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<channel>
	<title>Dr John Briffa's Blog</title>
	
	<link>http://www.drbriffa.com</link>
	<description>A health-focused blog that makes sense of science, and offers accurate, trustworthy and practical advice about all aspects of healthy living.</description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
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		<copyright>© </copyright>
		<managingEditor>john@drbriffa.com ()</managingEditor>
		<webMaster>john@drbriffa.com()</webMaster>
		<category />
		<ttl>1440</ttl>
		<itunes:keywords />
		<itunes:subtitle />
		<itunes:summary>A Good Look at Good Health</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author />
		<itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture" />
		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name />
			<itunes:email>john@drbriffa.com</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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		<image><link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog</link><url>http://www.drbriffa.com/images/feedlogo.jpg</url><title>Dr John Briffa</title></image>
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		<title>Waist size found to be strongly associated with risk of death</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/20/waist-size-found-to-be-strongly-associated-with-risk-of-death/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/20/waist-size-found-to-be-strongly-associated-with-risk-of-death/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=627</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Previously on this site I have drawn attention to the fact that the body mass index (weight in kg divided by the square of someone’s height in metres) is not a particularly good gauge of health status. For a start, the BMI tells us noting about the body’s composition, and it is entirely possible for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/20/waist-size-found-to-be-strongly-associated-with-risk-of-death/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Short bouts of activity found to bring similar benefits to more extended periods of exercise</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/17/short-bouts-of-activity-found-to-bring-similar-benefits-to-more-extended-periods-of-exercise/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/17/short-bouts-of-activity-found-to-bring-similar-benefits-to-more-extended-periods-of-exercise/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:42:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Exercise and Activity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Activity and exercise come in many different forms, but my number one favourite is walking. This is at least partly based on the fact that walking is something almost everyone can do, and doesn’t require any special skills or for someone to be ‘sporty’. Another reason for my enthusiasm for walking is that fact that [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/17/short-bouts-of-activity-found-to-bring-similar-benefits-to-more-extended-periods-of-exercise/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Peppermint oil comes out top in review of treatments for IBS</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/14/peppermint-oil-comes-out-top-in-review-of-treatments-for-ibs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/14/peppermint-oil-comes-out-top-in-review-of-treatments-for-ibs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:03:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Nutrients and Supplements]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Specific conditions]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=625</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterised by symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, bloating, wind and altered bowel habit. In conventional medicine, there is no real consensus on what causes IBS. IBS is what might be termed a “diagnosis of exclusion”. In other words, it’s the diagnosis that individuals end up with when tests [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/14/peppermint-oil-comes-out-top-in-review-of-treatments-for-ibs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Shorter sleep time found to be associated with increased risk of cariovascular disease</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/12/shorter-sleep-time-found-to-be-associated-with-increased-risk-of-cariovascular-disease/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/12/shorter-sleep-time-found-to-be-associated-with-increased-risk-of-cariovascular-disease/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Sleep]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=624</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For a long time now I’ve been a fan of sleep. Not just because of its relatively immediate impact on energy levels and sense of wellbeing, but also because of the research which links adequate sleep with improved health in the long term. Short sleep times have, for instance, been linked with an increased risk [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/12/shorter-sleep-time-found-to-be-associated-with-increased-risk-of-cariovascular-disease/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Statins reduce cardiovascular disease in healthy people, and why this study is a poke in the eye for the cholesterol hypothesis</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/10/statins-reduce-cardiovascular-disease-in-health-people-and-why-this-study-is-a-poke-in-the-eye-for-the-cholesterol-hypothesis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/10/statins-reduce-cardiovascular-disease-in-health-people-and-why-this-study-is-a-poke-in-the-eye-for-the-cholesterol-hypothesis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:09:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Cholesterol and Statins]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=623</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s been going this way for a while: even healthy people should be on the cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins. That, in a nutshell, is the verdict of a study published over the weekend which found that even in people deemed to be at low risk of cardiovascular disease, treatment with rosuvastatin (Crestor) at a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/10/statins-reduce-cardiovascular-disease-in-health-people-and-why-this-study-is-a-poke-in-the-eye-for-the-cholesterol-hypothesis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Diet higher in protein and lower in carb shown to be superior for fat loss and other things</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/07/diet-higher-in-protein-and-lower-in-carb-shown-to-be-superior-for-fat-loss-and-other-things/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/07/diet-higher-in-protein-and-lower-in-carb-shown-to-be-superior-for-fat-loss-and-other-things/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:18:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Low-Carbohydrate/Carbohydrate Restriction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=622</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I believe that what represents an ideal diet varies from person to person, but one thing I’m clear about is that many health professionals and even our Governments advise intakes of carbohydrate that are greater than is good for us. In particular, while starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and breakfast cereals have [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/07/diet-higher-in-protein-and-lower-in-carb-shown-to-be-superior-for-fat-loss-and-other-things/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Can rain cause autism?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/06/can-rain-cause-autism/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/06/can-rain-cause-autism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:51:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Brain and Behaviour]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Children's Health]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Sunlight]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are a lot of different theories about what causes autism, but not much consensus of opinion. In recent years, vaccination has been mooted as a potential cause of this condition, but so have lots of other things including pre-natal ultrasounds, wireless technology and certain environmental toxins. This week another potential cause of autism was [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/06/can-rain-cause-autism/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>More evidence that the ‘overweight’ are not risking their lives</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/03/more-evidence-that-the-overweight-are-not-risking-their-lives/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/03/more-evidence-that-the-overweight-are-not-risking-their-lives/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:46:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=620</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The body mass index (BMI) has for a long time been the standard measurement used to determine whether someone’s weight is ‘healthy’ or not. BMIs (calculated by dividing weight in kg by the square of someone’s height in metres) of 25 or more are generally regarded as ‘unhealthy’. The suggestion is there are somehow mortal [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/11/03/more-evidence-that-the-overweight-are-not-risking-their-lives/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What does it mean to say a treatment “works”?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/31/what-does-it-mean-to-say-a-treatment-works/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/31/what-does-it-mean-to-say-a-treatment-works/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=619</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes when I’m in practice I may give an opinion on how well someone has improved in terms of the symptoms that they originally consulted me for. However, I am acutely aware, and often remark, that my opinion doesn’t really count for much: it’s the patient’s opinion that is most important. I could be delighted [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/31/what-does-it-mean-to-say-a-treatment-works/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Frequent drinking associated with reduced risk of unhealthy weight gain</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/29/frequent-drinking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-unhealthy-weight-gain/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/29/frequent-drinking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-unhealthy-weight-gain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:28:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/29/frequent-drinking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-unhealthy-weight-gain/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most health professionals agree that if someone is going to consume alcohol, it is better to consume it ‘little and often’, rather than use up one’s quota on ‘binges’ that usually come at the weekend. Compared to binge-drinking, regular imbibing of alcohol is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Some have attempted to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/29/frequent-drinking-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-unhealthy-weight-gain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What have the tobacco and food industries got in common?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/27/what-have-the-tobacco-and-food-industries-got-in-common/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/27/what-have-the-tobacco-and-food-industries-got-in-common/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:39:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Food and Medical Politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=616</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Very few people would disagree with the idea that cigarette smoking is generally bad four our health. This habit has strong links with a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. The only doctors and scientists that dispute the negative effects of smoking seem to be those in the pay [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/27/what-have-the-tobacco-and-food-industries-got-in-common/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Should women who have paid for statins be given their money back?</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/24/should-women-who-have-paid-for-statins-be-given-their-money-back/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/24/should-women-who-have-paid-for-statins-be-given-their-money-back/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:01:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cholesterol-reducing drugs known as statins are hugely popular and highly profitable. It’s a shame, then, that they aren’t very effective. I say this because while they have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, they do not reduce the overall risk of death when essentially healthy individuals are being [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/24/should-women-who-have-paid-for-statins-be-given-their-money-back/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why hunger can be the enemy for those wishing to lose weight</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/22/why-hunger-can-be-the-enemy-for-those-wishing-to-lose-weight/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/22/why-hunger-can-be-the-enemy-for-those-wishing-to-lose-weight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:34:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Weight Loss]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=613</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many individuals who are attempting to lose weight will see hunger as a sign that they have pushed themselves into calorie deficit, and that their body weight will be dwindling as a result. They may be right, but the problem is that getting hungry can make it very difficult indeed for individuals to control what [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/22/why-hunger-can-be-the-enemy-for-those-wishing-to-lose-weight/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Low GI diet again found to be associated with reduced risk of macular degeneration</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/20/low-gi-diet-again-found-to-be-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-macular-degeneration/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/20/low-gi-diet-again-found-to-be-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-macular-degeneration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:39:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Low-Carbohydrate/Carbohydrate Restriction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Unhealthy Eating!]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=612</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of loss of vision in adults. Recently, I wrote about this condition, and offered some suggestions regarding the sort of supplements that appear to have promise in the management of this condition. Last year, I wrote about a study that found a link between eating a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/20/low-gi-diet-again-found-to-be-associated-with-reduced-risk-of-macular-degeneration/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Low carb diet found to lower insulin levels (go figure)</title>
		<link>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/17/low-carb-diet-found-to-lower-insulin-levels-go-figure/</link>
		<comments>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/17/low-carb-diet-found-to-lower-insulin-levels-go-figure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:54:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dr John Briffa</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Children's Health]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Healthy Eating]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Low-Carbohydrate/Carbohydrate Restriction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.drbriffa.com/?p=611</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While not all dietary approaches are applicable or beneficial to everyone, there are some, I think, that generally hold true. Here’s one: if you want a long and healthy life, do what you can to ensure stability in blood sugar and insulin levels. What this means usually means in practice is the regular eating of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2008/10/17/low-carb-diet-found-to-lower-insulin-levels-go-figure/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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