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Obesity is largely controlled by the brain rather than by metabolic flaws, it has been claimed.

Scientists have discovered seven new gene variants which suggest the brain plays a major role in controlling appetite.

The findings indicated that the brain’s impact on eating behaviour could be more significant that genes which change the body’s ability to burn up fat.

Icelandic company deCODE Genetics identified all seven of the gene variants, while an independent study by an international team the Giant consortium also picked up six of them.

Researcher Dr Kari Stefansson, of deCODE Genetics, said it is increasingly important to focus on the "regulation of appetite" as well as metabolic factors when studying obesity.

However, Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research adds to the growing body of evidence that some people are more at risk of becoming obese because of their genes."

Almost one in four people in the UK is now classed as obese.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity.

Death rates among some prostate cancer patients could be halved by a new form of treatment, it has been claimed.

Researcher have developed a method which combines hormone treatment and radiotherapy that could now become the standard treatment for many older men who have the disease.

It is currently common for doctors to prescribe drugs to reduce levels of the male hormone testosterone and stop the cancer growing.

However, while radiotherapy may also be used to kill cancer cells, it is not yet a standard procedure.

Dr Chris Parker, of the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK, said "The results should change current practice, making long-term hormonal therapy plus radical radiotherapy the standard of care for men with locally advanced prostate cancer."

John Neate, of The Prostate Cancer Charity, said the treatment appears to "represent real progress" for men suffering with the disease.

Some 31,000 are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year.

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One in three adults in the UK will be obese by 2012, according to the latest projections.

Researchers from University College London claim some 13 million UK adults will fall into this category by the time London hosts the Olympic Games.

According to the study, half of those who will be obese in 2012 will be from low income and disadvantaged communities, which the team says highlights the increasing problem of the health gap.

The Department of Health said obesity is one of the biggest problems facing the NHS as many people are still unaware that being overweight can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease and cancer.

"The UK is leading the world when it comes to facing up to the problem and tackling obesity. From this autumn we have been aiming to change the way we all live our lives," a spokesperson told inthenews.co.uk.

Between 1993 and 2004 the amount of obese men in England doubled from 13.6 per cent to 24 per cent, while the figure for women rose by 50 per cent to 24.4 per cent.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Scientists have identified an enzyme which they believe could promote the spread of cancer around the body.

According to researchers at the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, the enzyme phospholipase Cy1 (PLCy1) plays a vital role in allowing cancer cells to move to different areas of the body.

Known as metastasis formation, the process has long been a subject of study for scientists who have attempted to understand how its molecules behave.

The study, published in journal Cancer Research, has established that the enzyme phospholipase is required to for cancer cell invasion.

Lead researcher Professor Falasca said "PLCy1 is critical for metastasis formation, and development and inhibition of this enzyme has a therapeutic potential in the treatment of metastasis dissemination."

He added that it is a "simple fact" that by stopping this process, it is possible to significantly reduce cancer fatalities.

Meanwhile, a recent study by Israeli scientists claimed that fertility drugs could increase the risk of womb cancer.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

The Department of Health (DoH) should recruit more nurses to tackle the root causes of obesity, it has been claimed.

According to Unite/CPHVA, the DoH should abandon its weight measurement programme in schools an take on 2,000 qualified school nurses instead, reports Healthcare Republic.

Recent figures have indicated just 893 of 2,232 whole-time equivalent nurses have school nursing qualifications.

Ros Godson, Unite/CPHVA professional officer for school-aged children, said the current measurement programme is a waste of money that could be better spent on improved support.

He claimed that measuring children as they enter and leave primary school is having no bearing on their weight.

"The government’s laissez faire attitude is contributing to the build up of health problems, such as diabetes for future generations," he added.

Elsewhere, a recent study conducted at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta indicated that Obesity could significantly increase the risk of developing severe headaches and migraines.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

A new drug for breast cancer has been found to be more effective that the standard NHS treatment, it has been reported.

Recent research by the International Breast Cancer Study Group found that Femara – which is an aromatase inhibitor (AI) – reduces the risk of death by almost a fifth compared to tamoxifen, the usual medication.

Currently, most patients take tamoxifen initially and then switch to an AI drug after two to three years.

However, the study of 8,000 women in 27 countries indicated that women taking Femara for the entire five-year period were significantly more likely to survive.

Nigel Bundred, Professor of Surgical Oncology at South Manchester University Hospitals Trust, deemed the findings an "important milestone" in the treatment of the disease.

"For the first time we are seeing suggested survival benefit with upfront aromatase inhibitor letrozole therapy for five years compared with tamoxifen for the same time period," he said.

Breast cancer affects around 44,000 British women every year.

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People with depression are up against a postcode lottery for important treatment, it has been claimed.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) recently recommended that a computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT) programme should be available to depression patients, reports the Sunderland Echo.

Beating the Blues is a computerised treatment which teaches changes in behavioural patterns in order to combat the condition.

However, Ultrasis - the group that developed the program - claims just 33 per cent of patients in Sunderland currently have access to it.

Nigel Brabbins, Ultrasis chief executive officer, said the government needs to honour its pledge to make it available nationwide from April 2007.

"We have recently met with Department of Health officials to ask that they deliver on ministers’ promises by ensuring that Beating the Blues is available in every GP surgery and for everyone who needs it, therefore bringing to an end the current postcode lottery."

It has been calculated that Beating the Blues could save the NHS an estimated £126 million per year.

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Fertility drugs which have been used by women for 30 years have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

According to a recent study by Israeli scientists, those people who took clomiphene were four times as likely to develop womb cancer.

Of 567 women given drugs to induce ovulation, five had developed the disease – almost three times the number of women who did receive such treatment.

Clomiphene - which blocks hormone activity - was found to increase the risk of womb cancer more than four times.

Furthermore the drug was also linked to other forms of the disease, such as breast cancer, malignant skin cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Jodie Moffat, health information officer at the charity Cancer Research UK, said firm conclusions had not yet been reached.

"This study didn’t include a detailed history of fertility drug use, and the number of women who developed uterine (womb) cancer was very small," she said.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with cancer

Asthma suffers have been advised to make a careful choice when selecting their Christmas tree this year.

The National Asthma Council Australia has pointed out that both fake and real Christmas trees carry their own risk, reports Medical News Today.

Kristine Whorlow, the group’s chief executive officer, said many people are unaware that trees from the Cypress and Pine families carry high amounts of pollen and are often brought into the family home "for weeks on end".

However, fake trees can also bring their own complications, especially if they have been packed away for a lengthy period of time.

"Artificial trees can accumulate dust and even mould - another common asthma trigger - depending on how they have been stored, particularly over the damper winter months," she explained.

She advised sufferers to ensure they had the necessary medication over the festive period.

The group recommends unpacking artificial trees outside, as well as vacuuming as they are taken out of storage.

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People carrying an ‘obesity gene’ are prone to eating an average of 100 extra calories per meal, according to new research.

The study – carried out at the University of Dundee – conducted eating tests on 100 children aged four to ten, who were a range of different food types.

It found that those with a key variant of the FTO gene were more likely to choose foods with more sugar and fat – which suggested they were instinctively attracted to them.

However, the gene variant – which is believed to be carried by 63 per cent of people – played no part in the speed at which the body broke down food.

Lead researcher Professor Colin Palmer said the study indicates that obesity linked to the gene "could be modulated by careful dietary control".

"What it effectively shows is that the people with the relevant variants on the gene have a trait which may lead them to eat more unhealthy, fattening foods," he said.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity