General health
I believe ‘good health’ is more than the absence of disease. Here, you’ll find excerpts from, or links to, some of my articles on health topics ranging from workplace wellness to cancer research, sleep apnoea, emotional balance, Chinese medicine, pregnancy and hay fever.
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“Body of Evidence”
Making Connections magazine (RMIT University)
Supplement to The Times Higher Education
March 2014
“Chinese medicine is making inroads in the West. But, like any other form of treatment, it needs to prove its efficacy …”
“Putting your health first”
Cover feature
Mufti (RSL Victoria members’ magazine), September 2013
“Victoria’s veterans have made a substantial contribution to Australia … often at great personal cost. Fiona Marsden reports on services specially designed to help veterans and families optimise their health and wellbeing … “
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“Woman’s best friend”
Making Connections magazine (RMIT University insert in
The Australian Financial Review, 13 June 2013)
Dogs and humans are relatively similar biologically, and females in both species are prone to breast cancer. A new ‘bio bank’ is collecting canine tissue for research that could pave the way for better diagnosis and treatment of canine and human breast cancer. Read my article here.
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“Diabetes link gives new hope for Alzheimer’s sufferers”
YourLifeChoices.com.au, 21 September 2012
“Dementia affects almost 280,000 Australians; a figure set to soar to almost one million by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for up to 70 percent of cases.
It’s heartening news, then, that scientists recently made a sizeable leap forward in understanding how Alzheimer’s develops … ”
Read the full article here.
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“The real deal on ‘spot reducing'”
YourLifeChoices.com.au, 14 September 2012
“Looking for spot reduction exercises to shift that burgeoning spare tyre? The hard truth is that spot reduction does not really exist … The good news is is that certain kinds of exercise can reduce your overall weight, trim your waistline and lessen your risk of a range of serious conditions … “
Read the full article here.
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“Working well”
Mindfood magazine, March 2011
“In the thick of deadlines, meetings and negotiations, it’s easy to neglect your wellbeing. Stay centred and get more out of your working day with these 10 self-care strategies …”
Read the full article here.
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“Eyes right”
YourLifeChoices magazine, Winter 2010
“As we get older, our bodies begin to work less efficiently—and the eyes are no exception. Fiona Marsden finds out about the key age-related eye conditions, and what you can do about them …”
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“Children of the evolution”
Ideas Without Borders magazine (RMIT University insert in the Australian Financial Review, 3 June 2010)
“Take an overcrowded hospital in Vietnam, a group of dedicated RMIT students and staff on both sides of the equator, mix them together and what do you get? New friends and a long-term partnership that will make a difference to the lives of Vietnamese families …”
Read the full article in PDF form here (scroll down to p. 10).
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“Breathing easy”
Ideas Without Borders magazine (RMIT University insert in the Australian Financial Review, 3 June 2010)
“Eastern tradition meets Western science in research that could ease the burden of smoking-related disease …”
For this article, I interviewed prominent researcher Professor Charlie Xueabout two trials studying the use of traditional Chinese herbs to treat a disease that affects more than a million Australians. Read the full article in PDF form here (scroll down to pp. 16–17).
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“Wake up call on sleep apnoea”
YourLifeChoices magazine, Autumn 2010
“Snoring loudly enough to wake the dead? Getting up during the night to urinate? Exhausted during the day despite plenty of night-time kip? Chances are that these seemingly unrelated factors have a common thread — sleep apnoea …”
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“The great vitamin cover-up!”
alive Australia magazine, Autumn 2010
“Everyone needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and maintain healthy bones. Around 80 per cent of vitamin D comes from sun exposure — yet even in Australia, it’s possible to be deficient. Here’s how to maximise your levels, whilst staying sun safe” …
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“Breaking the habit” (cover story)
Women’s Health & Fitness magazine, February 2010
“We’ve all done it … chomped miserably through a slab of chocolate after a fight with our partner, or headed for the biscuit barrel after a shocking day at work.
“Nobody’s perfect—but what happens when bingeing becomes an ongoing problem that interferes with your life? How can you break the habit and adopt a more moderate approach to eating?”
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“S-xy summer skin”
Women’s Health & Fitness magazine, December 2009
“The first flush of summer brings the promise of fun in the sun and festive season partying aplenty. This may be good for your social life, but your skin could pay the price — think dehydration, sluggishness, freckles, moles, wrinkles and even skin cancer.
“Don’t despair; there’s no need to hide indoors all summer. It’s simply a matter of knowing the risks and how to minimise them …”
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“New ways to get fit” (cover story)
Women’s Health & Fitness magazine, November 2009
“No matter what your goal is – boosting cardio fitness, losing weight or toning muscles — there are times when your exercise routine will start feeling exactly that — routine. If your motivation is starting to slip, maybe it’s time to inject a bit of variety …”
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“Balancing act”
PINK Ribbon, Annual (Summer) edition, 2009
Bonus magazine with Australian Women’s Weekly, October 2009
“When a woman is diagnosed with br–st cancer, it can come as a terrible shock. Even if she has found a lump or has a family history of the disease, she may have been hoping against hope that things would be fine …”
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“Great expectations: preparing your body for pregnancy”
Women’s Health & Fitness magazine, October 2009
“The decision to conceive a child is one of the biggest you will ever make, so it makes sense to start off on the right foot. It’s well known that pregnant women should eat well, get extra folate and cut out alcohol and smoking — but there’s plenty that both you and your partner can do in the months beforehand to maximise the chances of conceiving a healthy baby…”
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“Ease the sneeze”
alive Australia magazine: launch edition, Spring 2009
“Watery eyes, runny nose, itchy throat … if you’re among the one in five Aussies who suffers from Spring allergies … you’re probably approaching the warmer months with a fair degree of dread … but with a bit of help from nature, you can sail through the sneezy season with a minimum of stress.”
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“Australia the healthiest country? Not by a long shot”
ABC Online, 9 March 2009
The Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC) commissioned me to ghostwrite an opinion piece calling for greater government support of complementary medicines.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/09/2510773.htm
The piece attracted a substantial amount of comment; some in support of the CHC’s arguments and some against. Either way, the CHC achieved its objective of raising awareness and stimulating debate.
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“From graphics … to acupuncture”: The Age ‘My Career’ section (cover story) 29 March 2008
“For 16 years, Darryl Thompson ran a thriving graphic design business. He was successful – but something was missing…”
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“From sales rep…to nursing”: The Age ‘My Career’ section,
21 June 2008
“A few missing pencils was the unlikely catalyst that propelled Richelle Frith from selling stationery to nursing patients in the emergency ward of a large hospital…”
“‘One day a customer began screaming at me, red-faced, because a few pencils were missing from her order. I thought, ‘There’s got to be more to life than this’…”
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Fiona Marsden: freelance writer/editor 