Anorexia nervosa is spreading frighteningly in Western countries. It's classified as deliberate weight loss and is a progressive “pursuit of lightness.” Looking at contexts where lightness is celebrated—in music, literature and the arts—one writer suggests anorexic behaviour is more than a pattern of psychiatric symptoms. Instead, he says, it should be thought of as a meaningful behaviour expressing ethical values deeply rooted in Western culture (Medical Humanities 2002;28:3-8).

Haemodialysis patients say they notice poor saliva production, which can be distressing. In an effort to identify the most important factors associated with stimulated salivary flow, 50 patients were allocated to either long duration dialysis or short duration dialysis and asked to chew paraffin wax. The researchers found no difference between the two groups in terms of the duration of their dialysis treatment, but salivary flow rates increased among those who smoked (Nephron 2002;91:210-14).

New techniques bring short term complications that should settle down with experience. The use of tension free vaginal tape to support the urethra is gaining favour as a method to reduce stress incontinence in women. The overall subjective success rate in …