Living a healthier lifestyle than the one you’re currently leading takes commitment, but it doesn’t have to begin with dramatic changes. In the UK, around 60% of adults report struggling to maintain healthy habits, according to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), and nearly one in three say they feel overwhelmed by the idea of “starting over” with their wellbeing. The good news is that long‑term health improvements rarely come from grand gestures. Research from the British Journal of Health Psychology shows that small, repeatable micro‑habits — such as drinking more water, walking daily, or setting boundaries — are far more likely to stick and lead to meaningful change over time.

Prioritise Your Health

Your good health is the backbone of a great life. When you are sick or just feel out of sorts, you are not living your best life. Illness takes centre stage, and everything else falls to the wayside. Luckily, you can take control of your health by being proactive. Schedule a private health screening to catch up on your annual wellness check and screenings. Take this opportunity to discuss any concerns that have arisen since your last healthcare appointment and ask any questions you may have. Living well involves being well, and the best way to be well is to get a health screening. Ask your provider for more information regarding how to achieve your health goals. They are the perfect place to start.

Create and Enforce Healthy Boundaries

Boundaries sound like an efficient and effective idea. A boundary keeps some things in and other things out. And yet, the concept is so much easier to ruminate on than actually taking action on. In life, you will notice that some people push your boundaries. They want more of your time and more of you. They want access to you at all times and expect you to pick up their slack. This could play out at work, in your family of origin, in your friend group, or in your own home. Think about how you feel after interacting with people who cross the line or take advantage of you. Start small and have a conversation. Use “I statements” and explain how you feel when they do certain things. State that you will no longer be available or accept certain behaviours. Remember that no is a complete sentence, and your mental health is important.

Adopt a Growth Mindset

It is not enough to want to live a healthier lifestyle; you need to want to embrace the steps and do the work to get there. If you falter in your health goals, giving yourself grace is so important. Everyone missteps from time to time. Sometimes, it keeps happening. What matters is that you pick yourself up, refocus your intentions, and perhaps try a different approach to do the work to become a healthier version of yourself. Learning from your mistakes is part of the process. Giving up is not. Growing your mind is part of becoming healthy.

Build Consistency Through Micro‑Habits

Small habits compound over time, and consistency matters more than intensity. Studies from University College London suggest it takes an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic — not perfect, not effortless, but familiar enough to stick. This is why micro‑habits are so powerful: they bypass the pressure of perfection and focus instead on repetition.

Start with actions that take less than two minutes: stretching when you wake up, drinking a glass of water before coffee, writing down one intention for the day, or stepping outside for fresh air between tasks. These tiny shifts help regulate stress, improve mood, and build momentum. Over time, they create a foundation that makes bigger lifestyle changes feel achievable rather than intimidating.

Embracing a healthier lifestyle is an ongoing process, not a single decision. Prioritise your physical and mental health, set boundaries that protect your energy, and allow yourself to learn and adapt along the way. Small, consistent actions — from daily movement to regular health screenings — create a cumulative impact that supports long‑term wellbeing. When you choose to adopt a growth mindset, you’re choosing to invest in yourself every day, building a life that feels balanced, intentional, and genuinely healthy.

Britain’s leading plastic surgeons are calling for an immediate ban on synthetic dermal fillers being injected into breasts, warning the procedure carries “unacceptable” risks including infection, disfigurement and the potential masking of breast cancer.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) says there is “no justification whatsoever” for injecting fillers into breast tissue, describing the trend as high risk with little proven benefit. The call is backed by the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) and patient safety group Save Face.

Cancer Detection Concerns

Surgeons warn fillers can cause inflammation, infection and hard scar tissue (granulomas), potentially making early breast cancer harder to detect on scans.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 7 women in the UK — more than 44,000 annually. BAAPS says any procedure that could obscure early warning signs is “simply indefensible.”

Macrolane, a breast filler product, was withdrawn in 2012 over safety concerns. However, surgeons say similar substances are still being injected, often with limited regulation.

Serious Complications leading to Operations

Reported risks include severe mastitis, abscesses requiring surgery, hard or misshapen lumps, filler migration, chronic pain and interference with breastfeeding. Some women have needed major operations to remove the material.

BAAPS President Nora Nugent stressed that the breast is “a gland with biological function, not just cosmetic tissue,” warning infections may cause lasting damage.

Weak Regulation for Fillers

Often marketed as quick “lunchtime” procedures, fillers are promoted as a non-surgical fix for volume loss or sagging. But BAAPS says results are modest and can appear unnatural over time.

Surgeons are also concerned that fillers can be administered by individuals without surgical training and with no consistent standards for clinics or managing complications.

BAAPS, alongside BAPRAS, the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, has called for tighter controls on high-risk filler procedures, but breast fillers remain largely unrestricted.

Safer alternatives — including fat transfer, implants and breast lift surgery — exist when performed by trained plastic surgeons and offer stronger safety profiles.

“In the presence of safer alternatives, there is simply no place for this practice in the UK,” said BAAPS spokesperson Elaine Sassoon. “We are calling for a ban.”

Plans for a £1 billion expansion of the London Cancer Hub, led by Aviva Capital Partners and development manager Socius, have received consent from Sutton Council. The approved scheme will deliver around 1 million sq ft of state-of-the-art laboratory and research space, unlocking the next phase of growth at the London Cancer Hub and strengthening the UK’s science and innovation infrastructure.

Planning approval was granted on World Cancer Day (4 February), underlining the urgency of advancing cancer research and treatment. The development will play a vital role in helping the UK tackle future health challenges by providing critical science infrastructure that supports innovation, attracts investment, and accelerates life-saving discoveries.

The approved plans will deliver new laboratory and research space across 12 acres, strengthening the London Cancer Hub’s wider innovation facilities and supporting collaboration between researchers, clinicians, start-ups, scale-ups and global life sciences companies to drive scientific breakthroughs and support emerging businesses.

It is expected to create 3,000 new jobs, the majority in high-skilled R&D and life sciences-related manufacturing. The expansion forms part of the wider London Cancer Hub district and, once the full district is realised, is expected to support around 13,000 jobs in total and contribute an estimated £1.2 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy, according to analysis by the London Borough of Sutton.

“This development will deliver critical science infrastructure for the UK, helping the UK get ready for the future by creating an environment where innovation can flourish and lifesaving research can accelerate. We are proud to play a role in shaping a campus that will have a profound impact on global health, as well as the economy,” says Sophie White, Sector Head Regeneration at Aviva Capital Partners. 

Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), said: “We warmly welcome the approval of these ambitious new plans for The London Cancer Hub, a project the ICR has long championed. Their delivery will create a vibrant, globally competitive life-sciences facility at our Sutton campus, attracting innovative companies and deepening collaboration between academia, industry and the NHS. This environment will further strengthen our world-leading research and help us attract the very best scientists and students from around the world.”

The project, designed by Gensler, won the New London Architecture Award 2025 for Healthcare and Life Sciences, recognised for its transformative mixed-use masterplan blending world-class research, labs and community spaces.