The Guardian Health

The culture surrounding ‘ideal’ childbirth has to evolve | Letters

Molly O’Brien responds to an article by Natalie Morris about her five-day labour, while an NHS doctor shares her personal experience of feeling ‘othered’It is not clear whether Natalie Morris’s labour began spontaneously or was induced (By day five of my labour, I didn’t want an ‘ideal birth’. I only wanted to survive, 6 August). Nevertheless, what is described is not a debate about “ideal birth”, but an account of undiagnosed labour dystocia.By day four she had contractions but no cervical dila

health  Aug 9, 2026

The Guardian Health

We know sleep, exercise and diet are vital for health. But why?

The benefits of all three come down to a crucial piece of cellular kitSleep. Exercise. Eat well. It’s the oldest recommendation in medicine, repeated so often it’s become a cliche. We know the advice, even if we don’t always follow it. But have you ever stopped to wonder why these three seemingly different habits have such remarkably similar effects on our brains and bodies?For generations we’ve treated them as separate prescriptions – sleep restores us, exercise strengthens us and food fuels us

health  Aug 9, 2026

The Guardian Health

Rest assured, the new CDC director thinks ‘abortion surveillance’ is essential | Arwa Mahdawi

An exchange between Dr Erica Schwartz and Senator Josh Hawley during her confirmation hearing is alarmingRobert F Kennedy Jr’s new cooking show isn’t the only big news out of the public health world this week. On Wednesday, Dr Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the US Senate as director ‌of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making her the first Black woman to hold the position. This is the first time in almost a year that the agency has had a permanent leader; the previous direc

health  Aug 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

Is it OK to talk about Ariana Grande’s body? There is no right answer

I wish I could say that expressing concern for the pop star’s health is helpful – but I know from experience it’s not that simpleThe last time I opened X, a photo of Ariana Grande leaning over in a low-cut black dress, clavicle showing, was at the top of the feed. The post read: “hey @grok make Ariana Grande healthy and fat”.Images of celebrities at their most skeletal regularly rise to the top of social feeds because they generate enormous, dissenting engagement. Social media platforms have mad

health  Aug 8, 2026

The Guardian Health

Let’s all get on board with travel etiquette | Letters

Readers add to a guide for handling tricky situations on public transportRe your article on travel etiquette (The ultimate guide to travel etiquette: how to handle 36 tricky situations, from manspreaders to smelly armpits, 4 August), it’s totally wrong to advise people not to give up seats for a woman any more. Women could be menstruating, in the first trimester of pregnancy (the most exhausting time, and not one you advertise with badges saying “Baby on board”), perimenopausal, menopausal or ha

health  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

Why are ultra-processed food firms panicking and suing? Because they know time is running out | Felicity Lawrence

As the harm caused by their products becomes more evident, manufacturers are resorting to denial and lawsuits to keep regulation at bayIt is rare for people to drop dead holding the incriminating packaging, but there is no longer any serious doubt that consuming a diet of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) risks a catalogue of life-shortening illnesses from heart disease and stroke to diabetes and cancer. Because these diseases are degenerative over time, the food and drink industry has been able to a

health  Aug 7, 2026

The Guardian Health

The Guardian view on mental health: the new secretary of state should make it a priority | Editorial

Parity for people with physical and psychological ailments has been promised for years. New neighbourhood clinics are a step in the right directionThe rise in children and young people with mental health problems makes this week’s announcement of a new network of community clinics in England particularly welcome. A&E departments have recorded an increase in difficult-to-manage symptoms including aggression and hallucinations. New specialist walk-in mental health services should take some of

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

By day five of my labour, I didn’t want an ‘ideal birth’. I only wanted to survive | Natalie Morris

Yvette Cooper’s maternity reforms must change a system that too often fails women when they’re at their most vulnerableOn the third day of being in labour with my first child, I entered a new state of being. It was time to dig deep. This is what I had learned in all the childbirth classes. As long as I remained calm, breathed as instructed, moaned through the pain, things would happen as they were meant to. My body knew what it was doing. Only, it didn’t.On the fourth day, I started to beg. This

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘I have an ego that needs to be put in check’: ex-Gawker editor AJ Daulerio on life after addiction

After his fall from grace, media’s former enfant terrible is now sober and helping others with his addiction recovery newsletter and podcast, The Small BowEvery other Tuesday, AJ Daulerio wakes up at 5.30am and meditates for five to 20 minutes before beginning his multistep daily journaling protocol: reading a selection from a poetry anthology, then a passage from one of his daily wisdom readers (his go-to is a heavily annotated copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom); writing his Fear of th

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

Thirst by John Robins audiobook review – an ex-drinker’s darkly funny journey

The comedian and broadcaster narrates the heartfelt and at times self-lacerating account of his relationship with alcoholA memoir chronicling the comic and broadcaster John Robins’s life in alcohol and his subsequent path to sobriety, Thirst is structured around the drinks that changed his life. There’s the bottle of Jacob’s Creek wine left out on a kitchen worktop which he helped himself to at the age of seven, secreting it into his orange juice, and the beer given to him at scout camp which he

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

The mRNA technology behind Moderna’s Covid vaccine reaches the flu

The mFlusiva vaccine for older people is the first made with the mRNA platform key to ending the coronavirus pandemicThe Food and Drug Administration has approved a new kind of flu vaccine for older people, the first made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending the Covid-19 pandemic, Moderna, the manufacturer, said.The shot, named mFlusiva, is intended for adults aged 50 or older. Other brands of flu shots already have begun arriving in pharmacies ahead of fall vaccination season, a

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘It can make you psychotic or give you a cardiac arrest’: why are so many children vaping the ‘prison drug’ spice?

Parents and teachers worry about the number of kids who vape cannabis. But many of them are using something far more dangerous – without even realising itI bumped into an old acquaintance the other day. Updating me on his children’s ages, he said, with an eyeroll of resignation: “My daughter’s 15 now; just found a cannabis vape in her room.” It’s an increasingly common and concerning situation for parents – with no way of telling if a vape does in fact contain weed (which comes with its own risk

health  Aug 6, 2026

The Guardian Health

‘It confirmed my flaws’: women are paying for face scans that score beauty and suggest excessive procedures

‘Looksmaxxing’ culture has led to the rise of facial analysis services – but experts warn they aren’t backed by science and can be harmful to usersDanielle, 37, didn’t always have issues with body image: she used to be a model and recalls receiving positive attention from men. However, when two years of unemployment plunged her into a period of financial insecurity, her confidence faded. “It was easy to wonder, if I was prettier, if some of my features were different, would that help?” she said.

health  Aug 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

Women must not feel pressure to have ‘ideal birth’, says Yvette Cooper

Exclusive: New health secretary promises root-and-branch reform after damning maternity scandalsWomen should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.Cooper, who returns to the department 27 years after she was the minister for public health under Tony Blair, said maternity and child health would be a major focus in the role, where she will a

health  Aug 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

Best of 2026…so far: My maddening battle with chronic fatigue syndrome: ‘On my worst days, it feels almost demonic’ – podcast

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it.This week, from February: I suffered with my mystery illness for decades before gaining a diagnosis. Could retraining my brain be the answer?By Hermione Hoby. Read by Alby BaldwinRead the text version hereSupport the Guardian today: theguardian.com/longreadpodThe summer issue of the Long Read maga

health  Aug 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

CDC reportedly expands US cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states

Six additional states caught up in investigation after Michigan reported first two US deaths linked to diseaseThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reportedly expanded the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states.The alleged expansion includes the addition of six states, according to the Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter. Those states include Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina, according to a fourth person

health  Aug 5, 2026

The Guardian Health

Skip the run: here are six joint-friendly cardio alternatives suggested by experts

Whether you’re nursing a joint, have an existing condition or just don’t feel like running, these exercises help get your cardio inThe runner’s high might be contagious. In 2024, fitness tracking app Strava recorded a 59% increase in users attending social running events and run clubs globally. Applications for London’s marathon have increased 40% since 2024, while New York City’s received about 20% more applicants this year. Overall, an estimated 56 million Americans regularly run on a treadmil

health  Aug 4, 2026

The Guardian Health

Social care is for us all, and we all must fund it | Letters

Readers respond to Polly Toynbee’s article on the new prime minister’s commitment to a fair systemPolly Toynbee (Battles loom over social care, but this fight must be won. At last, we have a PM who believes that, 29 July) is right that reforming England’s broken social care system will require winning the “attention, hearts and minds” of a public that knows little about it. Yet one of the biggest barriers to reform is that social care itself remains widely misunderstood, and public debate often

health  Aug 4, 2026

The Guardian Health

Scrapping foreign doctors scheme will hurt the NHS | Letter

The move is regressive and removes a successful route for international collaboration, including education and research, writes Dr Peter TrewbyThe decision to abolish the medical training initiative (MTI) scheme (Medical colleges condemn scrapping of NHS placements for overseas doctors, 31 July) risks reversing years of progress in medical diplomacy and repeating earlier mistakes in the UK’s treatment of international medical graduates (IMGs).In the early 2000s, in response to perceived workforc

health  Aug 4, 2026

The Guardian Health

Tell us your experience of using peptides

We would like to hear your experience of using peptides for therapeutic purposesIn recent years there has been a boom in interest in using peptides, from weight loss to anti-ageing and recovery from injury.These include approved prescription weight-loss medications based on synthetic peptides that mimic natural hormones. However, sales of experimental and unregulated peptides are rising as online sellers tout them as part of a “wellness” regime. Continue reading...

health  Aug 4, 2026