While some customers report that the UK’s #1 diet pill is too strong, it is the product’s effectiveness ultimately shines through and most users report feeing less hungry and more energized after a brief adjustment period.

One reviewer mentions feeling shaky and developing headaches during the first few days of taking the fat burners. However, another reviewer attributes the jittery feeling to the fact that an exercise plan was not in place prior to taking the capsules and stated that once an exercise plan was in place the weight started falling off.

“Everything is going great,” concluded this user. “I never feel hungry and seem to have loads of energy.”

To learn more about FORZA Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1, including a complete list of ingredients, dosage information and ordering information, visit the Forza Supplements website or Amazon.co.uk.

FORZA Supplements has been an established sports nutrition and diet capsule manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer since 2007, holding over 15 trademarks and distributing worldwide from its Kent-based technology centre. Full site: www.forzasupplements.co.uk

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Prescription charges in England are set to rise by 20p for each quantity of a drug or appliance as of April 1^st 2013.

The Department of Health today (March 1^st) announced that costs would grow from £7.65 to £7.85 for each item, although the cost of a prescription prepayment certificate will remain at a flat fee of £29.10 for a three-month certificate and £104 for an annual certificate.

Dental care will also see rises, with the charge payable for a single cost of treatment increasing by 50p, bringing it up to £18.

Treatments in bands two and three will see similar gains, growing by £1 and £5 respectively.

However, those benefitting from optical vouchers from the NHS will see their value increase as of March,

“The range of NHS optical vouchers available to children, people on low incomes and individuals with complex sight problems are also being increased in value.  In order to continue to provide help with the cost of spectacles and contact lenses, optical voucher values will rise by an overall one per cent,” said health minister Lord Howe.

“In England, around 90 per cent of prescription items are dispensed free.”

Speaking to BBC News, Neal Patel, spokesperson for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society described the rises as “deeply disappointing”.

“Hitting patients in the pocket when they are already suffering from long-term health problems heaps unfairness on top of illness,” he said.

Charges are also set to be bolstered by 2.5 per cent for those obtaining wigs and fabric supports from the NHS.

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Hospital food improvement schemes have wasted more than £54 million, a new report from food and farming lobby group Sustain has claimed.

The group said that since 1992, the government has attempted to appoint a number of celebrities and celebrity chefs to head up initiatives aimed at improving the quality of food in NHS facilities, but these have had little effect.

It acknowledged that while government schemes, and others launched by third parties, have had some success in improving meals at a handful of hospitals, the overall standard of food remains low.

“This report reconfirms that the lavish public spending on government voluntary initiatives has failed,” said Sustain. “We call on the government to follow the examples set by Scotland and Wales and set mandatory health and sustainability standards for hospital food in England.”

According to the document, between 1992 and 2012, 21 voluntary initiatives were launched to improve hospital food, despite frequent warnings from advisers, MPs and commercial caterers that such schemes were failing.

Responding to the report, Christina McAnea, head of health at public sector union Unison, promoted quality meals as a “vital” part of promoting a quick recovery in patients and criticised policy in this area.

“Outsourcing of catering services has had a detrimental impact on the quality of food served in hospitals, which is why so many people rely on vending machines and fast food outlets in hospital foyers,” she said.

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Cannabis legalisation and decriminalisation is favoured by most Britons, an independent think tank has stated.

New research commissioned by the Transform Drug Policy Foundation (TDPF) has revealed that 53 per cent of the UK public support the legalisation of the drug, while only one in seven approve of heavier penalities.

Around two-thirds of those polled in the study support a comprehensive review of drug regulation policy and a spokesperson for the TDPF claimed the findings demonstrate “just how far ahead of politicians the public are”.

“The public are far more progressive than was thought, right across the political spectrum. At the very least the government should heed long standing and growing calls for a review of all policy options,” they added.

Support for a softer stance on cannabis was widespread, across the political spectrum. Nearly half of mid-market and tabloid papers’ readers were in favour of legalisation, while 69 per cent of Labour supporters wanted a comprehensive policy review on the issue.

Half of Conservative Party supporters polled in the study approved of regulation and 40 per cent of respondents advocated Portugal-style decriminalisation.

“These results show just how far ahead of politicians the public are,” said the TDPF spokesperson. “Whilst Labour and Conservative politicians shy away from the debate on drugs, around half of their supporters want to see legal regulation of cannabis production and supply or decriminalisation of cannabis possession.”

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A tax on fizzy drinks and a ban on junk food advertising are just two of the measures being proposed by doctors in response to the UK’s worsening obesity epidemic.

In its Measuring Up report, The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) has set out a number of propositions aimed at tackling the issue.

These include a ban on new fast food outlets being opened close to colleges and schools, in addition to a duty on all sugary soft drinks, which would see prices rise by at least 20 per cent on such products.

Professor Terrence Stephenson, chair of the Academy and paediatrician, warned that now is the time to forge alliances and implement innovations to tackle obesity “head-on”.

“As health professionals, we see it across all our disciplines – from the GP’s surgery to the operating table and everything in between. So it is no exaggeration to say that it is the biggest public health crisis facing the UK today. Yet too often, vested interests dub it too complex to tackle,” he said.

Professor Stephenson went on to note that the report’s publication marks the start of a campaign on the issue and AoMRC would be joining forces with a range of experts and organisations to move forward with its recommendations.

“The healthcare profession has taken the step of uniting to take action – and we’re calling on others to step up and take responsibility too,” he added.

According to the latest NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre report, more than a quarter of UK adults were classed as obese during 2010.

Image used courtesy of justasc / Shutterstock.com.

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Food retailers have hit back at claims they were involved in a conspiracy of silence over the ongoing horsemeat scandal.

In an open letter signed by the bosses of some of the UK’s biggest suppliers, wholesalers and supermarkets it was claimed they share the “anger and outrage” of consumers.

“We can’t accept a situation where the trust customers place us is being compromised by fraudulent activity or even as alleged, an international criminal conspiracy,” said the document.

“We are working around the clock to complete the most comprehensive testing of processed beef products ever undertaken, anywhere in the world.”

The authors went on to note that British food retailers have already implemented some of the most “rigorous” testing and auditing systems in the world, but would be strengthening these to help restore public confidence in their wares.

“Nothing is more important to us than our consumers’ trust. We will do whatever it takes to restore public confidence in the food they buy and eat,” they added.

Early testing results published on Friday (February 15^th) indicate that 59 products from the Co-Operative Group have been found to be clear of horsemeat, as have 149 Tesco products.

The Food Standards Authority made the first arrests in the horsemeat scandal on Thursday, following an inspection at Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth.

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War veterans are set to benefit from an £11 million boost in funding for the NHS.

On Friday (February 15^th), the government announced plans to improve care for those who have been injured in conflicts and providing access to a high level of prosthetics and rehabilitation services.

Nine NHS facilities throughout the UK will receive a share of the fund, with up to £6.7 million available for individual institutions.

Commenting on the scheme, health minister Dr Dan Poulter stated the government’s aim to provide veterans with the “very best” in specialist centres across the country.

“Ex-servicemen and women who have been injured in the line of duty deserve the very best possible care from the NHS,” he said.

“This is why we are making more funding available to improve veterans’ prosthetic limb services – and £22 million in total between 2010 and 2015 to support veterans’ physical and mental health.”

The announcement follows a series of recommendations laid out by Dr Andrew Murrison MP, the Ministry of Defence’s minister for international security strategy in a report on the provision of prosthetics for military amputees.

He suggested instituting a handful of specialist multi-disciplinary centres in England to provide a similar level of care to that offered by the armed forces.

Image used courtesy of gov.uk.

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The government’s response to the ongoing horsemeat scandal has been branded “flat-footed” by MPs.

A report released today (February 14^th) by the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has called for enhanced testing of meat products to ensure no threat to human health is present.

Committee chair Anne McIntosh MP branded the scale of contamination as “breath-taking” and claimed the British public had been “duped” by elements within the food industry.

“Restoring customer confidence will take time and money. The Government has a role to secure the correct balance between affordable food prices and effective regulations that require transparency and quality,” she said.

The Committee also suggested that criminals willing to pass off horsemeat as beef would be unlikely to have sufficient hygiene standards in place.

Similarly, the body noted that the scandal has raised broader questions over transparency, food production and supply chain pressures.

Ms McIntosh urged the government to implement “effective traceability requirements” in regard to the sale and marketing of processed foods imported from EU member states.

“The consumer cannot be left to face a catch 22 where they can either pay for food that complies with the highest standards of traceability, labelling and testing or accept that they cannot trust the provenance and composition of the foods they eat,” she added.

Earlier in the week, the Food Standards Agency began raids on plants involved in the alleged supply of products contaminated by horsemeat – with environment secretary Owen Paterson threatening to bring down the “full force of the law” on any parties involved in the scandal.

Image used courtesy of Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com.

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has raided two premises involved in the alleged supply of horse meat to British supermarkets.

Peter Boddy Licensed Slaughterhouse in Yorkshire and Farmbox Meats Ltd in Wales were raided by FSA agents and police yesterday (February 12th) in an effort to ascertain the circumstances through which horse meat was sold as beef to be used in kebabs and burgers.

Operations have been suspended at both plants and all meat products have been confiscated, along with any relevant paperwork.

Environment secretary Owen Paterson branded the scandal “absolutely shocking”.

“It’s totally unacceptable if any business in the UK is defrauding the public by passing off horsemeat as beef. I expect the full force of the law to be brought down on anyone involved in this kind of activity,” he said.

FSA director of operations Andrew Rhodes revealed that an audit of all horse-producing abattoirs in the UK had been ordered after the horsemeat scandal came to light last month.

“I was shocked to uncover what appears to be a blatant misleading of consumers,” he said.

Commenting on the plant closures, Welsh government minister for agriculture Alun Davies claimed he would be “appalled” if the allegations of wrongdoing were proven to be true.

“Integrity and trust are essential in the food chain,” he said. “The Welsh Government is working closely with Defra and the FSA to ensure this matter is dealt with swiftly and decisively.”

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Court cases related to the ongoing horsemeat contamination scandal are set to begin today (February 11^th) in Europe.

Britain is set to hold crisis talks with a number of countries on the continent and Environment secretary Owen Paterson revealed that processors and suppliers embroiled in the situation would be commencing legal action.

He branded the widespread contamination “sickening” and voiced his hope for a swift resolution.

“I will be talking to ministerial counterparts in Europe today because it is absolutely intolerable that a fraud is being carried out on the public,” Mr Paterson told Sky News.

Last week saw food retailer Findus become the latest company to fall foul of tainted beef products, withdrawing its lasagne product after it tested positive for more than 60 per cent horsemeat.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) yesterday issued interim advice to public institutions, warning that “rigorous” procurement procedures are expected to be put in place.

“The evidence to date does not suggest there is a food safety risk. If further information indicates any health risk then the FSA will provide consumers with advice,” said the body.

Mr Paterson went on to note that the UK government is unable to institute a ban on imported meat unless a risk to human health is discovered.

“Arbitrary measures like that are not actually going to help,” he said. “We are bound by the rules of the European market.”

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