Aurora top 20 – March 2009
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by Handbaglady in News
The Aurora team is loving the Spring vibe as we move into April – the hour has gone forward so when we leave the office we can enjoy a stroll home in the light. We are looking forward to shedding our multiple layers of clothing, heavy Winter coats and having a drink outside in a beer garden. We were therefore heartened to read a story in the Daily Express which stated that a couple of alcoholic drinks after work with friends or colleagues are good for the health. Scientists claim light to moderate drinking can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. It was a welcome story among the team here. We have a spring in our step and are looking forward to the Easter break. Aurora wishes you all an enjoyable break with friends, family and an abundance of chocolate treats.
Movers and shakers
March saw little movement in the top three spots among the ‘usual suspects’. Cancer again takes the number one position from nutrition and obesity moved back into the top three from last month’s fourth place. However, elsewhere in the chart there was a lot of activity with nine re-entries (the largest number in over a year) and one new entry – salmonella.
Rev-counter
The rev-counter shows a significant change this month with the majority of news coverage being driven by ‘health service delivery’. The Department of Health made a number of press announcements this month, many around alcohol as detailed above, which accounted for a great deal of the coverage. ‘Independent research’ has dropped from last month’s 33 per cent to 25 per cent. Coverage generated by the ‘pharmaceutical industry’ and the ‘political agenda’ also dropped from last month.
And finally, some members of the Aurora team were particularly bemused by a story covered in the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror that chocolate should be taxed like alcohol. Dr David Walker, a GP from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, stated that chocolate had become a harmful addiction, leading to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and back pain, and should be taxed in the same way as alcohol to control Britain’s obesity epidemic. He tabled a motion at the BMA’s conference in Clybebank. The Aurora team is very partial to a late afternoon chocolate run so the idea of a ‘chocolate tax’ caused much debate, particularly at this time of year when we are all surrounded by Easter egg treats!
To read the top 20 in full, please click here.
