Health: Vital signs

Meat rations

Scientists appointed to advise the Government on the nation's diet are preparing to issue a new warning about the risks of eating red meat. Members of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) will recommend that people should eat a maximum of 140g (5oz) of cooked meat a day, equivalent to almost half a pound of the raw product. Although average daily red meat consumption is half this level, at 75g a day, they say the 15 per cent of the population who eat the largest quantities have a higher incidence of stomach and bowel cancers.

Silence kills

An information service on bowel cancer is launched today, aimed at cutting the 49 deaths a day from the disease which is Britain's second biggest killer cancer. The service, Infoline, is staffed by volunteers from the charity Colon Cancer Concern. Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive, said: "Bowel cancer is still the least talked about cancer. If caught early, over 80 per cent of cases are curable; but time is critical. When fear or embarrassment keep people from seeing their GP, the chances of complete cure are much reduced."

Infoline: 0171-381 4711.

Wake up slim

Dieters who skip breakfast as part of a slimming regime may be making it harder to lose weight. Research shows that eating a cereal breakfast reduces the percentage of daily fat consumed and raises the level of carbohydrate and fibre. Breakfast eaters also tend to be slimmer than those who miss the meal, according to the British Journal of Nutrition, cited in The Breakfast Report, published by Kelloggs yesterday.