Weighing yourself every day may help with weight loss

  • The study involved 162 overweight and obese adults trying to lose weight, who were allocated to either weighing themselves daily and tracking their weight on a graph, or a control group. Both groups were given an educational session about other evidence-based strategies they could use to lose weight.
  • After a year, those weighing themselves lost more weight – about two kilos more on average – than those who didn’t. This difference seen in the averages between the two groups seemed largely to be due to an effect in men. The results in women in both of the groups were similar.
  • There are limitations to this study. For example, participants in the weighing group may have felt more pressure to lose weight than the control group as they were receiving the intervention.
  • Weight monitoring is already a part of many weight loss strategies. For some people, weighing themselves regularly may not be helpful and could actually be discouraging. Different people often find different ways to motivate themselves and a one-size fits all solution may not be effective.

Dementia and you?

If you're becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you're over the age of 65, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP about the early signs of dementia.

As you get older, you may find that memory loss becomes a problem. It's normal for your memory to be affected by age, stress, tiredness, or certain illnesses and medications. This can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it's affecting your daily life or is worrying you or someone you

What is dementia?

It is estimated that by 2021, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around 1 million Dementia is a common condition. Your risk of developing dementia increases as you get older, and the condition usually occurs in people over the age of 65.

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. This includes problems with:

  • memory loss
  • thinking speed
  • mental agility
  • language
  • understanding
  • judgement

People with dementia can become apathetic or uninterested in their usual activities, and have problems controlling their emotions. They may also find social situations challenging, lose interest in socialising, and aspects of their personality may change.

A person with dementia may lose empathy (understanding and compassion), they may see or hear things that other people do not (hallucinations), or they may make false claims or statements.

As dementia affects a person's mental abilities, they may find planning and organising difficult. Maintaining their independence may also become a problem. A person with dementia will therefore usually need help from friends or relatives, including help with decision making.

Your GP will discuss the possible causes of memory loss with you, including dementia. Other symptoms can include:

increasing difficulties with tasks and activities that require concentration and planning

depression

  • changes in personality and mood
  • periods of mental confusion
  • difficulty finding the right words

Most types of dementia can't be cured, but if it is detected early there are ways you can slow it down and maintain mental function.