What started out as a tip off from Charlie Brooker’s Screen-wipe (on iplayer) has become, for me, a malignant, happy brain cancer. Presenting,  The Junior Christian Science Bible Lesson Show, and before you ask: the answer is no, David Lynch did not direct this although you are forgiven for making that assumption.

Merry Christmas,

God Bless America.

Woodcut by Joseph Crawhall, Newcastle wood engraver (1821–1896)

Forget the threat of skin cancer when it comes to persuading young women to reduce their trips to the tanning salon. According to US scientists, concentrating on the appearance-damaging effects of tanning — not the possibility of lethal melanoma — reduced the use of tanning booths by 35% in women who received advice.

Appearances — or wishful thinking — are deceiving parents when it comes to judging their child’s weight, a researcher in Australia has found. Forty three percent of parents believe their child is an ideal weight when they’re actually underweight, rising to 49% in overweight kids.

Which of those overweight youngsters make it to obesity could be down to their satisfaction with food. The brains of obese people respond less well to the feel-good dopamine released by eating food, say Texan scientists, leading them into a spiral of overeating to hit the dizzy heights their leaner counterparts reach with each morsel.