First we had mad cow disease, then bird flu and now swine flu. What is this, farmageddon? While of course it is a serious health concern for those affected, we thought a light-hearted opener might be just the tonic to counter the doom and gloom of swine flu stories that have, once again, dominated every news outlet known to man. Not even the medical and health related questions raised by the premature demise of the King of Pop have put a dent in the sheer volume of flu coverage.

How do you feel about the way in which swine flu has been reported? Here at Aurora Towers we firmly believe that the media plays a crucial role as a public information provider, but there is a clear line between education and stoking mass hysteria. We believe there has been an overload of reporting and as a silent protest we have decided not to talk about swine flu in this month's top 20, despite it taking pole position. We would, however, like to direct you to an interesting blog highlighting the differing public impact that the swine flu story has had here in the UK compared with our closest neighbour. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blog/around_the_world/article/12818/

If the Aurora top 20 has been forwarded to you by a friend or colleague and you would like to receive your own copy in future, please click here.

For the third month running you could be forgiven for thinking that there have been no other health stories as swine flu once again hogs the limelight. There has, however, been some moving and shaking although interestingly, just like last month, there are no new entries, only re-entries to keep the chart flowing. Does this mean that while swine flu continues to dominate headlines no new health topics can break in to the top 20?

Alcohol abuse/legislation has climbed to the highest spot beneath swine flu this month. Recent statistics state that deaths caused by excessive alcohol consumption have risen 40% in 10 years. Sadly, it has also been reported that one child under 12 needs emergency hospital treatment every 48 hours because of binge drinking. Experts blame access to cheap supermarket booze and tempting alcohol adverts for this terrible state of affairs. Could banning these adverts and imposing higher prices be the answer? And could this have helped the plight of 22 year old Gary Reinbach who began binge-drinking at 13 and died after being denied a life-saving liver transplant?

Alzheimer's disease is another of this month's high climbers, although in this instance the articles laud the benefits of alcohol. Apparently a couple of alcoholic drinks a day, say the occasional glass of whisky or wine before bedtime, could actually ward off Alzheimer's disease. What's more, the flavenoids found in chocolate also appear to help. Who says it's all bad news? Cheers to that!

Obesity is the highest re-entry in the top 20 with most stories focusing on how the proportion of obese Britons is dramatically increasing and the innovative ways in which the NHS is tempting these people to lose weight. Anyone for golf? One interesting angle, however, came courtesy of Professor Michael McMahon, an expert on keyhole surgery, who maintains that overweight celebrities are making dangerous weight gain appear normal. He says it is akin to the dangers of skinny media images and anorexia that are commonly talked about, and that the problem actually swings both ways.

And finally, it transpires that the secret to long life can be found on Easter Island. Apparently the soil on this Polynesian island contains a compound called rapamycin, which appears to stop damaging proteins from entering cells and has been found to extend the lifespan of mice by up to 38%. Now, where did I put my passport...

So, let's turn to the rev-counter to see what's been driving the health news in July:

In support of our silent protest, the rev counter does not include swine flu this month. That said, of the remaining health stories, no one topic, driver or institution led the news this month. Will swine flu still be in the top spot next month? Just what kind of story will it take to knock it off the podium? Place your bets…

Have you enjoyed reading this email? If so, why not forward it to a friend?

Aurora strives to apply quantitative, qualitative and emotional understanding of health issues to client communication programmes. Dove-tailing informed PR activity with the media's appetite enables us to assist clients with communicating their vision.

To find out more, contact Neil Crump or Claire Eldridge on +44 (0) 20 7424 7940.

The top 20 chart provides our interpretative snapshot of health stories in the national press and is based upon a quantitative process. Analysis based on news from the 26 June to 25 July 2009.

© Aurora 2009

Aurora Healthcare Communications Ltd Registered No. 5591618 England and Wales.
Registered office at 85-87 Bayham Street, London, NW1 0AG, UK