts of highly flammable garden and lawn chemicals to fight bedbugs. (more)

Pakistan's flood victims frustrated with medical care
31 August 2010 - Victims of Pakistan's floods queued to get medical treatment on Tuesday as doctors complained of a shortage of medical supplies to treat a rising number of patients. Monsoon floods have receded in some areas but aid agencies fear disease, food shortages, and malnutrition may create new crises as people head back to their shattered towns and villages and try to rebuild their homes and lives. The United Nations has warned of imminent waterborne diseases, including typhoid fever, shigellosis, and hepatitis A and E, and vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever. The floods have left one-fifth of the country under water, an area the size of Italy. Some Pakistanis have grown increasingly angry with the sluggish government response, and are turning to Islamist charities, some of them tied to militant groups. (more)

US: Questions loom over drug given to sleepless vets
31 August 2010 - Thousands of soldiers suffering from PTSD have received the same medication over the last nine years, helping to make Seroquel one of the Veteran Affairs Department's top drug expenditures and the No. 5 best-selling drug in the nation. Several soldiers and veterans have died while taking the pills, raising concerns among some military families that the government is not being up front about the drug's risks. Though it's unclear how many soldiers have died while taking Seroquel, a study in the January 2009 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine found that there were three cardiac deaths per year for every 1,000 patients taking anti-psychotic drugs like Seroquel. A 23-year-old Marine corporal who died while using the drug. had been prescribed more than 1,600 milligrams per day -- more than double the maximum dose recommended for schizophrenia patients. The VA's spending on Seroquel has increased more than 770 per cent since 2001. In that same time frame, the number of patients covered by the VA increased just 34 per cent. (more)

US: Scientists expect C-section rate to keep rising
31 August 2010 - More women will be giving birth by C-section for the foreseeable future, government scientists said Monday, releasing a study into the causes of a trend that troubles maternal health experts. Researchers with the National Institutes of Health found that nearly one third of first-time moms delivered by cesarean. That is 'somewhat surprising,' said Dr. Jun Zhang, lead author of a study that looked at nearly 230,000 deliveries in 19 hospitals around the country. 'It has consequences for future pregnancies.' Many medical experts consider cesarean deliveries to be a major component of 'overtreatment' in the US -- procedures and tests that provide little or no benefit while subjecting patients to additional risks. But the trend does not appear likely to reverse. Since the mid-1990s, the C-section rate in the US has increased by more than 50 per cent. (more)

China coal drive will not end health risks: report
30 August 2010 - China's drive to promote clean coal technology is unlikely to reduce significantly the health risks of extracting what remains the dirtiest of fossil fuels, environmental group Greenpeace said. A report released by Greenpeace and the China Disease Control Center said huge rates of coal consumption were a factor behind an increase in cancer and birth defects as well as non-specific and chronic nervous, immune, and respiratory illnesses. Coal-fired power plants contribute three quarters of China's total electricity needs, but also around 70 per cent of energy sector air pollution. The government has been studying how to reduce its toxic effects, but 'clean coal' remains a misnomer, said the group's China campaign manager, Yang Ailun. (more)

Death comes to Pakistani camp for flood victims
25 August 2010 - With some 6 million people made homeless by Pakistan's floods, many of them living in appalling conditions, fears are growing that many could die from sickness and hunger. The government has warned of the spread of epidemics, and particularly of the risk of water-borne diseases. The floods, triggered by unusually heavy monsoon downpours over the upper Indus river basin, are Pakistan's worst natural disaster in terms of the extent of damage caused and the number of people affected. So far, only about 1,600 people have been killed, a relatively low number for a calamity of this scale, but the death toll is expected to rise. Difficult as conditions might be in camps, they are far better than the grim existence facing many of the displaced who have not been able to get into an organized facility. (more)

US study identifies 'alarming disparities' in child obesity
20 August 2010 - While the extent of obesity among children overall seems to have peaked, it's still climbing among African American and Native American girls, new research from California shows. The biggest obesity increases over the past decade have occurred among the heaviest youths, no matter what their gender or ethnicity, Dr Kristine Madsen of the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues found. 'Our heaviest kids are getting heavier,' Madsen said in an interview. Data covering 1999 through 2008, also show Hispanic and African American children were more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. (more)

US: Recall expands to more than half a billion eggs
20 August 2010 - More than a half-billion eggs have been recalled in the nationwide investigation of a salmonella outbreak. The outbreak has already sickened more than 1,000 people and the toll of illnesses is expected to increase. Federal officials say it's one of the largest egg recalls in recent history. Americans consume about 220 million eggs a day, based on industry estimates. A food safety expert at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, said the source of the outbreak could be rodents, shipments of contaminated hens, or tainted feed. Microbiology professor Patrick McDonough said he was not surprised to hear about two recalls involving different egg companies, because in other outbreaks there have also been multiple sources. The salmonella bacteria is not passed from hen to hen, but usually from rodent droppings to chickens, he said. This strain of bacteria is found inside a chicken's ovaries, and gets inside an egg. (more)

China tobacco firms accused of targeting children
19 August 2010 - Chinese tobacco companies are targeting women and children as potential smokers as the market in men has peaked, health experts said on Thursday. China's 1.3 billion population carries an enormous cancer burden. With one in every three cigarettes in the world smoked in China, the nation had 2.82 million new cancer cases and 1.96 million cancer deaths in 2008. Despite the massive health costs, experts say state-owned Chinese tobacco firms are skirting tobacco laws with tactics such as printing health warnings in English, rather than Chinese, and using very fine print. (more)