Can Conservatives Conquer Obesity? (no)

60% of British adults are overweight or obese.
The Government addressed this today.
80% of people with eating disorders are overweight or obese.
The Government dismissed this today.
The Department of Health’s Call to Action takes the stance that it is our personal duty to halt the rise in obesity in the hope of a downward trend by 2020. [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Thursday, 13 October 2011 at 5:40 pm

I’m Mental, How Are You?

It’s World Mental Health Day.
You’ll no doubt be bombarded with lots of facts and figures, statistics and if you haven’t heard already, you’ll be made aware that the Government Department of Health and Comic Relief have kindly secured funding for the ‘Time to Change’ campaign – which aims to put an end to stigma and [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Monday, 10 October 2011 at 12:09 am

Anna-Rexia ‘Adult’ Costume – A strongly worded letter…

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to complain on behalf of myself and I am sure that I speak for thousands, even millions of others who will be equally shocked and appalled by the ‘Anna Rexia Adult Costume’.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Friday, 23 September 2011 at 12:33 am

University and Eating Disorders: a few notes for Freshers

Freshers’ Week is looming and new students will be dragging their excited bums around Ikea, packing their lives away, leaving mummy and daddy and will soon find themselves in a room no bigger than a prison cell thinking, “Jesus, this is it”.
This time to students is what Leeds Festival is to grubby, post GCSE teens; [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Thursday, 15 September 2011 at 12:32 am

True Mancunians love and respect Manchester

I haven’t been alive long, but I can safely say that I have never been so scared, shocked and saddened by anything like this.
I remember very clearly the IRA bomb in Manchester. Neighbours had to be evacuated from Marks and Spencer and I remember walking through the city weeks afterwards and there still being signs [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Wednesday, 10 August 2011 at 4:31 am

Daily Fail Strikes Again

If you have to blame the media for anorexia, blame yourselves.

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Monday, 1 August 2011 at 1:40 am

RIP Amy Winehouse

Bad news travels fast.
What everyone thought, and hoped, was another rumour spreading through Twitter like wildfire has just been confirmed as being true.
Amy Winehouse has died at the age of just 27. Police found her body at her home in North London this afternoon. A suspected drink and drugs overdose.
Amazingly talented. Such a loss.
This news [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Saturday, 23 July 2011 at 6:13 pm

Topshop Reignites the ‘Size Zero Debate’

This image, which appeared on the front page of Topshop’s website and features 18-year old model Codie Young, has been taken down as a result of complaints that it portrays a “painfully thin” girl, someone who looks ill and should not be used on a page visited by hundreds of thousands of young, impressionable females every [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Thursday, 14 July 2011 at 1:00 am

The urge to purge – Bulimia and addiction

It is disgusting. It is desperate. It is dangerous.
You may understand the logic behind Bulimia. A person wishes to eat and not have to deal with the weight gain that comes with that, so they puke. It makes sense. It may even be possible to comprehend why this may become habit, or you may have [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Monday, 27 June 2011 at 4:19 pm

Embarrassing Fat Bodies: the good, the bad and the ugly.

We’re told never to judge a book by its cover, but that doesn’t seem to apply to programme titles.
The second Dr Christian Jessen began plugging his new four part series, Twitterers, myself included, started to ask questions. I made a judgement, and not a positive one. It was difficult to express exactly how I felt [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook | Tuesday, 7 June 2011 at 8:18 pm