Research shows Aussie kids can’t throw or catch as well as 30 years ago Australia, Nick Kyrgios may be our last hope. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: News Corp Australia IT’S a secret shame for such a proud sporting nation, but Aussie children are officially terrible at sport — and getting worse. New research shows Australian children are falling behind their international counterparts when it comes to basic skills like throwing, catching and kicking a ball. “Overall it’s a growing trend,” James Rudd, a PHD student at Victoria University’s Institute of Sport, told news.com.au. “There’s no easy answer because it’s not one thing. “PE in schools being pushed to periphery ... To this? How do we take Aussie kids from this ... Mr Rudd’s research took into account 400 students aged from six to 10 at Melbourne primary schools from different socio-economic backgrounds. Results showed Australian children lagging behind their US counterparts when compared to a study done in the US in 2000. Golden girls. “If you’re never used them you’ve never developed them.
Future Science by James Rickman Wednesday, February 11, 2015 When asked about his incredible discovery, the researcher left the interviewers speechless. He acknowledged a new advance in neuroscience is finally hitting the market for the first time. “It doesn’t just give you more energy and mental clarity...it will literally get you focused at any given time without getting stressed or irritated by unpleasant circumstances. You don’t even have to change your daily routines or spend countless hours reading. After the story broke, the internet has been going crazy over a promising new product that is currently sending shock-waves through the medical industry. There has already been previous controversy around the cognitive-enhancing supplement. Neuroflexyn soon became known as the ‘most powerful self-development trick on earth’. Critics of the pill are of course making their voices heard and if the effectiveness of Neuroflexyn is stronger then it previously was then these will not be around much longer.
Cancer cure discovered by 8-year-old girl, Camilla Lisanti? Certain antibiotics were found to have an effect on breast cancer cells. Picture: Garvan Institute. Picture: Institute Garvan Source: Supplied A YOUNG girl may have accidentally come up with a cure for cancer while talking to her parents over the dinner table. Camilia Lisanti, who is the daughter of a husband and wife cancer research team in Manchester, suggested using antibiotics as a potential cure for cancer. Her father, Michael — a cancer research scientist — asked her how she would cure cancer, and she paused before proving a simple answer. Camilia suggested using antibiotics “like when I have a sore throat” which gave her scientist parents an idea. Professor Lisanti and his wife Federica Sotgia began to test her theory but were shocked when they actually found various cheap and widely used antibiotics did destroy cancerous cells, The Independent reported. The researchers found that certain antibiotics could stop cancer cells making mitochondria, which feeds the cells.
Having trouble sleeping? This could be why Counting sheep ... If simple fixes don't work, there could be a more serious reason for your lack of sleep. Photo: 123RF So you spent a day in the sun, surf and sand and now you're in bed, hot and bothered and tangled in sheets because it's too hot to have the window closed and there are too many mosquitos to risk staying uncovered. At this point, sleep is a long-forgotten pipe dream. For some, the heat is all it takes to lose sleep. But what most people don't realise is that trouble sleeping can actually be the result of an underlying health condition, from asthma and acid reflux to conditions far more serious and potentially life threatening. Advertisement A report from the Harvard Medical School gives a comprehensive list of surprising conditions that could be the real reason you're not catching any Zs these days, and we've picked out a few of the more troubling ones. Asthma Diabetes Diabetes is when your body doesn't make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range.
How learning music improves our children's abilities and raises their IQs | Life It’s probably as well Langley Hall Primary Academy doesn’t have a school cat. That’s because at any one time, 460 children aged five and upwards are learning the violin – and there are no soundproofed rooms. The school in Berkshire isn’t some exclusive prep school. It’s a state primary on the edge of Slough and serves a diverse and multicultural area. Studies show that learning music can have a dramatic effect on children’s abilities in maths and reading, increase happiness and even raise their IQs. Every five-year-old pupil starts with the recorder in year one and in the summer term, they also begin to learn violin – parents have to agree to buy an instrument before their child arrives at the school, although those receiving free school meals are provided with one. Then, in year four, pupils can choose to move on to cello or cornet and, later, the clarinet or flute. Sally believes this emphasis on music is at least partly the reason for the school’s rapid academic progress.
Why parents should stop helping their kids with homework Like many Aussie kids, this guy is battling with his homework. Source: Getty Images KIDS hate homework. Parents hate homework. Teachers hate unfinished homework. Homework is the cause of many suburban screaming matches and thousands of grey hairs. The average Australian 15-year-old spends six hours a week doing their homework, according to the OECD. Now several education experts are urging parents to stop helping. There is extensive research proving that homework has little academic benefit, says associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Sydney and author of Reforming Homework, Richard Walker. “There isn’t much academic benefit in homework for primary school children. Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg agrees: “Homework provides absolutely no academic benefit for younger students. “And parents are demanding it in larger and larger doses, despite the fact that it does nothing. Also, homework helps to solidify a sense of belonging and autonomy. What do you think?
Eating peanuts early could prevent peanut allergies, new study finds Getting kids to eat peanuts at a young age could be the key to preventing peanut allergies, a new study has found. Source: Getty Images A NEW study has found that contrary to previous advice, feeding foods containing peanuts to babies before 11 months of age may help prevent allergies, echoing some of the findings of Australian research. The findings in the New England Journal of Medicine are based on a British study of 640 children, aged four months to 11 months, who were considered at high risk of becoming allergic to peanuts either because of a pre-existing egg allergy or eczema, which can be linked to peanut allergy. Researchers at Evelina London Children’s Hospital randomised the children into two groups — some were fed foods containing pureed peanuts and others were told to avoid peanuts until they turned five — to see if avoiding peanuts was really the best way to prevent peanut allergy. In January, Australian researchers aid they had found a possible cure for peanut allergies.
Kobe Bryant hails the healing powers of bone broth soup Regular soup? No thanks. Source: AFP The NBA has come under scrutiny with two recent flopping incidents causing a stir, one resulting in Sacramento Kings' Demarcus Cousins being unfairly fouled out of crucial overtime against Dallas. More videos available at the News video hub Labor has renewed it's call for clemency for the two members of the Bali Nine on death row in Indonesia. Replay of Saturday night's Asian Cup match between Oman and Kuwait. Replay of Saturday night's Asian Cup match between the Socceroos and South Korea. Lawyers in Pakistan's Karachi protest against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for issuing cartoons insulting the Prophet Mohammad. The EU police agency chief says there are no guarantees another Paris-style terror attack can be prevented. A man has been charged by police following the alleged murder of a woman found in a western Sydney carpark. Pope Francis has cut short his visit to a typhoon-hit region of the Philippines due to an approaching storm.
Alzheimer's disease linked to heart's effect on the brain "If you're in your 80s and don't want to lose your cognitive function there are things you can do to slow it down." Photo: iStock Researchers have pointed to a new culprit in the whodunnit that seeks to discover who killed the brain of people who died with Alzheimer's disease: the heart. The radical new theory into the cause of Alzheimer's disease suggests that the heart, after powering the brain with 35 million beats per year, eventually destroys it. We are used to thinking of the brain as a dependent ward of the heart, not as a victim of its beat. The hypothesis has major implications for drug therapies, prevention strategies and research investment and challenges the dominant school of thought on the cause of Alzheimer's disease. There are an estimated 112,000 people with dementia living in NSW, which is expected to increase to 128,500 people by 2020 and 272,000 people by 2050, according to Alzheimer's NSW. Advertisement "And that's a hopeful story.
Mega-meal: Giant bowls of pho and other Sydney food challenges Supersize me: 11 minutes and it's free: The formidable pho at Huong Xua in Canley Heights. Photo: Edwina Pickles There are big breakfasts and then there gigantic, out-of-control, gargantuan breakfasts for the ages. Last week The Corner Cafe in Portishead, England, set a gut-bursting challenge to consume a greasy spoon breakfast comprised of 59 items including, but not limited to, six eggs, two omelettes, six sausages, six bacon rashers, six hash browns, two portions of beans, four slices of toast, and a bowl of chips. Punters are given an hour to scoff the £15 ($28) "Monster Mega Breakfast" which, according to the Bristol Sun, contains over 8000 calories (about four times the recommended daily intake). Food challenges of this magnitude are popular the first-world over. Advertisement Closer to home, Sangria in Parramatta was selling what it claimed was Sydney's biggest breakfast in December. For eager eaters in Sydney, there's a number of other spots throwing down the gut-bursting gauntlet.
Good Food - Going nuts: Why are Australians allergic to everything? Allergy nation: About one in 50 Australian children has a peanut allergy. Photo: Getty Images Paula Goodyer There was a time when gastroenterologist Professor Katie Allen dismissed food allergy as something that had been overhyped by the media – until two things changed her mind. Now she's a senior researcher into food allergy at Melbourne's Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and – just in case – she carries an EpiPen, the injection kit that provides first aid for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. EpiPens provide first aid for anaphylaxis. Two generations ago, EpiPens were unheard of and taking peanut butter to school didn't provoke hostile debate between parents. Advertisement But the problem isn't food – instead there's a growing recognition among scientists that something is sabotaging our immune systems. Senior allergy researcher Professor Katie Allen. Let's start with the gut. What if you suspect a food allergy?
The Bachelor’s Tim Robards: Should I exercise when I’m sick? Tim Robards obviously knows a bit about working out. Source: News Corp Australia YOU wake up and your first swallow tastes like a mixture of cotton wool and like you’ve gargled all night with red hot chillies. You’ve got a runny nose and achy muscles. The question is: to train or not to train? The rule of thumb is if symptoms are above the neck, as in a dry cough, runny nose and sneezing you should be fine. The good news is studies show that those who are physically active recover from colds and flus quicker than those desk bound and couch potatoes. Is a runny nose and excuse not to go for a run? If I have a fever should I sweat it out? If you have signs of fever I would say listen to your body and rest. Take a few days off, hydrate and you’re better off sweating it out in bed than in the gym. If I have a chesty cold/cough should I train? This usually means infection and you want to give your body maximum energy stores to help it fight and recover. Ease into it gently if you have:
MIT Researcher’s New Warning: At Today’s Rate, Half Of All U.S. Children Will Be Autistic By 2025 Nick Meyer, althealthworks.com Research scientist Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a widely published author on topics ranging from Azlheimer’s Disease to autism and cardiovascular disease, raised plenty of eyebrows recently with a bold proclamation on autism at a special panel in Massachusetts about genetically modified organisms and other topics. “At today’s rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic,” Seneff said last Thursday in Groton, MA at an event sponsored by the holistic-focused Groton Wellness organization. Seneff presented slides showing a remarkably consistent correlation between the rising use of Roundup (with its active ingredient glyphosate) on crops and the rising rates of autism; while it doesn’t show a direct correlation it does give researchers plenty to think about, especially considering Seneff’s research into the side effects of autism that mimic glyphosate toxicity and deficiencies. Dr. Dr.