People carrying excess weight who aim to ward off diabetes should try to lose the pounds before they reach middle age, Australian researchers suggest.
A woman’s body mass index (BMI) in her late 40s was the strongest predictor of her risk of developing diabetes over the next eight years, Dr. Gita D. Mishra of the University of Queensland and her colleagues found.
On the other hand, there was no link between weight change in subsequent years and the likelihood of becoming diabetic, reported Reuters.
While excess weight is understood to boost the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the effects of shorter-term weight gain or loss are not as clear, Mishra and her team note in the journal Diabetes Care. To investigate, the researchers followed 7,239 women for 8 years. Study participants were 45 to 50 years old when the study began, and they completed surveys on their health at the study’s outset in 1996 and in 1998, 2001 and 2004.
Those with BMIs of 25 or greater, indicating they were overweight or obese, in 1996 were at the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 2004, the researchers found. Very obese women with BMIs of 35 or above were 12 times more likely than their normal-weight peers to become diabetic.
Weight gain or loss during the course of the study had no influence on a woman’s risk of developing diabetes, while physical activity only reduced risk for the most active women.
“Because women’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes in midlife is more closely related to their initial BMI (when aged 45-50 years) than to subsequent short-term weight-change, public health initiatives should target the prevention of weight gain before and during early adulthood,“ the researchers conclude.
They note that only small changes in physical activity and calorie intake are needed to stop from becoming overweight or obese, and that it is particularly important to “inspire people“ to make those changes while they are young adults.

There was a time when all a mother wanted for her daughter was marriage and motherhood. But with the rise in divorce, and the smashing of the glass ceiling, most mothers are not in a hurry to see their daughters married any more. Nor do they see children as a priority. Instead, the majority put “confidence“ and “financial independence“ above marriage and having a baby.
Many think a good career is crucial, with 45 percent saying this is more important than their daughter finding a partner (26 percent) or experiencing motherhood (30 percent), according to a survey, reported Telegraph.co.uk.
The study shows that in the 21st century family, the new generation of 40-plus women have very different ambitions for their daughters than their own mothers had for them.
“What is interesting is that these women are the first generation to instill these new ideas to their daughters,“ said Sue James, editorial director of Woman & Home magazine, which polled 1,289 mothers.
“And the closeness between today’s mothers and daughters is demonstration there isn’t a generation gap but a coming together of ambition, attitude and affection.“
According to the survey, the three skills most modern mothers would like to impart to their daughters are “how to get on with people, believe in themselves and how to enjoy life“. Forget cooking, how to be good wife or having a baby.
Modern mothers also share closeness with their daughters. Most would rather spend a day out with their daughter (41 percent) than their husband (21 percent).

Some 1.2 million Brazilian women have been hospitalized in the last five years with infections, bleeding and other complications resulting from illegal abortions, said a report presented by health experts.
Women in Brazil’s relatively poor northeast seek unsafe illegal abortions at twice the rate of women in the wealthier south, said the study, published by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, or IPPH.
Brazil prohibits abortion in most cases, but an outspoken new health minister prompted a nationwide debate several weeks ago when he said society must reconsider laws against abortion because they are hurting women, wrote Reuters.
“Legal prohibition does not eliminate the practice of abortion, everybody knows this,“ said Carmem Barroso, the IPPF’s director for the western hemisphere.
The report estimated one million abortions take place in Brazil each year, including miscarriages and unsafe illegal abortions. About five women die from unsafe procedures for every 100,000 live births.
Black, indigenous and poorer women seek a disproportionate number of abortions, said physician Maria Jose Araujo, a member of the panel of health experts that presented the report.
The number of unsafe procedures among very young women and teens is rising, she added.
Almost 3,000 girls aged 10 to 14 ended up in the hospital with post-abortion complications in 2005, the report said. Among women from 15 to 19, over 46,000 sought treatment.
Barroso said the IPPF was in favor of developing a program to offer pregnant women information and counseling even if abortion remains illegal in Brazil.

British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas, regarded as a symbol of male valor for tales of unswerving loyalty and fierce courage under enemy fire, is now set for a change. It will start recruiting Nepali women as well for the first time, said New Kerala.com.
While the British defense ministry is still working out the details, there is growing excitement in Nepal, where dozens of young Nepali women have already signed up at “training academies“ in anticipation of recruitment.
“New terms and conditions of service were introduced on April 1 for Gurkhas serving in the British Army,“ says Colonel Jeremy Ellis, the British defense attachŽ in Nepal and commander of the Brigade of Gurkhas Nepal (BGN).
He was referring to the announcement in March by Derek Twigg, under secretary of state for defense and veterans minister, that Nepali Gurkhas in the British Army would now have broadly the same terms and conditions of service as their peers from Britain and the Commonwealth--a decision forced after a series of law suits by disgruntled Gurkha soldiers and vets.
With the changes, the Brigade of Gurkhas now comes under the purview of the Sex Discrimination Act, requiring the recruitment of women to correct imbalances.
“To comply with the UK Sex Discrimination Act legislation, Nepali women should in due course be invited to apply for recruitment,“ says Ellis.
However, since the British government does not recruit women for direct combat roles, Nepali women will be hired in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, Queen’s Gurkha Signals and Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment but kept out of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
London is still mulling how many Nepali women it will recruit each year. At present, there are about 3,500 male Gurkha soldiers in the brigade while about 230 are recruited to the British Army annually and a much smaller number for Singapore Police.
The recruitment of Nepali women will start with a “pilot“ project in August with about 40 volunteers, possibly aged between 18 and 21.

Indian policewomen of the central reserve police force practice riot control during training on the outskirts of New Delhi, Sept. 13, 2006.

There will be many more female faces visible in the central security and police forces soon, thanks to an initiative by Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury.
The home ministry, following a request from Chowdhury, has agreed to increase the representation of women in the security forces to 10%, from its existing 2%, said Gulf-Times Newspaper.
Chowdhury, who feels that only economic empowerment can set women free, had asked the home ministry to raise the woman strength in the central security and police forces by 30%.
“The home ministry has agreed to increase the strength of women to 10%. They will try to implement it from the next recruitment onwards,“ Chowdhury, presently in Uganda on an official trip.
“The representation of women in our security and police forces is very less even to implement some rules of the Indian Penal Code, including the arrest and search of women offenders only by women personnel. Besides, the presence of women in the security forces will sensitize the men towards the fair sex,“ she added.
According to an official in the women and child development ministry, who did not wish to be named, the hike in the number of women in the security forces came about after Chowdhury made “repeated requests“ to the home ministry and held several meetings with the minister and the home secretary.
“The minister argued that as modern women are capable of taking up any challenges, why should they be denied opportunities in the security forces. She said higher representation in the forces would infuse more confidence in women,“ the official added.
Currently, of the three paramilitary forces, only the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have women staff. The Border Security Force (BSF) does not have women.
While the CRPF has only 5,000 women troopers, the CISF has 2% women in its 105,000-strength.
“Apart from being an employment opportunity, the jobs will also be a break from stereo-type jobs. Most men think that women can only do pickle-making and tailoring jobs,“ Chowdhury said.
According to the minister, the home ministry would be approaching non governmental organizations to train women for the work in security and police forces.

Iranian police cadets conducting a maneuver in their graduation ceremony in Tehran.

As she marched into the hallowed chambers of the House of Representatives in measured steps, the House and the gallery erupted in the making of history. Looking radiant and confident, she beamed that infectious smile that told the whole story of her emergence as the sixth Speaker of the House of Representatives.
For Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, she was entering the history books as the first Nigerian woman ever to be elected a Speaker of the House of Representatives. And for the larger women folk, the feat merely confirmed that the country is on a path to progress and equality.
This is because there has been celebration among women groups and individuals, reported Allafrica.com.
Hon. Etteh, a third-term member of the House of Representatives was elected the Speaker of the 6th House of Representatives. Just as they claimed that the eight years of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime portrayed women as best managers of human resources and funds, the women offer candid advice to the lady of the moment.
Sarah Jubril, frontline female politician and a presidential aspirant of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) insists Etteh’s unanimous adoption by the House, must be appreciated beyond the Consideration of sex status.
“Women have become front runners in the scheme of things. We are no longer back-benchers and this is long overdue. But we must even see her (Etteh’s) coming beyond being a female. I have every confidence that she has what it takes to excel.
“Indeed, God is helping us and I congratulate the women, I congratulate Patricia Eteh and I congratulate her husband and her family for letting go of her to serve Nigeria. Like I said, I’m optimistic that she will do well.
For Moji Obasanjo, having a woman sit at the helm of affairs in the Lower House is one of the most beautiful things to happen to Nigerian women in recent times. “It means we (Nigerian women) are making progress and I congratulate the Speaker. The women are coming of age and we have started well.“
“I’m particularly glad that a woman is the Speaker of the House of Representatives and I believe God will guide her. I’m also hopeful she will make the Nigerian women proud. But she has to be careful especially with fair-weather friends who would come and surround her.“
This is a milestone for Nigerian women in Nigeria’s politics and I’m proud the women have come of age politically and therefore should not be pushed around anymore

Empowerment of women will never be complete without empowering those at household level, especially in rural communities, Vice President Joice Mujuru said, reported Allafrica.com.
She said there was need for women’s empowerment advocacy groups to move away from concentrating on improving the status of the professionals by going back to the basics.
“We are making a mistake. Charity begins at home. We must start the development path of empowering women by targeting the household level.
“Women need exposure. Others say ’if we expose women they will misbehave’. Who told you that I won’t misbehave under your roof?“ Cde Mujuru said. The Vice President was speaking at the launch of the Zimbabwe Women’s Empowerment Group.