‘Carb-loading’ is a myth. But how much carbohydrate do athletes really need?

For many years, sports nutrition was rooted in a simple metaphor: the body is an engine, glycogen (the body’s quick-release carbohydrate reserve) is its fuel, and fatigue occurs when the tank runs low. Under this logic, nutrition strategy seemed quite obvious: eat lots of carbohydrates, fill the tank, and if possible, keep topping it up […]

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Food insecurity is on the rise: a look at the world’s ‘hunger hotspots’

On November 12 2025, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) published a joint report that raises alarm bells about the state of global food security. Both agencies warn of a “shrinking window to prevent millions more people from facing acute food insecurity”. The report identifies sixteen regions around […]

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Obesity is now legally recognised as a chronic disease in Italy – a historic advance for public health in Europe

On October 9 2025, Italy took the unprecedented step of approving a law that recognises obesity as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease. The law came into effect on October 25. To date, no other European country has enacted a national law that recognises obesity with such breadth: as a chronic condition with specific guarantees […]

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