Daily roundup: parental mental health, obesity guidance, and child trafficking

Young people who have a parent with depression have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular problems, according to new research published by the British Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers from the University of Oxford assessed whether 85 young people aged 16-20 who had never suffered from depression themselves but had family history of depression had physiological markers indicating increased vulnerability to conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. They found that young people who had a parent with depression had increased blood pressure, increased arterial stiffness (meaning the arteries are less elastic) and lower insulin sensitivity (meaning larger amounts of insulin are needed to keep blood glucose levels stable) than a group of peers with no parental depression links.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued local authorities with guidance on tackling obesity to help them fulfil their new remit to promote public health in communities. Covering a wide range of areas including working with communities and local businesses, and encouraging and supporting physical activity and healthy eating, the briefing links to practical examples and makes a case for action. The aim is to help councillors and local authority staff find out which public health actions are most effective in improving the health of people in their area, while also providing the best value for money.
 
The Equality and Human Rights Commission will tell the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal today that a 14-year-old boy who was trafficked to the UK and forced into slave labour should not have been prosecuted. After being arrested in a cannabis factory, the boy was prosecuted and sentenced to 12 months in a young offender institution, despite showing all the signs of being trafficked. He was later released into local authority care but absconded after two weeks. The Commission will argue that local authorities have a duty to investigate trafficking allegations and that decisions to prosecute should not be made until after that.