Loneliness and social isolation can affect the old and young alike. Older people, however, are considered to be much more vulnerable to experience these. Alison Burton-Shepherd highlights the impact loneliness and isolation have on quality of life

Obesity in young children is deemed as one of the most serious public health issues of the 21st Century. Many parents are not able to recognize when their child is overweight or obese. Alison Burton-Shepherd discusses identifying barriers and suggests practical measures to help

The increasing number of people with obesity is a serious problem of the contemporary world. It has been thought that the main cause of this phenomenon was changes in lifestyle, including a lack of exercise and poor dietary habits. However, emerging evidence suggests the disruption of gut microbiota may play an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Evidence suggests differences in the gut microbiota of lean and obese individuals. The modulation of the gut microbiome, using prebiotics and probiotics, may offer new therapeutic strategies for many diseases. This article will review the role of prebiotics and probiotics in the management of obesity.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the role of the nurse in the identification and prevention of malnutrition in home dwelling elderly individuals. It will examine the causes and prevalence of malnutrition outlining the factors that may place older home-dwelling people at risk of developing this serious nutritional disorder. The remainder of the article will provide an in-depth focussed discussion on the role of the community nurse in the assessment and prevention of malnutrition, with recommendations for the improvement of clinical practice.