PR and Med Ed news in brief

Inch loss
Diabetes UK has launched a new campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the link between large waist measurements and type II diabetes. Measure Up urges people to grab a tape measure and check their waistline, as a simple first step to assessing their diabetes risk. At-risk waist measurements are 37 inches for men, except those of South Asian origin whose waists should not exceed 35 inches, and 31.5 inches or more for women. As part of the initiative, Diabetes UK is also launching its `Are You at Risk?' online tool - a two-minute interactive test designed to help people understand how at risk they are from diabetes, not just as a result of their waist measurement but also their weight, age, family history and ethnicity. For more information on Measure Up, visit www.diabetes.org.uk/measureup

Bruno adds his weight Mental health charity Mind, with the help of former World Heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno, raised £17,000 at its first ever UK fundraising auction. The event, held at the offices of advertising agency Euro RSCG UK, aimed to highlight to employers the problems of mental illness, such as depression and schizophrenia, and remind them that mental health issues can affect anyone. Bruno, who co-hosted the event with Mind CEO, Paul Farmer, said that he was happy to support the charity because of the work it does providing help and information to those suffering from mental illness.

Since the charity auction took place on September 7, Euro RSCG Life London, along with Euro RSCG Life Medical Education and Public Relations and Euro RSCG Life MSC, have been united under one roof and will now be known simply as Euro RSCG Life UK.

Literary criticism
A new battle in the war against children's exposure to junk food is being spearheaded by a group of authors and academics claiming that childhood creativity is being stifled by a combination of junk food, school targets and mass marketing. More than 100 teachers joined children's authors, including Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson, and psychologists to write a letter to the Daily Telegraph. In the letter, author of Toxic Childhood, Sue Palmer, puts more pressure on the government to take further action over the high levels of junk food consumed by children in the UK, much of which has been blamed on pester power arising from mass marketing to minors.