Seven agents quickly alighted, three of the burliest secured the immediate perimeter while four inspectors, on presenting a search warrant authourised by the Upper Hutt District Court, began rifling through the home office and bedrooms. In their pursuit of ‘evidence…
Keith Newman01 April 2020
For most of us the equation is pretty simple: too much heat = too much sun = sunburn … or worse, skin cancer or heat stroke, both possibly fatal. So, we take the practical step of protecting ourselves from too…
Tom Belford01 February 2020
And soon we’re going to have to document for consumers in real time that our agricultural practices actually deliver these social goods. I make no bones about it – I think that if we screw over our soils by nuking…
Phyliss Tichinin01 December 2019
A major controversy erupted last month in nutrition circles. The subject was red meat, and the risks (or not) consumption of red meat pose for us humans. On the one side was the longstanding convention holding that red meat is…
Tom Belford01 December 2019
But when? In August the Government announced an overdue healthcare ‘gift’ for Hawke’s Bay. As part of a larger purchase, a new Linear Accelerator (LINAC) machine would be provided for Hawke’s Bay, enabling radiation treatment for cancer here within the…
Tom Belford01 October 2019
What are DHBs? According to the Ministry of Health (MoH) DHBs are “responsible for providing or funding the provision of health services in their district”. Boards, led by a chairman, are comprised of anywhere between 7-11 members, seven of who…
Sophie Price10 September 2019
Each year, respected global consultancy New Nutrition Business publishes a report assessing the key food trends for the year. Here is their most recent list, on which I asked local nutrition experts Ben Warren, Diane Stride and Hazel Thomas to…
Tom Belford01 August 2019
Meat eaters of the world … lay down your knives! You are destroying your health and the health of the planet. That essentially is the message of the EAT- Lancet Commission, which convened 37 leading scientists from 16 countries in…
Tom Belford01 June 2019
The culmination of a year of research and inquiry by the District Health Board, the Report is a grim read. The sliding scale summarising its findings is heavily weighted towards stalling or regression of progress, painting a picture of a…
Rosheen FitzGerald01 April 2019
Last year, a report from the OECD offered a sobering assessment of New Zealand’s mental health situation, looking chiefly through the lens of its impact on work and productivity. It observed that poor mental health costs the NZ economy some…
Tom Belford01 April 2019
When I was a kid, I used to cringe at the nightly call from my mom – “It’s bedtime!” [Made worse by the occasional, “And take a bath!” But I digress.] “Why was it bedtime?” I silently rebelled. And perhaps…
Tom Belford01 February 2019
“Most people in Hawke’s Bay have at least one P user in their street,” claims MP Lawrence Yule. No one Bay Buzz interviewed disputes this claim, or even appears shocked – not the police nor the government; not researchers, nor…
Rosheen FitzGerald01 December 2018
Robust public consultations this year around the region’s Long Term Plans have resulted in tens of millions of dollars being allocated to improving water infrastructure, to major amenities in our CBDs, and to serious upgrades in environmental protection. And currently…
Tom Belford01 December 2018
For those on the coalface of health, it’s no news that the way we deliver healthcare has to change. The unsustainability of our current approach is manifestly evident. When I speak with nurses from the hospital’s emergency department, they describe…
Bridget Freeman-Rock01 December 2018
Smartwatches are becoming an increasingly valuable tool in the arena of sport performance, health, and fitness. The ‘wearable device’ market is big business. According to International Data Corporation this market will grow by 15% in 2018, with 132.9 million units…
Sarah Cates01 October 2018
I ask Facebook. It seems people on Facebook are okay sharing the inner workings of their brains, their good days, their bad days. I post: “I’m looking for people who have experience with antidepressants and/or counselling, specifically, people who function…
Jess Soutar Barron01 August 2018
“In my opinion New Zealanders live in some of the worst housing in the Western World!” asserts Dave Stapleton from NZ House Surveys, an incidental observer of unhealthy homes in Hawke’s Bay. Dave’s work brings him to the front line…
Sarah Cates01 August 2018
Driven by the forces of technology, science, lifestyle, behaviour, necessity, and economics, the evolution of new foods, food fads and dietary trends will never end. Many of us have sampled, savoured or snubbed a diverse medley of trends, ranging from…
Sarah Cates01 June 2018
At the first White House Conference on Aging in 1961 Robert Kennedy said, “We have added years to life; it is time we added life to years”. Some would say increased longevity is the success story of our time. In…
Sarah Cates01 May 2018
The friendly lady, probably in her early sixties, noticed the look of concern. Covered in countless small lesions, she turned to me and said “Don’t be alarmed, it’s a treatment for skin cancer. Growing up I spent a lot of…
Sarah Cates29 January 2018
