It's no secret that over the past few decades, an increasing number of Americans have been coping with a personal energy crisis: an over-consumption of body "fuel" that has contributed to soaring rates of obesity, adult-onset diabetes, and a host of related health problems.

Health authorities have taken prompt action to stall the spread of Chikungunya in Eheliyagoda on the instructions of Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva, a ministry spokesman said. The attention of the Minister had been drawn to the sharp increase of the new cases of Chikungunya reported from the Ratnapura district in the last few days, he said. Blood tests carried out by a medical team sent to Ratnapura on Monday have detected 75 new Chikungunya cases and measures were taken to provide the patients immediate hospital treatment.

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has taken steps to control Chickungunya now spreading in Kuruwita, Kiriella and Eheliyagoda DS divisions in the Ratnapura district, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said. He said the Ministry has implemented an action plan under the direction of Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and deployed a special team of doctors to the affected areas. Over 75 blood samples were collected from the suspected patients. The Ministry has already supplied required drugs to the Eheliyagoda hospital.

Leptospirosis, widely known as rat fever, is once again on the increase; with 41 deaths being reported this year up to the third week of April. Only 34 deaths were reported islandwide for the whole of 2007, Dr Nihal Abeysingha, chief epidemiologist of the Ministry of Health and Nutrition, said yesterday. The deadly disease has been reported from many paddy farming districts. A significant number of new cases have been reported from Colombo, Gampaha, Matara, Kegalle and Kalutara, he said.

An environmental group has tested dogs and cats for chemical exposure and found some levels much higher than in humans.

A total of 5.28 lakh children have been suffering from night blindness in the country mainly due to ignorance in taking vitamin-A enriched food including fruits and vegetables. Medical Adviser to the 9th Infantry Division GOC Col M Sirajul Karim said this yesterday at the inauguration of an advocacy programme on school health for the area which is under the jurisdiction of the 9th Division.

- The discovery of the gene behind a rare form of inherited iron deficiency may provide clues for new treatments of poor iron absorption in the general population, according to a study released Sunday. Lack of iron is the most common of all nutritional deficiencies and the leading cause of anemia, which affects nearly a third of the world's population, according the World Health Organisation. In the developing world, every second pregnant woman and about 40 percent of preschool children are estimated to be anaemic, a condition that contributes to 20 percent of all maternal deaths.

Governments could take a big step towards ending world hunger by spending just $1.2 billion a year in developing nations on dietary supplements and education about the food needs of babies, a study showed. Such targeted spending to help a billion of the poorest people in Africa and Asia could save millions of lives and bring annual economic benefits of more than $15 billion in lower health bills and longer and more productive lives, it said.

Mother Dairy is expanding its probiotic portfolio with the launch of Nutrifit, a fermented probiotic milk. The company, which is eyeing a slice of the wellness market, said its manufacturing facility at Pilkhua, in Uttar Pradesh, will achieve 100 per cent capacity utilisation in two years' time. The facility can produce up to five million bottles a day. "The successful launch of our b-Activ probiotic curd and lassi showed that Indians are ope n to healthier eating options.