Welcome to this edition of Expat News

Expatriate Healthcare update the news everyday on their website. Here's a round up of the top stories from last month...

Monthly round-up: February 2011

Expatriates have been tempted by destinations all around the world, according to a number of reports released in February.

People from all around the world are being tempted by an improving jobs market in Singapore, while Robin Wilson from Rightmove noted that British expatriates are showing a strong level of interest in Spain.

In terms of health news over the past month, we learnt that early treatment can be vital when tackling bowel cancer. As such, expatriates keen to receive the best levels of healthcare were advised to be more open with their doctors about sensitive issues.

Read on for a summary of the major headlines that may have been affecting you over the past month . . .

Spain 'attracting overseas buyers'

Expatriates are still being drawn to property in Spain, recent comments suggest. According to Robin Wilson, head of overseas at Rightmove, British expatriates in particular are fond of the country, which remains "the number one slot" for those looking to buy overseas property. He added: "Searches for Spain are up eight per cent year-on-year and it's still pulling in some 20 per cent of all the searches on Rightmove Overseas.".

For full story click here

IVF success 'not influenced by stress'

International health insurance customers could be glad to learn that emotional distress does not reduce the chances of falling pregnant through IVF. Research conducted by a team at Cardiff University found that levels of stress have no impact on the likelihood of a woman falling pregnant or not. The team looked at 14 previous studies, which assessed 3,582 women.

For full story click here

Job prospects improving in Singapore

People considering expatriate might want to consider Singapore if they are still of working age. According to Jyoti Narasimhan, spokeswoman from IHS Global Insight, the unemployment rate in Singapore will "continue to stabilise and will improve dramatically in the upcoming months in 2011". She added that the service sector has a "very good" prognosis in the near term.

For full story click here

Kuwait 'could be the new Dubai'

Expatriate health insurance could be needed by people keen to make a name for themselves in the Middle East. According to a recent article published by Shelter Offshore, Kuwait could soon have a host of opportunities available for expatriates. The country's secretary general of the Labor Unions, Abdulrahman Yousef, has said that he is keen to scrap the entire visa sponsorship scheme.

For full story click here

People feel 'safe' in Spain

Overseas health insurance customers could be among those who feel safe in Spain. According to a survey by sunshine.co.uk, the country was listed as the destination in which people felt safest. Carmen Hernandez Gomez, market analyst at the Spanish Tourism Office, said that people from the UK in particular tend to feel at home in Spain.

For full story click here

Expatriate workers 'should increase activity'

Expatriate healthcare customers might want to think about increasing their activity levels to improve their well-being. According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, around 25 per cent of employees regularly work all day without taking a break. This does not appear to be doing their bodies much good as 46 per cent reported that they were experiencing physical pains due to being in the same position for too long.

For full story click here

Early detection 'key to bowel cancer treatment'

Expatriate healthcare insurance customers might want to think about being more open with their doctors about sensitive issues. According to recent comments from Deborah Gilbert, head of development for Bowel & Cancer Research, bowel cancer is one of the easiest cancers to treat. However, people's reluctance to discuss the matter with their healthcare provider often means that treatment is left to late.

For full story click here

Healthy eating 'reduces cancer risk'

Not enough people are aware of all of the benefits of maintaining a healthy diet. This is according to recent comments from Teresa Nightingale, general manager of the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). Expatriates might want to look into improving their diet as Ms Nightingale remarked that eating well can lower the risk of developing cancer.

For full story click here

RA pain 'can be managed with diet'

Expatriate healthcare insurance customers suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might want to look into their diet if they are struggling to sleep. Alison Wyndham, director of the Wyndham Centre, has suggested that diet can play a role in pain management of RA, which in turn improves sleep quality. "There are certain foods that create inflammation in the body, such as sugar and processed food, so I would recommend cutting such foods out of their diet," she explained.

For full story click here

Obesity 'increases knee complications'

Overseas medical insurance customers might want to keep an eye on their weight as a side effect of obesity has been highlighted. Research presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons showed that obesity contributes to additional complication and pain from knee osteoarthritis. Indeed, even after losing weight, patients were shown to be struggling with knee problems, suggesting that the damage done could be permanent.

For full story click here