The art of before-and-after pictures. 3 March 2015Last updated at 03:44 ET Magazine Monitor A collection of cultural artefacts Before-and-after adverts, showing pictures of people who have lost weight or become fitter, feature in thousands of magazines. But how reliable are they, asks Justin Parkinson. Wow, what a transformation. So how long did it take for the man and woman on the left to turn into those on the right? Just under two hours. They volunteered for photos taken as part of BBC Wales's Week In Week Out's investigation into sports supplements. How to create the "Before and After" effect "I was amazed when I first saw the difference," says Joe, the male volunteer, who also had his chest shaved for the shoot. Physical self-improvement is a long-established business. These days, thousands of nutritional supplements are sold with the stated aim of helping people develop their bodies. The basic formula remains the same.
Could there even be an upside to before-and-after adverts? Young people lack workplace skills, firms say in survey. 1 October 2014Last updated at 21:32 ET Young people lack workplace skills such as communication and team working, a study among employers has suggested. The British Chambers of Commerce survey of 3,000 firms found nine out of 10 thought school leavers were not ready for employment, and more than half said it was the same with graduates. The chambers called for universal work experience in all secondary schools. The Department for Education said it was looking at more ways to help schools and businesses co-operate. Three-quarters of the companies surveyed put the situation down to a lack of work experience, and more than 50% said young people did not have even basic skills such as communication.
However, half said they did not offer work experience placements themselves. 'Employment outcomes' BCC director general John Longworth said many businesses took the view that hiring a young person was a "risky" move. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote 'Rewarding career' Limit TV to help fight obesity, says NICE.
Jacintha Saldanha inquest to examine death of hoax call nurse. 10 September 2014Last updated at 23:53 ET Jacintha Saldanha was described as an "outstanding" nurse The inquest into the death of a nurse found hanged after she took a hoax call at her hospital in London about the Duchess of Cambridge is due to begin. Jacintha Saldanha was found dead on 7 December 2012, three days after taking the call from two Australian radio DJs. Mrs Saldanha had put the call through to the ward where the pregnant duchess was staying and another nurse there revealed confidential medical details. The inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court is due to last one or two days. At a preliminary inquest hearing, a senior police officer said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The hearing was told there were injuries to Mrs Saldanha's wrist, and two notes were found among her possessions. Detailed update It is understood that nine witnesses will give evidence during the inquest. What are the key issues? By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent Read more from Peter Hunt on his blog. Car driven with bonnet up on A31 in Hampshire. 2 October 2013Last updated at 12:19 ET The AA said the motorist's actions highlighted "there are drivers out there outside the mould of normality" A man has been caught on camera driving a car with its bonnet up on a busy dual carriageway in Hampshire.
He was seen on a 50mph stretch of the A31 near Cadnam with a battery charger attached to the engine. The vehicle is currently up for sale for £24,000 at a Mercedes dealership in Winchester. Hampshire police and the dealership are investigating. A spokesman for the AA said: "It's mind-boggling and obviously very dangerous. " Sean Nevatte, divisional after-sales manager for Mercedes in Southampton, confirmed the car was on its books. He added: "We will carry out our own investigation to try and identify the driver so we can take our own action. "We will assist Hampshire Constabulary in any way we can. "It's certainly not something we would endorse. " The driver was filmed by BBC presenter Jon Cuthill who was a passenger in a passing car on Tuesday. PS3 game-playing dad Mark Sandland killed baby. 7 July 2014Last updated at 16:18 ET Mark Sandland (right) was initially charged with Aimee-Rose's murder after her death in November 2012 A father who had been playing on his PlayStation killed his five-week-old daughter after being frustrated by her screaming, a court heard.
Mark Sandland, 28, picked up Aimee-Rose and shook her during a sudden loss of temper, prosecutors said. Sandland, from Hastings, denied murder on the grounds of lack of intent. Last Monday, the prosecution confirmed it had accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter. Sandland claimed he had suffered an epileptic fit and came round to find his daughter underneath him at their flat in Church Road, St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex.
Lewes Crown Court heard police who attended the flat after Aimee-Rose was rushed to hospital on 5 November 2012 found a PlayStation game controller on the sofa opposite the TV. 'Panicked and anxious' He told one member of ambulance staff: "I'm epileptic. 'Arrogance' of ignoring need for sleep. 12 May 2014Last updated at 18:59 ET By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Society has become "supremely arrogant" in ignoring the importance of sleep, leading researchers have told the BBC's Day of the Body Clock. Scientists from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Manchester and Surrey universities warn cutting sleep is leading to "serious health problems".
They say people and governments need to take the problem seriously. Cancer, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, infections and obesity have all been linked to reduced sleep. The body clock drives huge changes in the human body. It alters alertness, mood, physical strength and even the risk of a heart attack in a daily rhythm. Continue reading the main story It stems from our evolutionary past when we were active in the day and resting at night. But scientists have warned that modern life and 24-hour society mean many people are now "living against" their body clocks with damaging consequences for health and wellbeing. Blue light.