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They've found that sated feeling

Dutch scientists are developing anti-obesity foods that make people feel full faster, prevent obese people developing diabetes and lower high blood pressure. Top Institute Food and Nutrition director Robert-Jan Brummer says he expects major breakthroughs within a few years. 'We're working on certain food ingredients, which provoke more satiety than others,' he told Reuters. The institute, funded by the government and major food makers such as Unilever, has previously invented technology that lowers the total fat content of foods without compromising taste.

Chinese smokers unfazed by risks

More Asians are taking up smoking, but few are quitting, according to an international study targeting China, home to most of the 160 million smokers expected to die before 2050. Research by the Australia-based George Institute for International Health found that three-quarters of China's smokers say they have no intention of quitting, 70 per cent say the health dangers are 'negligible' and only 4 per cent say that smoking is related to heart disease, Reuters reports.

Swedes count the cost of cigarettes

Smokers take an average of eight days more sick leave a year than non-smokers, a Swedish study of more than 14,000 workers between 1988 and 1991 has found. Smokers took 34 days sick leave a year on average, former smokers took 25 days and those who had never smoked took 20, AFP reports.

Working off need for puff

Exercise appears to cut the craving for cigarettes - even as little as a brisk five-minute walk. 'If a drug revealed the same effects, it would immediately be marketed as a valuable aid to help people quit smoking,' Exeter University researchers say of their analysis of 12 studies on cigarette cravings and exercise. The reason may be that even mild exercise curbs stress, improves mood and spurs the release of brain chemicals that may override nicotine cravings, WebMD reports.

Stress proving effective contraception

Almost one in three middle-aged couples in Chinese cities has given up sex because of stress-related problems, and 45 per cent of men in relationships suffer from erectile dysfunction. They're the findings of a survey covering almost 33,000 people in 10 cities, reported by China Daily. One in four couples under 30 also say they've given up sex because of stress, the survey by the Beijing-based China Population Communication Centre and a US drug company found.

Outdoor life riskier for men

Skin cancer caused by sun exposure appears faster and is more severe in males than females. Tests on mice by Ohio State University researchers found that male skin cells carry fewer antioxidants than female skin cells. 'We think male skin is just more sensitive,' team leader Tatiana Oberyszyn told WebMD. The researchers now plan to conduct studies on humans.

Jason Sankey is a tennis professional