February 18, 2015The Lancet Global failure to tackle obesity epidemic demands new ways of thinking, say leading experts. In less than a generation, experts say, rates of child obesity have risen dramatically worldwide. For example, in the USA children weigh on average 5kg more than they did 30 years ago, and one in three children is now overweight or obese. Although child obesity rates have started to level off in some cities and countries, no country to date has experienced declining rates of obesity across its population. Global progress towards tackling obesity has been "unacceptably slow," with only one in four countries implementing a policy on healthy eating up to 2010, according to a major new six-part Series on obesity, published in The Lancet. In less than a generation, rates of child obesity have risen dramatically worldwide. For example, in the USA children weigh on average 5kg more than they did 30 years ago, and one in three children is now overweight or obese. Although child obesity rates have started to level off in some cities and countries, no country to date has experienced declining rates of obesity across its population. New estimates produced for the Series suggest that US children are consuming an average of 200kcal per day more than they were in the 1970s, and that this is $400-worth of food per child per year, or $20bn a year for the US food industry. "Fat children are an investment in future sales," says Series co-author Dr Tim Lobstein, from the World Obesity Federation. In low- and middle-income countries, stunting still affects over a fifth of children under 5 years of age, but obesity is rapidly rising, creating a double nutritional burden that can affect the same population and the same individual -- for example poorly-nourished infants who do not develop their full height but do gain more than their full weight. This highlights the importance of ensuring a supply of food that encourages healthy growth, and that is not jeopardised by the aggressive marketing of cheap, less nutritious products by multinational food companies, say the Series authors. "Undernutrition and overnutrition actually have many common drivers and solutions, so we now need to see an integrated nutrition policy that tackles both these issues together," adds Dr Lobstein. The food industry has a special interest in targeting children. Repeated exposure to highly processed foods and sweetened drinks during infancy builds taste preferences, brand loyalty, and high profits. This year the global market for processed infant foods is expected to be worth a staggering $19 billion, up from $13.7 billion in 2007. Yet, few countries have taken regulatory steps to protect children from the negative health effects of obesity or implemented widely-recommended healthy food policies. Most have relied solely on voluntary moves by the food industry, with no evidence of their effectiveness. "Our understanding of obesity must be completely reframed if we are to halt and reverse the global obesity epidemic. On one hand, we need to acknowledge that individuals bear some responsibility for their health, and on the other hand recognise that today's food environments exploit people's biological (eg, innate preference for sweetened foods), psychological (eg, marketing techniques), and social and economic (eg, convenience and cost) vulnerabilities, making it easier for them to eat unhealthy foods," explains Dr Christina Roberto, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA. "It's time to realise that this vicious cycle of supply and demand for unhealthy foods can be broken with 'smart food policies' by governments alongside joint efforts from industry and civil society to create healthier food systems." The Series authors call for food policies that change the nature of the food and consumer environment including the availability, price, and nutrition standards of food products, and the marketing practices that influence food choices and preferences. Examples include: tighter supervision and international regulation of the food supply; an international code of food marketing to protect children's health; regulating food nutritional quality in schools along with programmes to encourage healthy food preferences; taxes on unhealthy products such as sweetened drinks and subsidies on healthier foods for low-income families such as vouchers for fruit and vegetable boxes; and mandatory food labelling as an incentive for industry to produce more nutritional products. However, the responsibility for reducing the prevalence of obesity goes far beyond governments, say the Series authors. They make a number of hard-hitting recommendations for public health professionals and society, including the proposal that civil action is key to combating obesity. The authors point out that it was pressure from the public that saw smoking banned in public indoor places in the UK, and access to health care granted to all people living with HIV/AIDs in South Africa. Finally, say the authors, health professionals are poorly prepared to treat obesity. More must be done to improve health-care training, particularly to address biases about patients with obesity, and to improve care-delivery strategies, specifically for children with obesity for whom there are currently few treatment options. According to Series lead Professor Boyd Swinburn from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, "The key to meeting WHO's target to achieve no further increase in obesity rates by 2025 will be strengthening accountability systems to support government leadership, constraining the role of the food industry in the formation of public policy, and encouraging civil society to create a demand for healthy food environments." The Series is published ahead of presentation at the Healthy Eating Research 9th Annual Grantee Meeting in Baltimore, USA, on Thursday 19 February. The Series can be found online at: http://www.thelancet.com/series/obesity-2015 Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by The Lancet. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
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quarta-feira, 18 de fevereiro de 2015
Obesity series exposes 'unacceptably slow' progress in tackling soaring global obesity rates over last decade
Willpower: The Key to Success?
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If only you could control yourself. If you had more willpower, you could finally lose those last 10 pounds. If you had more self-control, you could finally stop procrastinating, save for retirement, stick to an exercise routine, and avoid various vices such as alcohol and cigarettes. That's a lot riding on mere force of will. As the American Psychological Association notes, people allover the world tend to place a lot of stock in the power of willpower. According to their annual Stress in America Survey, people identified a lack of willpower as the number one factor holding them back from achieving their goals. Change can be difficult and a large portion of people believe that one of the biggest obstacles preventing them from making a change is this seemingly elusive power of will. However, some of the most popular theories of behavior change suggest that willpower alone is not always enough to make a real and lasting change. According to the Stages of Change model, it is important to first recognize that there is a need to change, identify possible barriers to change, come up with a plan of action, monitor progress, maintain and manage the change, and cope with any possible relapses. Willpower plays a role, certainly, but it is not the only factor that impacts success. While many of us struggle with willpower and self-control, most people also seem to believe that this is a skill that can be learned and strengthened. Fortunately, researchers have also come to similar conclusions and suggest that there are a number of things that you can do to improve your self-control. Continue reading to learn more about what will power is, why it's so important, and what you can do to develop this ability. Photo Credit: Cultura/Edwin Jimenez / Riser / Getty Images source : www.about.com |
This Man Taught A Lion To Hunt And Their Friendship Will Inspire You
As children, we go to the zoo and imagine what it would be like to have the various wild animals as pets. One animal in particular that always amazed me was the lion. What would it be like to cuddle with a lion?Valentin Gruener has become famous for just that. Hes known for his loving relationship with a young lioness. While their friendship has become a media spectacle, their bond has remained strong over the years. The relationship is unlike any weve seen before, truly transcending all the boundaries that weve known between humans and animals. Because Sirga was abandoned by her pride in Botswana, she never got the chance to learn to hunt from fellow lions. Gruener has spent countless hours lying low in wild brush and leaping into water to demonstrate how its done.
Here, they patiently wait for the perfect time to pounce.
“The day she brought down her first antelope was the most amazing day of my life, because I realized that she would one day be able to look after herself in the wild,” noted Gruener. She did it! The young lioness caught a toad and boastfully carried it around in her mouth.
With all that hunting out of the way, theres plenty of time for some horsing around, too!
The story of the incredible relationship is being captured on film in a documentary.
Gruener watches on protectively as a veterinarian administers care to Sirga.
The pair is truly a sight to see together. They share an incredibly special bond that most people wouldnt believe was possible.
When they play together its like Sirga is just an oversized house cat.
But Gruener has done much more than have fun with her. Because of him, Sirga will someday be able to fend for herself in the wild – hunting her own food. Hopefully, shell eventually start a family of her own.
(via Daily Mail) Gruener is living his childhood dream to roam in the wild with lions. At the same time, hes freeing one from a life of captivity. Sirga, without a doubt, wont forget her human teacher and friend. Keep an eye out for the documentary series titled “Lionheart,” which is scheduled to be released later this year. Its sure to be an incredible story. |
High-end sustainable W.I.N.D. House can be controlled by smartphone
| W.I.N.D. House, by Dutch firm UNStudio (Photo: Fedde de Weert) Image Gallery (17 images) We've reported on a number of homes that can be controlled from inside or afar by smartphone, including the El Refugio Inteligente and Schoolmasters houses. The recently-completed W.I.N.D. House, by Dutch firm UNStudio, is another such example, and the high-end residence also sports sustainable technology that reduces its dependence on the grid. Initial work on the W.I.N.D. House began back in 2008, and the project was completed in 2014. The home features a usable floorspace of 406 sq m (4370 sq ft), and takes the basic shape of a flower petal, with fully glazed front and rear facades. The interior follows features a mostly open-plan layout. Private areas like bedrooms face the woods at the rear, while more public living areas offer views of the expansive landscape in front of the home. These rooms are designed to be flexible though, and a bedroom can be turned into an office or whatever else is required with relative ease. W.I.N.D. House sports a solar panel array on its roof. A UNStudio representative told Gizmag that the size of the roof prevented the firm from installing an array large enough to allow the home to operate fully off-grid, but that it helps reduce grid-based electricity requirements. Further energy-saving technology installed in the home includes a heat recovery ventilation system, an air source heat pump, and tinted glass which mitigates the effects of solar heat gain. The home's automation system is an open-source system that uses the KNX Protocol to manage the lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, solar panels, and security. Using this, the owners can fine-control their home from afar with an internet-connected smartphone or other device, thus enabling them to switch the lights on or ensure the heating's on high enough before they get home, for example, in addition to monitoring energy usage. Source: UNStudio
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