Researchers say factors including obesity increase and alcohol might be behind trend

Bowel cancers are on the rise among under-50s in the UK, according to studies, prompting calls to lower the screening age.

Research showed incidences of bowel cancers in adults under 50 had increased substantially over the latest available 10-year period, while the levels for other age groups either dropped or remained the same.

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Rather than simply blaming parents we should try to understand them

It’s often quite easy, but not necessarily useful or fair, to fall into the trap of blaming individuals for some of their choices in life. We continue to witness the unfair attribution of blame and stigma, often funnelled through particular types of media, on individual behaviours deemed “bad”. In the media and some political discourse, negative stereotypes tend to be attached to people undertaking a variety of “bad” behaviours, such as eating too much junk food, drinking too much alcohol, not practicing safe sex or not doing enough exercise. Parents who reject vaccinations for their children are also negatively stereotyped and constructed as bad parents and bad citizens, which simply leads to further polarisation and distrust.

Related: Health professionals threatened with disciplinary action if they spread anti-vaxx messages

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Call for action from food industry on sugar and salt as NHS struggles to cope

The NHS is under increasing pressure from the inexorable rise in obesity in England, where there were more than 700,000 obesity-related hospital admissions in 2017/18, up by 100,000 on the previous year, according to the latest figures.

Almost a third (29%) of adults are now obese, the figures from NHS Digital show, an increase of 3% on the previous year. Just over 20% of children leaving primary school are also obese.

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Keen to lure the endangered creatures into gardens, some people are overfeeding them with competitive menus – and doing more harm than good

Name: The obesity crisis.

Age: Very modern.

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Councillors are paid a pittance and face hostility. But from tackling obesity to saving high streets, good ideas are growing

Last Friday morning, my head spun. Having voted in two local elections – for our town and district councils – and then spent the first few hours of the next day following the results, my partner and I got our polling cards for yet another contest. This caused a brief fit of amusement about Brexit Britain’s weird addiction to sending us to polling stations, before we realised we had effectively received our tickets for an awful reality TV show.

Thanks chiefly to Nigel Farage’s Brexit party and the pithily named Change UK – the Independent Group – many of the contestants in the looming European elections form a rum old crowd. From a former BBC newsreader, through superannuated Tories and newspaper columnists, on to the former editor of the lads’ magazine Loaded, with the independent candidate who calls himself Tommy Robinson as the rubbish punchline. God knows what the poor souls who have diligently served as MEPs must feel about this sudden gatecrashing of their world: here is yet another woeful instalment of the Brexit drama, now replayed by celebrity leave and remain campaigners as a pantomime of futile gestures.

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Education and sports experts lobby for English schools to host summer activities

Downing Street is considering forcing schools to open over the summer so they can be used for activities to boost children’s fitness and stop them from getting involved in crime.

Theresa May’s advisers have discussed the change with education, physical activity and sports experts who are lobbying for it.

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We train early-years workers and families in relationships and wellbeing, as well as nutrition and exercise

With nearly a quarter of five-year olds starting school overweight or obese, the need for effective action to tackle obesity has never been greater. Just one in 20 children obese at age five will return to a healthy weight by age 11, so focusing efforts on the early years is the most effective strategy. That is why the success of Leeds in lowering its obesity rate has made the news, and why the charity I work for, Henry (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young), is so keen to continue its good work there across the country.

At Henry, we have developed an innovative and effective approach, with training for early-years workers and eight-week family programmes delivered in Leeds for 10 years, particularly in more disadvantaged areas. The initiative uses a model that can be adopted anywhere, and so could potentially be rolled out across the country as a key part of obesity-reduction efforts.

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As one UK city reduces child obesity rates, a look at the best approach for parents and carers.

Factors including birth weight could determine likelihood of child becoming obese aged 10

It is possible to accurately predict whether a baby is at risk of becoming an obese 10-year-old by scoring a range of factors from weight to family circumstances, according to researchers.

Treating obesity is so difficult, said Tanja Vrijkotte, an associate professor at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, that midwives, nurses or doctors should intervene as early as possible, using the predictor tool to warn parents their baby could be at risk and supporting them to provide healthy food and activity.

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The city is being lauded for success in reducing the waistlines of young children. Should others follow its lead?

City’s Henry programme gives children choices while helping parents maintain boundaries

Leeds has become the first city in the UK to report a drop in childhood obesity after introducing a programme to help parents set boundaries for their children and say no to sweets and junk food.

Only a few cities in the world, notably Amsterdam, have managed to cut child obesity. Like Amsterdam, the decline in Leeds is most marked among families living in the most deprived areas, where the problem is worst and hardest to tackle.

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Marine Tanguy thinks our eyes deserve more than narcissistic soft porn – so she’s building a stable of talents to rival Kim Kardashian

One day Marine Tanguy decided to do a test. She posted a picture of her bottom in a bikini to her 24,000 Instagram followers. The post received 75% more views than usual – and most of the viewers were other women.

“I’m a grown woman,” says the 29-year-old French founder of arts talent agency MT Art. “But imagine if I was a 16-year-old girl. What would this tell me? It would tell me that my body is more valued than anything I could say, more valuable than, say, posting my exam results. Quite possibly it would mean I would put up more photos of my body to increase my profile.”

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Organisation says marketing claims formula is as good for babies as breast milk are misleading

Breastfeeding can cut the chances of a child becoming obese by up to 25%, according to a major study involving 16 countries.

World Health Organisation (WHO) experts who led the Europe-wide research are calling for more help and encouragement to women to breastfeed, as well as curbs on the marketing of formula milk which, said senior author Dr João Breda, misled women into thinking breast was not necessarily better.

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High blood pressure and type 2 diabetes among the risks, according to analysis of data on 2.8 million NHS patients

People who are severely obese in middle age are 50% more likely to die early than those of a healthy weight, according to a large study of UK data.

The research shows people with the highest levels of obesity are running a high risk of a range of serious illnesses and premature death, with 12 times the risk of type 2 diabetes, 22 times the risk of sleep apnoea and nearly four times the risk of heart failure compared to those who are of normal weight.

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Most severely affected 50% more likely to die in middle age … Spain’s socialists win election as far-right gains … and, a painter’s revenge

Good morning and welcome to this Monday briefing with Alison Rourke.

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From the slightly overweight to the morbidly obese, weight gain has "serious implications", researchers say.

Plenity contains hydrogel made from cellulose, which is found in fruit and vegetables

Gel capsules that part-fill the stomach before a meal may help people lose weight and keep it off, the European Congress on Obesity was told on Sunday.

The hydrogel capsule first made news in 2010, when it was called Attiva. Now, as Plenity, it has been trialled on more than 400 people. It worked on only 59% of people, but in those, it doubled their chances of losing 5%-10% of their bodyweight.

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Local election warnings and an obesity study feature on Monday's newspaper front pages.

Exercise for mothers-to-be has many benefits – just avoid the high-intensity workouts and new PBs

A new study has found that exercising during pregnancy can protect offspring from obesity later in life – the first time that has been demonstrated for non-obese women. Dr Daghni Rajasingam, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says there are many benefits for the mother-to-be, including weight maintenance, improving sleep and mood, helping to cope with labour, and reducing high blood pressure. At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, in bouts of at least 10 minutes, based on fitness level and comfort, is advised throughout pregnancy. Rajasingam also recommends seeking medical advice, especially for women with health conditions.

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New study reveals parents and many health professionals underestimate degree to which children are overweight

More than 50% of parents fail to recognise that their children may be seriously overweight – and many health professionals share this misperception, according to new research.

“Despite attempts to raise public awareness of the obesity problem, our findings indicate that underestimation of child higher weight status is very common,” said the project’s leader, Abrar Alshahrani, of Nottingham University.

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From the age of seven, obesity and emotional problems are closely linked, a UK study suggests.