Overweight women may never escape the painful stigma of obesity – even after they have shed the pounds, new research suggests.

The study by the University of Manchester's National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, one of very few to look at trends over time, shows the rate of suicide among psychiatric in-patients fell by between 29% and 31% between 1997 and 2008 with nearly 100 fewer deaths per year.

Scientists have discovered an Achilles heel within our cells that bacteria are able to exploit to cause and spread infection.

Obese women are more likely to be discriminated against when applying for jobs and receive lower starting salaries than their non-overweight colleagues.

Orangutans may be smarter than previously thought if a new study into the sophisticated way they build nests is any indication.