A new community-led initiative has been launched in the UK to provide culturally sensitive support for South Asian women navigating midlife and menopause.
The Sattva Collective, founded by certified Midlife and Menopause Coach Kiran Singh, officially launched on 14 May 2025 as a registered Community Interest Company (CIC). It is the first initiative in the UK focused specifically on the experiences of South Asian women during what Singh describes as a “deeply personal and often stigmatised” phase of life.
“South Asian women are navigating physical, emotional, and identity shifts in silence – often without the language, space, or support to talk about it,” Singh said. “The Sattva Collective is here to change that. We are reclaiming midlife as a powerful, transformative time – and doing it together.”
The name 'Sattva' is drawn from Sanskrit, referring to clarity, balance, and inner peace – values reflected in the collective’s approach.
The organisation will offer a range of services throughout the year, including:
Monthly community meet-ups in local cafés
Educational workshops on hormone health, mental well-being, and cultural stigma
An annual flagship Midlife Summit launching in January 2026
Public awareness campaigns and digital resources
One-to-one and group coaching sessions
Singh, who is of Indian heritage, aims to address the gaps in both mainstream and cultural conversations around menopause. According to her, many South Asian women face barriers to accessing support due to stigma, lack of awareness, and limited representation in public discourse.
The Sattva Collective is now preparing to roll out its 2025 programme and is actively seeking funding, sponsorship, and community partners to expand its reach and resources.
Describing midlife as “not a crisis, but a calling,” Singh hopes the initiative will empower more women to speak openly about their health and experiences, while building a supportive community.
Further details about upcoming events and resources will be made available through the collective’s official channels in the coming weeks.
Eli Lilly announced on Sunday that its weight-loss drug, Zepbound, outperformed Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in a head-to-head trial, showing superior results across five weight-loss targets, including waist circumference reduction.
This trial, the first of its kind comparing the two widely used obesity medications, offers Eli Lilly a competitive advantage as it aims to secure broader insurance coverage in the rapidly growing obesity drug market, which is projected to exceed $150 billion annually by the next decade.
The results revealed that Zepbound helped nearly 25% more participants achieve a weight loss of over 15% compared to Wegovy. In addition, Zepbound demonstrated a more significant reduction in waist circumference, with an average decrease of 18.4 cm. In comparison, Wegovy participants saw an average reduction of 13 cm.
Novo Nordisk, in a statement sent via email on Monday, pointed out that the weight loss achieved by Wegovy in this trial was lower than what was observed in a 2021 trial with a similar dose. However, the company emphasised that Wegovy is the only GLP-1 agonist medicine approved to prevent major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, a critical benefit for patients with obesity. Novo also mentioned that a trial with a higher dose of semaglutide, Wegovy's active ingredient, conducted earlier this year, showed greater weight-loss results.
Lilly had previously reported in December that its obesity drug had already surpassed Wegovy, with patients treated with Zepbound losing 47% more weight than those who received Wegovy. These findings were also shared in a press release and presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
The timing of the trial results coincides with a recent decision by CVS Health to exclude Zepbound from some of its reimbursement lists, preferring Wegovy instead. This move highlights the ongoing competition between the two pharmaceutical giants in the obesity treatment space.
Zepbound mimics two gut hormones to support weight loss, while Wegovy relies on a single mode of action. In separate trials, Lilly's Zepbound helped patients lose more than 22% of their body weight after 72 weeks, while Wegovy led to a 15% reduction in weight after 68 weeks.
The growing competition in the weight-loss drug market is also impacted by another Eli Lilly medication, Mounjaro, which has shown positive results for diabetes and weight loss. With these advancements, Eli Lilly is positioning itself as a major player in the obesity treatment landscape.
These results reflect the growing rivalry in the weight-loss drug market and may influence future decisions on treatment options for obesity patients.
The global nursing workforce has grown by nearly two million over the past five years, yet major disparities in distribution continue to impede progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) and global health goals, according to the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report released on 12 May by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Council of Nurses (ICN), and partners.
As of 2023, there are 29.8 million nurses worldwide, up from 27.9 million in 2018. The report also notes a decline in the global nursing shortage, from 6.2 million in 2020 to 5.8 million in 2023. However, the report cautions that the improvements are not evenly shared across regions and income levels, leaving many low- and middle-income countries struggling with persistent shortfalls.
A striking imbalance in nurse distribution persists: 78 per cent of the world’s nurses are based in countries that account for just 49 per cent of the global population. High-income nations host nearly half the global nursing workforce, despite representing only 17 per cent of the world’s population. This concentration has raised concerns that many countries are being left behind, particularly in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, where shortages are expected to remain critical.
The WHO forecasts a continued reduction in the global nursing shortage, projecting a shortfall of 4.1 million by 2030. However, almost 70 per cent of this gap is expected to be concentrated in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, which could seriously undermine healthcare delivery and preparedness for future health emergencies.
Low-income countries are seeing faster growth in nurse graduate numbers, yet many face challenges in translating this into increased nurse availability. Factors such as rapid population growth, limited job creation, and restricted resources mean these countries are unable to retain and integrate newly qualified nurses into the workforce. The report urges governments to prioritise domestic investment in health systems to ensure graduate absorption and improve employment conditions.
Meanwhile, high-income countries are experiencing a demographic shift in their nursing workforce. Around 19 per cent of nurses globally are expected to retire within the next decade. In some high-income nations, retirements are likely to exceed new entrants, raising the risk of workforce gaps and reduced mentoring capacity for younger nurses.
International migration continues to play a key role in shaping nursing workforces. Globally, one in seven nurses is foreign-born, with high-income countries depending on international recruitment for nearly a quarter of their workforce. By contrast, foreign-born nurses make up only 1–8 per cent of the workforce in lower-income countries. The report calls for stronger bilateral agreements to ensure ethical recruitment and mutual benefits for both source and destination countries.
Gender equity remains a central concern. Women comprise 85 per cent of the global nursing workforce, yet opportunities for advancement and leadership remain limited in many settings. While 82 per cent of countries report having a senior government nursing officer, only 25 per cent of low-income countries offer structured leadership development programmes for nurses.
The report also highlights progress in recognising advanced nursing roles, with 62 per cent of countries now reporting the existence of such positions, up from 53 per cent in 2020. Advanced practice nurses have been shown to enhance access to care, particularly in underserved areas.
Mental health and wellbeing support for nurses remains inadequate. Despite increased workloads and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, only 42 per cent of countries surveyed have formal provisions for mental health support. The lack of such measures is seen as a barrier to retaining experienced staff and ensuring quality care.
The State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report sets out key policy recommendations for the 2026–2030 period. These include expanding and equitably distributing nursing jobs, aligning education systems with workforce needs, improving pay and working conditions, and strengthening regulation and leadership. Additional priorities focus on preparing nurses for digital healthcare delivery, addressing gender pay gaps, and supporting those working in conflict zones and climate-affected areas.
Pam Cipriano, President of the ICN, said the report served as an “important milestone” in tracking global efforts to strengthen nursing. “Delivering on UHC depends on recognising the true value of nurses and empowering them to lead health system improvements,” she said.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the progress but warned that deep inequalities persist. “This report is a guide to where we are and what we must do next,” he said. “Countries must act quickly to close the gaps and support the nursing workforce.”
The report draws on data from 194 countries and is part of WHO’s efforts to monitor and strengthen the global health workforce as part of the push to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
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Munchetty has become an advocate against medical misogyny
BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has spoken out about the severe pain she experienced during the fitting and removal of an intrauterine device (IUD), revealing she passed out twice during the procedure. She has called for greater transparency around the potential discomfort associated with the contraceptive and criticised what she describes as a culture of “medical misogyny”.
Speaking on the Life of Bryony podcast, Munchetty, 50, said she wanted more women to be fully informed about the realities of the procedure. She urged medical professionals to be honest about the potential for pain and to offer pain relief options, including anaesthetic, more readily.
An IUD, commonly referred to as a coil, is a small T-shaped device inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It comes in two main types: hormonal and copper. Both versions are considered highly effective, with success rates of over 99%, and can remain in place for between five and ten years.
However, the fitting process can be painful for some women, with experiences ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain. “I passed out twice on the bed because of the pain,” Munchetty said. “I passed out when it was taken out as well.”
She believes that because IUDs are so effective and beneficial, the medical profession tends to downplay the risks and discomforts involved. “They almost hide all the issues that can happen,” she said, comparing it to how girls are often told misleading information about periods, such as blood loss being “only a couple of teaspoons”.
“That’s not helping anyone,” she added. “It sets you up for a life of fear, thinking you’re abnormal in some way. That makes people less comfortable talking about it. Just tell us – we’re not idiots.”
Munchetty also highlighted cost as a factor in the decision not to offer anaesthetic for procedures like IUD fittings. She advised women to speak up and ask for pain relief when undergoing such procedures.
“Tell them to explain exactly the procedure you want done and remember your past experiences. If you ask for pain relief, it’s not a bad thing,” she said. “You are doing such a good thing for your own body and health in getting something like a smear test or an IUD.”
The broadcaster has been increasingly vocal about women’s health issues since publicly revealing her diagnosis of adenomyosis in 2023. The condition, which causes the lining of the womb to grow into the muscular wall of the uterus, can result in heavy, painful periods.
Munchetty has since become an advocate against medical misogyny – a term used to describe systemic gender bias in healthcare. This includes limited funding for female-specific conditions, delayed diagnoses, and the dismissal of women’s pain or symptoms.
She recently published a book titled It’s Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women’s Health Crisis, which explores the challenges women face when seeking care and calls for reforms in the treatment of female patients.
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Soy allergy is more prevalent in infants and young children
A major recall of canned beans has been issued across 23 US states due to the presence of an undeclared allergen that could pose a potentially life-threatening risk to some consumers.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on 2 May that Vietti Food Group, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is recalling 4,515 cases of Yellowstone Brown Sugar Molasses Baked Beans after discovering that the product contains undeclared soy.
According to the FDA, individuals with a soy allergy or severe sensitivity could face serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume the affected canned beans. The product recall applies to 15-ounce tins bearing a best-before date of 17 February 2028.
The impacted cans were sold before the recall at major retailers including Walmart, Associated Wholesale Grocers, K-VA-T Food Stores, Hy-Vee, and Meijer. The recall spans the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Soy is one of the nine major food allergens, which also include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame. While it is widely consumed, soy can cause reactions ranging from mild digestive issues to severe allergic responses, including skin irritation, breathing difficulties, and in some cases, anaphylaxis.
Food Allergy Research and Education notes that soy allergy is more prevalent in infants and young children, with an estimated 0.4% of infants in the US affected. Experts also warn that children allergic to cow’s milk may react adversely to soy-based alternatives.
To date, the FDA has confirmed that no illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported in connection with the recalled canned beans. Consumers who have purchased the affected product are being advised to return it to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.
This recall follows a similar case in March, when nearly 200,000 cans of Good & Gather Cut Green Beans were recalled due to concerns over possible foreign object contamination.
WW, formerly WeightWatchers, has filed for bankruptcy in the United States as it faces mounting debt and major shifts in the health and wellness sector, particularly due to the rising popularity of Ozempic.
The company has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, allowing it to restructure around $1.15 billion (£860 million) in debt while continuing day-to-day operations. WW stressed there would be no disruption to its services, with workshops, digital tools, and telehealth support remaining fully accessible to members.
The filing is aimed at stabilising the business during what WW describes as a period of significant change. In recent years, medications like Ozempic, originally developed for diabetes, have gained mainstream attention for their weight-related benefits. This has disrupted traditional weight management methods and challenged companies like WW to adapt quickly.
“WW is navigating a rapidly evolving health landscape,” said Chief Executive Tara Comonte. “We are entering this process with the strong support of our lenders and a clear plan for long-term growth.”
WW said much of its debt had built up over decades and that bankruptcy protection would allow it to reduce financial pressure while investing in future strategies. The firm stated that the reorganisation process is expected to conclude in around 40 days, after which it aims to emerge as a publicly traded company.
While the brand continues to offer its established programmes, it has also begun integrating access to prescription medications like Ozempic through its clinical services. Despite this, the broader business has seen a downturn in revenue.
In 2024, WW posted a net loss of $346 million (£260 million). Subscription revenues dropped by 5.6% compared with the previous year, and in the first quarter of 2025, they were down 9.3%. However, revenue in its clinical segment — which includes services related to medications such as Ozempic — rose by over 57%, reflecting shifting consumer interest.
WW clarified that the bankruptcy filing is a financial restructuring, not a closure. Customers may receive legal notifications as part of the process, though no action is expected from them.
Founded in the early 1960s, WW began as a support group for weight management and grew into a global name with millions of members. In 2018, the company rebranded from WeightWatchers to WW, signalling a move towards a broader focus on health and wellbeing.
Now, facing growing demand for pharmaceutical solutions to weight issues, the company is rethinking its role in the market. While embracing new tools like Ozempic within its offerings, WW continues to position itself as a provider of long-term support for healthy living.
“We’re here to stay,” the company said in a statement, affirming its commitment to members as it works through financial restructuring.