Latest news with #University of Adelaide
The Sun
01-08-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Prolonged hot weather may be fuelling rise in obesity rates, study suggests
BLAME your belly on the sunshine, say scientists - as hot weather makes us gain weight. A study in Australia estimated that someone's risk of being obese increases by 0.2 per cent for every day of the year that is warmer than 30C. Sweltering summer days might slow our metabolism by wrecking our sleep, put us off exercising, and have us reaching for fattening fizzy drinks to cool off. The UK has enjoyed an early start to summer this year, with eleven 30C days so far. The Met Office says 2025 is one of only three years on record to have had so many by July – with 2018 and 1976. Research led by the University of Adelaide compared rates of obesity and weather across eight Australian states between 2006 and 2022. It found citizens in the hottest areas were more likely to be obese and as an area's temperatures increased so did the number of fat people. Writing in the journal Economics & Human Biology, the study authors said: 'High temperatures can make outdoor activities and physical activities less appealing, leading to a sedentary lifestyle which has been shown to increase obesity. 'Further, extreme temperatures can cause heat-related sleep disturbances that influence metabolism. 'Temperature shocks can also affect the body's metabolism and appetite. 'High temperatures may suppress appetite in the short term, but can also lead to increased consumption of high-calorie, sugary beverages for cooling and hydration.' Two thirds of British adults are overweight and about 30 per cent are obese, raising their risk of cancer, dementia and heart diseases. I put my 11-year-old daughter on fat jabs after she got bullied for her weight - people judge me but I don't care The researchers suggested people in areas that are normally cold – such as the UK – might be more vulnerable. They added: 'We find that the effects of extreme temperature on obesity are more pronounced for people living in states with general cold climates and for older people compared to younger people.' 1
South China Morning Post
27-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Australia's battery scientist Guo Zaiping joins CityU in Hong Kong as energy material chair
World leading Chinese scientist Guo Zaiping, who specialises in the field of batteries, has taken up a prestigious new role at City University of Hong Kong after a two-decade career in Australia Advertisement The university said she had beenappointed as chair professor of energy materials earlier this month. The university's materials science programme is ranked number one in Hong Kong and number seven in the world, according to the latest USNEWS University Rankings. Before her move to Hong Kong, Guo was a Professor and Australian laureate fellow in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. However, her profile has since been removed from the University of Adelaide's website. At the 2023 award ceremony for the fellows of the Australian Academy of Science, the host said, 'Guo Zaiping is a world leader in advanced materials for energy storage. 'Her numerous achievements in the field of batteries have provided valuable knowledge for the improved design of the next generation of rechargeable batteries.' Advertisement
