Health & Living

Anorexia, often thought of as an illness for the indulgent, is actually such a pernicious illness that it devours everything in its path, including relationships, friendships, and emotional and physical health. Like many other addictions and mental disorders, anorexia is so all-consuming that it can be hard to look beyond it. Dr. Carina Chan, health psychologist, shows us the real issues behind an...

One of the National Cancer Society's major fundraising events of the year, Relay for Life, is all about raising awareness and celebrating people who have survived their battle against cancer. Telling us more about the activities planned and the importance of having support for everyone whose lives have been affected by cancer, are Ben Ibrahim, Relay for Life ambassador and Adeline Joseph and Betty...

The cure rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia among children at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) increased to 90% last year, compared to 65% in 2002, following the use of a new treatment protocol. Professor Hany Ariffin, lead researcher on this initiative, explains what these protocols are, as well as the findings that led to their implementation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Doctor in the House Dr. George Lee, consultant urologist, joins us once again to speak about another contreversial topic: the adverse effects of smoking and how to combat the addiction. We talk about how bad smoking actually is, the effectiveness of plain cigarette packiging as well other methods to curb smoking within our society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Heart Institute of Malaysia (IJN) has recently won the annual Prime Minister's Innovation Award for its breakthrough achievements. The award is the highest recognition for high-impact innovative achievenments by public sector agencies and comes with a RM1mil reward and trophy. What innovations were these exactly and when did they happen? Dr. Alwi Mohamed Yunus, consultant cardiothorac...

Transplants allow for miraculous things to come out of tragedy, for one impossible situation to make another one possible. Yet, for every lifesaving case that rescues someone through sheer patience, luck and skill, there are those who abuse the system and blackmail others to reek in the profits. Laws are necessary to govern this growing and controversial area, and Dr. Lela Yasmin Mansor, Chief Nat...

We work with our hands everyday, whether we are hammering nails or typing away on a keyboard. Hence, when the hand gets injured, it can severely impact our lives and motion. Dr. Rajesh Singh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon, is here to give us the lowdown on hand injuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With names like Zumba and Tabata - deciding which suitable new exercise class to enroll in can be extremely difficult. What are fitness trends that could be right for you and your body, and which of them are simply a waste of time? Karen Siah, personal trainer, lays it out for us to understand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With names like Zumba and Tabata - deciding which suitable new exercise class to enroll in can be extremely difficult. What are fitness trends that could be right for you and your body, and which of them are simply a waste of time? Karen Siah, personal trainer, lays it out for us to understand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor in the House In conjunction with our Merdeka celebration, Dr. George Lee, consultant Urologist, shares with us his thoughts on the development of our country's medical industry, what can be done to improve it, as well as why he came back to practice medicine in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do elite athletes train so strenuously without injuring their bodies? Can the regular exercise enthusiast replicate these results with enough attempts and enough high-intensity training, or would it be detrimental to our fitness? Dr. Harjeet Singh shares his perspective as a specialist in sports medicine, on the planning and recovery of strenuous exercise. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

It naturally follows suit that once the questions of 'When are you going to get married?' stop, 'When are you going to have babies?' follows. But for some couples, this can be a more difficult thing to answer, sometimes not even out of choice.  Dr. Prashant Nadkarni discusses the myriads of issues and causes surrounding fertility.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of us enroll our children in sports in the hope of finding the next Lee Chong Wei, Nicol David or Pandelela Rinong. However, many of us fail to recognize the positive effects sports can have on a child's education in general and even their outlook on physical activity in the future.  Jon Hoyle, a physical education instructor, sits down with us to explain the importance of physical acti...

Every year, it seems we are growing closer and closer to the future envisioned in science fiction movies. Technology is allowing us to grow organs outside of our bodies and reattach or re-grow severed fingers. Yet, some of us wonder, how is this all possible? What would stem cells have to do with it anyway? Dr. Then Kong Yong, a stem cell expert, tells us about the future of health and our bodies...

Almost 80% of the world today consumes insects, whether we are aware of it or not. Yet, many of us cringe at the mention of insects as an alternative food source. Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations announced that due to rising environmental issues and an impeding economic downfall, insects might be seriously considered as an alternative food resource for the...

Doctor in the House Dr. George Lee, our consultant urologist, returns this week to discuss with us a sticky subject in the medical world: the bullying culture in medical schools. Are senior doctors using their students as platforms to vent their personal frustrations or are medical students simply taking the criticism too seriously? Having been a medical student himself, Dr. George shares with us...

The news on the Olympics being held during the holy month of Ramadan has raised a lot of questions on whether or not Muslim athletes should observe fasting.  Dr. Arif Anwar, resident geneticist, sits down with us to discuss the effects of fasting on genes in the body and overall health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Information technology is crucial - especially in healthcare, where doctors are required to make timely diagnoses and prescriptions.  Leon Jackson, head of healthcare information technology at University Malaya Specialist Centre and Dr. Goh Hsien Ming, medical director at UMSC, share with us what the future may hold for healthcare information technology.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

After birth, most mothers and babies often need someone to help them get used to their new surroundings and new lives.  Melanie Bayoud, a mother and baby nurse who assists these new mothers and babies, sits down with us to explain her profession.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain... a body that seems to be literally drying up, these are some of the less pleasant aspects of menopause. What role does exercise play in mitigating some of these factors and helping women stay healthy after the onset of menopause? Carolyne Anthony shares her personal and professional perspective.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the World Health Organisation, globally, obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and is linked to more deaths caused by malnutrition and being underweight. Nearly 43 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010, with close to 35 million of them living in developing countries, while 8 million were in developed nations. What was once just cause for playground bullying...

Responsible for 1.38 million deaths annually, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths, yet it continues to be thought of as solely a smoker's disease, even though many of its patients are non-smokers. Dato' Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim A. Wahid and Professor Liam Chong Kin explain some of the latest research developments to help treat lung cancer as well as the disease's pervasiveness...

Our memories are something we often try to improve, with mnemonics and other tricks, but how often do we just try and understand how it works? Some people think of memories as being mapped in specific areas of our brain, others regard them as entirely accurate, while other theories hold that everything we've ever experienced or observed is contained within our minds and just need the right hook to...

Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, depression and schizophrenia. These are the modern scourges of our brains and our lives, but how much of it is down to genetics and how much of it is related to the environment we live in? Dr. Arif Anwar explores the murky waters surrounding the subject. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arthritis is thought of as the domain of the old, lessening their movement and causing pain. But sports injuries and repetitive movements can also be culprits causing arthritis in the young and active. Dr. Harjeet Singh explains sports-related arthritis to us.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.