Malnutrition among populations – particularly the children, is an interplay of multiple factors like illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, large families, lack of resources including food / nutrition insecurity and poor access to health care services. Since long, our government’s endeavour has been to reduce morbidity / mortality rates by implementing multi-pronged strategies for breaking the inter-generational cycle of under-nutrition. Events leading to malnutrition often predate child-birth; maternal under-nutrition, teenage pregnancies, closely spaced child-births and high parity are the major contributors to pre-term / low birth weight deliveries.  Escalating malnutrition among children aged below two years is indicative of poor infant feeding practices. Therefore, appropriate infant feeding practices coupled with adequate maternal nutrition are crucial for healthy growth / development of the child; and for this a life cycle approach is imperative.

Restricting how much you eat without starving has been shown to robustly extend lifespan in more than 20 species of animals including primates. How this works is still unclear. In a new study published in PLOS Genetics, neuroscientists from Florida Atlantic University show that it’s not just what or how much you eat that matters. Smelling food in addition to consuming calories could influence the aging process. And, what’s “eating” you or more specifically your cells may provide clues to healthy aging.

Scientists studying how aging affects the biological clock’s control of metabolism have discovered that a low-calorie diet helps keep these energy-regulating processes humming and the body younger.

People who suffer from depression may want to look to yoga as a complement to traditional therapies as the practice appears to lessen symptoms of the disorder, according to studies presented at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

Neuroscientists should think twice before getting patients to play video games as a way to boost their brain power, a new study conducted at Université de Montréal suggests. Why? Because in many cases, gaming can do more harm than good.

What do athlete’s foot, jock itch, and barber’s itch all have in common? They are all cases of ringworm, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology. However, despite its name, ringworm is a skin infection caused by a fungus, not a worm. It is very common, and your risk increases in hot, humid weather.