British adventurer Roz Savage, 39, who last year rowed alone across the Atlantic, is attempting to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean.

For the Atlantic challenge she worked hard to build up her powers of endurance. She was training for up to 16 hours a day on her WaterRower machine. Roz said “Rowing for 16 hours is never fun, but the WaterRower made it much more tolerable - it felt relatively gentle on my back and the rowing stroke felt realistic, right down to the sound of the water swirling in the drum.”

This time she is building on her experiences of the Atlantic Challange and hopes to cross the world’s largest ocean in three stages.

Stage One:
Presidio Yacht Club, San Francisco (37 50′N 122 28′W)
to Waikiki, Hawaii (21 17′N 157 50′W)
2081 nautical miles, 2395 statute miles, 3854 kilometres, bearing 252 degrees

Stage Two:
Waikiki, Hawaii (21 17′N 157 50′W)
to Tuvalu (8 30′S 179 12′E)
2180 nautical miles, 2509 statute miles, 4038 kilometres, bearing 217 degrees

Stage Three:
Tuvalu (8 30′S 179 12′E)
to Cairns, Australia (16 54′S 145 48′E)
2020 nautical miles, 2324 statute miles, 3740 kilometres, bearing 252 degrees

You can find out how Roz is getting on with her latest challenge by clicking here.

Thousands of arthritis patients with crippling disabilities were given new hope yesterday after winning the right to free treatment with a “smart” drug.

The surprise decision to approve NHS funding of the antibody drug MabThera was hailed as “a triumph” by one leading charity.

The news comes less than three weeks after a health service watchdog issued draft guidance rejecting free prescriptions of another cutting-edge drug, Orencia, for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

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New research announced Monday found that when human stem cells — the blank slate of the cell world — were exposed to a common virus they turned into fat cells. They didn’t just change, they stored fat, too.

While this may be a guilt-free explanation for putting on pounds, it doesn’t explain all or even most of America’s growing obesity problem. But it adds to other recent evidence that blames more than just super-sized appetites and underused muscles for expanding waistlines.

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Obese people may be less likely to develop prostate cancer but more likely to die of the disease, a study says.

Researchers found the cancer was much less likely to develop in people who are insulin resistant - a pre-diabetes condition linked to obesity.

But they were more likely to develop an aggressive form of the disease likely to spread to other parts of the body.

The study involving 784 men, by Sweden’s Umea University, is published in the International Journal of Cancer. Click here for full article

Health experts are rewriting the guidelines for daily exercise amid fears that people count lightweight activities as part of their routines.

World Health Organisation recommendations have suggested that 30 minutes of gentle exercise each day would be enough to sustain a minimum level of fitness.

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Nine out of ten Britons can expect to suffer from high blood pressure within their lifetime.

Experts say the condition is now out of control with the number of sufferers worldwide expected to soar past the billion mark in the next 20 years.

An editorial focusing on the problem in The Lancet medical journal said the estimated number of adults living with high blood pressure around the world in 2000 was 972 million.

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Parents should not restrict their children to low-fat diets despite concerns about obesity, experts have said.

A new study, published in the Nutrition Journal, says fat can be included as part of a healthy and balanced diet and has an important role in helping youngsters grow.

It comes a day after pregnant women were warned that upping their intake of fatty and sugary food could put their child at risk of obesity.

Today’s research found that children burn more body fat than adults for each calorie used up.

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Even a small pot belly can increase the risk of heart disease, scientists warn.

Research from the University of Texas found large waist measurements, relative to hip size, were linked to early signs of heart disease.

This confirms other research that waist size, rather than overall body weight, is a key indicator of heart disease.

The study of 2,744 people suggests that a waist size of 32ins (81cm) for a woman and 37ins (94cm) for a man represents a “significant” raised risk. Click here for full article

Even low levels of weekly exercise could help reduce blood pressure and improve fitness, scientists say.

Experts say walking for half an hour, five days a week, is the minimum required to achieve health benefits.

But a Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health report from Northern Ireland found walking on just three days a week gave similar benefits.

The finding could encourage those with sedentary lifestyles to take up exercise gradually, the authors say.

This could be helpful as few people currently meet the minimum recommendations for exercise, with many saying they do not have enough time. Click here for full article

It’s not Britain’s addiction to junk food that is chiefly to blame for our obesity crisis, but our love affair with the car, a report will claim this week.

Researchers have found that when households take possession of a car the time they spend walking falls from an average of nearly two hours to less than one hour a week.

Experts are still arguing over what is generating Britain’s growing obesity crisis - more food or less exercise? Read more »