The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Over 90 per cent of Americans support gun background checks Posted: 07 Feb 2013 06:24 AM PST  A poll today finds that over 90 per cent of Americans support gun background checks. — Reuters pic But the National Rifle Association (NRA) edged out President Barack Obama in the poll, with 46 per cent saying the pro-gun lobby better reflects their views on guns, versus 43 per cent for Obama. By a margin of 92 per cent to 7 per cent, voters supported background checks, the Quinnipiac University telephone poll showed. In households with a gun, 91 per cent were in favour, while 8 per cent were opposed, Quinnipiac said. In response to the December 14 shooting that killed 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, Obama last month announced a series of gun-control measures opposed by the NRA, including proposals for enhanced background checks and a ban on military-style assault weapons. House Democrats were expected to announce their own firearms legislation today. A majority of those surveyed supported stricter national gun control laws, Quinnipiac said. Fifty-six per cent were for a ban on the sale of assault weapons, and the same per centage supported a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines, defined as those holding more than 10 rounds. Congress would need to approve those initiatives and background checks. "The politics of gun policy are also unclear," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a statement. "Despite the huge news media coverage of the issue since the Newtown shooting, only 37 per cent of voters are more likely to vote for a congressman who votes to ban sales of assault rifles, while 31 per cent are less likely, and 30 per cent say it would not affect their vote." The poll surveyed 1,772 registered voters from January 30 to February 4 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 per centage points, Quinnipiac said. — Reuters |
| ‘Light’ sodas hike diabetes risk, says study Posted: 07 Feb 2013 02:52 AM PST  Artificially-sweetened sodas have been linked to a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes for women than sodas sweetened with ordinary sugar. — shutterstock.com pic "Contrary to conventional thinking, the risk of diabetes is higher with 'light' beverages compared with 'regular' sweetened drinks," the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) said. The evidence comes from a wide-scale, long-term study, it said in a press release. More than 66,000 French women volunteers were quizzed about their dietary habits and their health was then monitored over 14 years. The women were middle-aged or older when they joined the study. Sugar-sweetened sodas have previously been linked with an increased risk of diabetes, but less is known about their artificially-sweetened counterparts. Researchers led by Francoise Clavel-Chapelon and Guy Fagherazzi dug into the data mine to look at the prevalence of diabetes among women who drank either type of soda, and those who drank only unsweetened fruit juice. Compared with juice-drinkers, women who drank either of the sodas had a higher incidence of diabetes. The increased risk was about a third for those who drank up to 359 millilitres per week of either type of soda, and more than double among those who drank up to 603 ml per week. Drinkers of light sodas had an even higher risk of diabetes compared to those who drank regular ones: 15 per cent higher for consumption of 500 ml per week, and 59 pe rcent higher for consumption of 1.5 litres per week, Inserm said. There was no increase in diabetes among women who drank only 100-percent fruit juice, compared with non-consumers. The study noted that women who drank "light" sodas tended to drink more of it — 2.8 glasses a week on average compared to 1.6 glasses among women on "regular" sodas. The findings are published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Its authors admitted the study had limitations. "Information on beverage consumption was not updated during the follow-up, and dietary habits may have changed over time," the paper said. "We cannot rule out that factors other than ASB (artificially sweetened beverages)... are responsible for the association with diabetes." The authors urge further trials to prove a causal link. The study covered women born between 1925 and 1950, who have been monitored since 1990. The paper noted previous research which says that aspartame — the most frequently-used artificial sweetener — has a similar effect on blood glucose and insulin levels as the sucrose used in regular sweeteners. — AFP-Relaxnews |
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