Bodybuilding Obsession Leading To 'Bigorexia'

By Gemma Morris, Sky News Presenter

A potentially dangerous obsession with bodybuilding is increasing among men, according to experts.

Muscle dysmorphia has been described as a reverse form of anorexia, with sufferers believing they are never muscular enough.

Relatively little is known about the disorder, nicknamed 'bigorexia', as it was only formally recognised by doctors in 1997.

Dr Stuart Murray, a world expert on muscle dysmorphia, has estimated around 1% of the UK population has the illness or symptoms of it, but that could be just a fraction of the real picture because many sufferers are too ashamed to seek treatment.

"When we look at the literature over the last three decades we've seen the number of men dissatisfied with their body triple," he said.

"There's data suggesting men would be prepared to sacrifice years off their life for bigger biceps for instance which wasn't even heard of in the 70s or 80s, in the lay public at least."

Edouard 'Spyk' Gheur before and after his main artery exploded

Sufferers often adopt strict dietary regimes and would find it terrifying to miss a gym session.

Dr Murray said: "A gentleman I was working with had a broken wrist and he continued to train because the pain of potentially losing muscle far outweighed the pain of training with a broken wrist."

Edouard 'Spyk' Gheur, a former Hollywood stuntman, bodybuilder and model, used to consume 10,000 calories per day and spend six hours a day, six days a week in the gym.

But despite being 18 stone and abnormally muscular in the eyes of those around him, he still felt small.

He told Sky News: "I just never felt big enough. Every morning I'd wake up go to the bathroom and look in the mirror and I was thinking 'I need to be bigger'."

The number of men dissatisfied with their bodies has tripled

But his obsession came to a dramatic end when he suffered a heart attack after years of using steroids to help him achieve his impossible goal.

His main artery exploded, leaving him in a coma for six weeks.

Among the various theories behind the increase in cases of muscle dysmorphia is the suggestion that men are comparing themselves to the current Adonis-like movie stars.

The editor of Men's Fitness magazine, Nick Hutchings, said action heroes do appear to have changed shaped in recent years.

"We've gone from the likes of Bruce Willis to Jason Statham - the kind of gruff, very manly, but not particularly well-developed guy, to this kind of hyper-ripped star who looks capable of anything."

However, muscle dysmorphia experts are keen to stress that weight-lifting and visiting the gym are generally healthy activities.

Anyone worried that their exercise and eating habits are getting out of control can contact the Men Get Eating Disorders Too charity for help and advice.

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Birmingham 'Needle' Attacks: Suspect Hunted

Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man suspected of attacking women with a hypodermic needle in Birmingham city centre.

It comes after a 30-year-old was stabbed in the thigh. The victim felt a sharp pain, which was later confirmed as a puncture wound.

Police believe a hypodermic needle may have been used in each attack

The attack happened at around 3am on November 3 and was reported to police several days later.

Officers believe it may be linked to similar attacks on a 20-year-old on June 23 and a 28-year-old on October 6.

Detective Inspector Julie Woods said police had received five reports in total over the last year-and-a-half.

She said: "Although the women have not been left with any obvious physical injuries they have had to endure an agonising wait to check that they have not suffered any long-lasting health effects.

"Whilst we have been unable to confirm exactly how the injuries were caused, it is believed that a hypodermic needle may have been used on each occasion, with young women being specifically targeted.

"Due to the nature of the offences, victims have not realised they have been injured until hours or days later, which has resulted in limited lines of enquiry.

"But we now have a particularly clear image of a man we want to identify in connection with the attacks and I would appeal for him, or anyone who knows who he may be, to come forward.

"These are strange offences and the motive at this stage is unclear, which is why it's so important for us to identify the person in this CCTV image as soon as possible."

Police patrols have been stepped up in Broad Street and around the city centre.

Anyone who recognises the suspect can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Tesco Ice Creams Recalled After Tablets Found

Tesco has recalled boxes of its own brand four Chocolate and Nut ice cream cones after pain-relief tablets were found in two separate cones.

Customers were advised not to eat any of the ice creams with a best-before date up-to and including July 2014.

Tesco said it had not been confirmed if the product had been tampered with but police have been informed.

A spokesperson said: "As a precautionary measure, we have issued a product recall on a Tesco Chocolate and Nut Ice Cream Cone product after two individual cones were found to contain a tablet for pain relief.

"We are urgently investigating this incident with our supplier and ask customers to return this product to their local store."

A statement on the Food Standards Agency website said Tesco would display product recall notices in all its stores.

"These notices will alert consumers to the recall and advise them of the actions to take if they have purchased the product. No other Tesco products are known to be affected," it said.

The company said the recall was a precautionary measure and any customers who purchased the product should return it to store for a full refund or contact Tesco customer services on 0800 50 55 55.

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Patient Neglect To Be Made A Criminal Offence

Wilful neglect of patients will be made a criminal offence under NHS reforms being introduced in the wake of the Mid Staffs and other care scandals.

Prime Minister David Cameron said health workers who mistreated and abused patients would face "the full force of the law" in a package of measures to be unveiled next week.

The offence will be modelled on laws against the wilful neglect of adults under the Mental Capacity Act, punishable by fines or up to five years in prison.

The move was one of the central recommendations of a patient safety review commissioned by ministers in the wake of findings that there were up to 1,200 excess deaths at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It was led by Professor Don Berwick, a former adviser to US President Barack Obama, who said it was needed to target the worst cases of a "couldn't care less" attitude that led to "wilful or reckless neglect or mistreatment".

Mr Cameron said: "The NHS is full on brilliant doctors, nurses and other health workers who dedicate their lives to caring for our loved ones.

"But Mid-Staffordshire hospital showed that sometimes the standard of care is not good enough.

"Never again will we allow substandard care, cruelty or neglect to go unnoticed and unpunished.

"This offence will make clear that neglect is unacceptable and those who do so will feel the full force of the law."

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£11bn Olympics Benefit Target Met

A four-year target of raising £11bn worth of economic benefit from the London Olympics has been met in 12 months, the Government has said.

The country has benefited from new foreign investment, additional sales and firms winning contracts since last summer's events, according to a report.

The total includes £130m of contracts won by UK companies for next year's soccer World Cup in Brazil, and the next Olympic Games, in Rio in 2016

Trade and Investment Minister Lord Green said: "The delivery of London 2012 on time and on budget led to hosting nations turning to the UK to help deliver their own events with supply opportunities running into the billions.

"UK Trade & Investment has played a key role in helping British companies maximise these opportunities and the result is a £11.06bn boost to the UK economy from the Games, reaching our four-year target in just over a year."

Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Maria Miller said: "Last year's Games put the UK in the global spotlight and showed the rest of the world that this country is open for business.

"The economic legacy of last year's Olympic and Paralympic Games is sometimes neglected but these figures show that the financial investment made into London 2012 has already been recouped."

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Mum's Pain After Children 'Snatched By Dad'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A mother has told Sky News her husband abducted their children and took them to Libya because England is "too Western".

In an exclusive interview, Priscilla Micalleff, 30, from Birmingham, told how Jamal Dgham, 35, who she is separated from, took their daughter Aisha, four, and 21-month-old son Zakaria, abroad, after telling her they were going to the park.

She said: "He said England was too Western you know, because they are Muslims, we came here because there are lots of Muslims."

The couple left Ms Micalleff's home country of Malta for "better mosques and schools" in the UK.

But seven weeks ago, without warning, Mr Dgham unlawfully took the children to his home country of Libya.

It is thought they are living with the children's grandmother in the Bin Ashur area of Tripoli.

Ms Micalleff said her husband had sent her a text message warning her that she would not see her children again.

The text read: "From tomorrow u r not gona hear or c the kids anymore and u won't know where they r."

Ms Micalleff has managed to speak to Aisha on the phone.

She said: "Sometimes it's hard, they don't answer the phone they make it hard for me.

"When she comes on the phone she's always crying, she tells me 'Mummy I'm scared'."

In tears as she stands in her daughter's bedroom surrounded by her toys, she added: "You feel a very big pain in your heart that you can do nothing to get them back, all kids need their mum.

Ms Micalleff took her case to the High Court, which issued an order last month directing her husband to return the children.

Her solicitor Pam Sanghera said Mr Dgham had read the order, which was served by email, "but he says he is not going to return the children to UK".

Ms Sanghera, from The Family Firm Solicitors, said it was "inevitable" that the illegal movement of children will become more serious every year.

Latest figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office show that the number of children abducted by parents has almost doubled.

A total of 512 cases involving 84 different countries were reported to British authorities in 2011/2012 - up from 272 in 51 countries in 2003/2004.

Ms Sanghera said: "Libya is not a country which is signatory to The Hague Convention, so there's no automatic obligation on Libya to assist with the safe return of the children to the UK.

"The mother is going to have to initiate some sort of proceedings in Libya which may be obtaining a mirror order of the UK order that was made or another type of order which is similar in that it orders the father to return the children to the UK."

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Paula Newman: Mystery Of Death After BMW Fall

Police investigating a woman's suspicious death have appealed for information about a fall from a car she suffered the night before.

Officers were called to an address in New Addington, south London, on Tuesday morning after 20-year-old Paula Newman suffered a cardiac arrest.

She was taken to hospital, but later died.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said detectives were keen to trace anyone who saw an incident involving Ms Newman on Monday night.

"Enquiries have identified that she fell from a black BMW 325 the night before ... between the hours of 8.45pm and 11.30pm somewhere in New Addington," the statement read.

"Detectives believe there may have been someone else in the vehicle who witnessed the fall.

"Officers are also urgently seeking any witnesses who may have seen the events leading up to the man and woman getting into the black BMW car and driving away from Dunsfold Way, New Addington that evening."

Police added that a post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as head injuries.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with the investigation and has since been bailed to a date in mid-January 2014 pending further enquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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Elizabeth Kinston: Body Found In GP Search

A woman's body found in grassland is believed to be that of missing GP Elizabeth Kinston - in what police said was a "tragic conclusion" to their investigation.

The 37-year-old mother, who had been suffering from postnatal depression, was last seen on November 1 after leaving her home in Beeston, Nottinghamshire.

The body was discovered near Enterprise Way in the Dunkirk area of Nottingham on Thursday afternoon by officers searching for her.

A post-mortem examination has taken place but the results are expected to take several weeks.

Police released CCTV images in an attempt to trace her

The death is not being treated as suspicious at this time, a police spokesman said.

The discovery came after emotional appeals were made by Mrs Kinston's husband David and her sister Charlotte for her to return home.

Police also released CCTV images of Mrs Kinston's movements on the day she went missing in an attempt to trace the missing doctor.

The 37-year-old woman had been on maternity leave after her second child was born in January.

Police have said she was known to have been battling with postnatal depression since the birth.

Detective Inspector Kev Broadhead, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: "Formal identification has yet to be confirmed, but at this stage we do believe we have found Elizabeth.

The 37-year-old woman had been on maternity leave since January

"It's a tragic conclusion to the inquiry and one we were all desperately hoping we would not have to face.

"On behalf of the force and of Elizabeth's family I would like to thank the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who helped in the search for Elizabeth, whether by sharing appeals on social media, distributing posters or getting out on the streets to search.

"It's been an unprecedented response and something I know her family would like to give heartfelt thanks for.

"It has given them incredible strength through these difficult days.

"David's priority will be his two little girls and getting them through this. We are supporting them during this difficult time."

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Broadband Firms Join Forces For Online Safety

The Prime Minister has welcomed plans by the UK's largest broadband companies to join forces and help families stay safe online, by funding a new multimillion-pound campaign.

Sky, BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media are supporting the drive to raise awareness of how to tackle issues including cyber-bullying and limiting minors' access to adult content on the internet.

Aimed at parents, it will encourage and support them in talking to their children about how they can stay safe when surfing the net.

The nationwide campaign will inform people about whole-home and device-level parental controls, helping them make the right choices for their household.

The broadband companies said they were committed to ensuring this is a sustained effort by supporting it for a minimum of three years, and will be forming a new joint venture to lead the campaign.

The cost of next year's marketing and advertising alone will be in excess of £25m.

Research conducted for the campaign found that while more than four out of five (83%) parents have talked to their children about how to stay safe online, nearly as many again (81%) are unsure where to go to get good advice.

The campaign will guide parents to expert help and recommendations about how to stay safe on the web.

The Prime Minister has long supported family-friendly internet access

The four companies together supply broadband to around 90% of households in the UK.

Jeremy Darroch, the chief executive of BSkyB - the parent company of Sky News - said: "We are pleased to be supporting this industry-wide initiative to help families enjoy the best of the internet in a safe and secure environment.

"Protecting children from inappropriate content in the digital world is something Sky has led the way on.

"Sky Broadband Shield is now available to all of our five million broadband customers, offering family friendly filters that help parents choose which websites can be accessed in the home.

"This builds on the leadership position we have taken through our TV and public Wi-Fi platforms."

The announcement was welcomed by David Cameron, who is due to host a meeting with industry representatives in Downing Street on Monday.

No 10 said that Sky and TalkTalk were now installing "family friendly" internet filters that will be automatically switched on for all new broadband account holders, with Virgin and BT set to follow in the next two months.

The main internet service providers have said homes with an existing internet connection will be required to choose whether to switch on a filter by the end of next year.

Mr Cameron said: "In the weeks and months ahead, millions of hardworking families will only need one click to protect their whole home and to keep their children safe.

"As a dad, it is very simple: I want to know my children are protected when they go on to the internet.

Mr Cameron added: "We all need to work together, both to prevent children from accessing pornography and educate them about keeping safe online, and I will continue to ensure this happens."

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Body Found In Well: Seven Held In Murder Probe

Seven men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in a well 7ft below ground in several feet of water.

Police were called to the scene - in the front garden of a large house in Warlingham, Surrey - on Friday afternoon.

The body of the white adult was discovered by two gardeners who were doing clearing work at the property, which is in an acre of grounds in an affluent area.

It has now been removed from the well by specialist officers.

Earlier, detective Chief Inspector Cliff Lyons said: "The body presents a number of logistical challenges.

"The well is 2ft in diameter, it is 7ft deep to the water line, and the water is approximately 4ft deep.

"We need a police marine diving team, with breathing apparatus, and we need to recover the body intact to preserve forensic evidence.

Officers from the Underwater and Confined Space Search Team

DCI Lyons told Sky News: "It is clear to me the body has been placed in the well as opposed to falling in the well and therefore it is a murder investigation."

He added: "It is not possible to ascertain with accuracy the gender of the body but, judging by the size, it is most likely to be an adult, not a child. The person is white.

"It's not been there for an extended period of time, it will be a matter of weeks at the most."

He appealed for anyone who had concerns about a person who has gone missing, especially if they had connections to that area, to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to call police on 020 8721 4961 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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