Eight o’clock Friday night and you are having a Big Mac attack. Would you change your mind about a trip to the local drive-thru if you knew that sandwich had 540 calories, 260 of those from fat? Maybe more than you want to think about on a Friday evening, and something you may not take the effort to find out, since the information isn’t on the wrapper.

Legislation being discussed as part of health reform could make knowing what you are eating easier to determine. Presently the information is available online or if requested at fast food and chain restaurants. Some of the establishments list the nutrition in a clear and concise chart. For instance, finding the calories online on the Big Mac was no problem; it’s also easy to find that KFC’s 3-piece chicken strip item is 380 calories, 200 of those from fat. Red Lobster’s online information is a little less clear: the Ultimate Feast®, is 638 calories, but the fat is shown in grams at 4.18, requiring that the diner also know how many grams of fat are allowed in their daily calorie count for the information to be useful.

Why does all of this matter if that is what you want to eat? U.S. chain restaurants and fast food chains have been criticized for contributing to the country’s obesity epidemic. Food items that you purchase at the grocery store, and even snack items on almost all retail shelves have labels that provide nutritional information. At present, nutritional information on both fast food chains and large nationwide dining chains must be sought out by the consumer. Most of us are not going to set up our laptop to check out nutritional information before we order that Awesome Blossom® at Chili’s (2710 calories, 1827 from fat) but maybe we should.

The law requiring menu labeling could be in health reform legislation which is expected to be addressed by Congress in the next few weeks. States and some cities already have laws requiring menu labeling to help promote health and nutrition, but most would rather see federal legislation to make the rules uniform. This legislation is not just about “big brother” looking over shoulders at the dinner table, but trying to provide information for fighting obesity, which can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—all extremely expensive diseases in terms of health care costs.

“America is facing an obesity epidemic, which must be addressed at the national level,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who along with Democratic Senators Tom Harkin and Tom Carper, have backed menu labeling legislation.

The legislation is also backed by the National Restaurant Association, whose members include the operators of Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains; The American Diabetes Association; and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Sue Hensley, a spokeswoman with the National Restaurant Association said, “To have all of those key players at this point as one unified front to move forward with a nutrition standard is, I think, really significant.”

Will this legislation, if passed, really help reduce obesity? Only if Americans use the information to their advantage and plan their calorie count around the food they are going to eat away from home.

Blurry vision and wrist pain are among the well-known health perils of computer use, but a study shows a rise in previously overlooked injuries due to computer equipment falling over.


Researchers found a 732-percent rise in "acute computer-related injuries" from 1994 through 2006, double the 309-percent increase in household computer ownership over the period, according to a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Young children are particularly at risk, it said.

Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database showed that over 78,000 such injuries, including large numbers of head injuries due to toppling computer monitors, were treated in US emergency rooms in the 13-year period.

Children under five had the highest injury rate, with the most common cause being tripping or falling, according to researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Older children under 10 and seniors over age 60 also had elevated injury rates.

More than nine in 10 injuries occurred in the home, the Journal reported.

"Future research on acute computer-related injuries is needed as this ubiquitous product becomes more intertwined in our everyday lives," Lara McKenzie of the hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy said in a statement.

Monitor-related injuries surged in the first years of the study, from 11.6 percent of cases in 1994 to a peak of 37.1 percent in 2003. By 2006 the figure had dropped to 25.1 percent, as heavier cathode ray tube monitors were steadily replaced with lighter and easier-to-lift liquid crystal display monitors.

Source-AFP
ARU

There has perhaps been more misinformation written about red meat than any other food. The reason for these myths are unclear but it seems that "meat" as a category often gets lumped together in scientific reviews irrespective of the fattiness of the meat, the origin of the meat (for example, grain fed versus pasture fed) or whether it's processed.

Red meat is a rich source of protein and an excellent source of iron, the mineral most commonly lacking in diets around the world. It also supplies vitamin B12 for a healthy nervous system and zinc for immune function; vitamin B6, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.

The good news for meat lovers is that red meat can play a valuable role in a healthy diet - just make sure the cuts are lean and trimmed of fat and the serving sizes are moderate.

Myth: Red meat is bad for your heart and cannot be included in heart healthy diets


Fact: It depends on the type of meat you choose. A review of 54 studies on red meat and heart disease found that lean red meat trimmed of visible fat does not raise total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol levels. Lean trimmed red meat is low in saturated fat and can be included in cholesterol lowering and heart healthy diets. A number of studies have shown cholesterol reductions when people include lean red meat in a low saturated fat diet. Avoid fried meats, fatty meats and meat which has fat marbled through it.

It is well recognized that plant protein (such as tofu) is associated with lower blood pressure. Recent studies have shown that animal protein in the form of lean red meat is also inversely related to lower blood pressure. A study comparing two groups of moderate hypertensive patients fed one group 250g per day of lean red meat in place of the carbohydrate-rich foods that the control group was receiving. Systolic blood pressures were lower in the group which was given meat. It is thought that certain amino acids, taurine and arginine, in the meat may have helped to lower blood pressure. The diet containing meat was also lower in sodium due to the low salt content of fresh meat.


Myth: Red meat only contains saturated fats

Fact: Fat content and type of fat in meat depends on the type of meat and the feeding protocol. However red meat provides saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Analysis on lean fat trimmed Australian red meat (which is pasture fed) has shown a ratio of saturated fatty acids (SFA) to monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of around 24:40:14. Part of the SFA is stearic acid which has been shown not to raise cholesterol levels.

La ciudad de Zaragoza que rara... Su aire(cierzo) fatal para la migraña que tengo, pero es mía. No toda la ciudad... Sólo unas partes entre unos minutiCOs son mios... Ya os voy a contar lo que es mio, para que cuidéis el espacio entre yo y mi mundo...
Depende del autobús que llega al centro, tengo 20 minutos con mi gente que miro a sus ojos cada día.. Sólo hay unas 30-50 personas que cambian pero todos ellos dicen: todos somos iguales, somos diferentes.
Esta gente son los que están en cola del registro. Unos para solicitar la nacionalidad Española están allí desde la 08.00 de la mañana, unos para registrar a sus bebes, otros sólo quieren ir un paso más allá en la vida: para casarse... Si llego un poco antes, la cola no es muy grande, sin embargo siempre con gente con los doc. en la mano, quieren que abran la puerta ya y por lo menos esperan dentro... Si sigo en el mismo trabajo, igual dentro de unos años voy a tener mi tercer padre favorito en la Calle Alfonso... ¿Quien sabe?

The government has lifted an over three month-long ban on farming and transportation of poultry products in Mechi Municipality in eastern Nepal, where the first case of bird flu was detected, local media reported on Monday.

According to myrepublica.com, a cabinet meeting on Friday took the decision after two surveillance teams comprising experts and technicians found no sign of the avian influenza within the radius of 10 km of the Mechi customs office -- the flashpoint of bird flu.

The first case of bird-flu was detected on January 16 in a small non-commercial poultry farm.

"The cabinet took the decision as per our proposal to ease the ban on farming and movement of poultry in the affected area as we didn't find any case of bird flu during a 90-day surveillance," Dr.Hari Dahal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MoAC) told myrepublica.com.

The Department of Livestock (DoL) had, a couple of weeks ago, recommended to the MoAC to lift the ban immediately after the completion of more than three months of surveillance in the affected area.

Prabhakar Pathak, DoL director general, said the recommendation was made after studying reports submitted by district-level and central-level surveillance teams.

The government had maintained strict restrictions on taming and transportation of fowls within a three km radius of the affected area and kept close watch on symptoms of bird flu within the radius of three to 10 km.

Pathak also said that the DoL is also preparing to make recommendations to lift the ban on poultry farming and transportation of poultry products in Sharanamati village of Jhapa, some 320 km east of Kathmandu -- where the second bird flu case was detected on February 22.

According to the existing Bird-flu Control Order 2007, the government can lift the ban on farming and transportation of poultry products in the bird-flu affected area if a 90-day surveillance finds no new case of recurrence of the disease.

Source: Xinhua

Background
Governments have a responsibility for the health of their people which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures. (Declaration of Alma Ata). Nepal being a cosignatory of the declaration, has shown its commitment in providing equity based health care service to the people to obtain good health.

Low cost: The definition of low cost differs according to the PCI of the country. A country may require specialized health service while even primary health care may be unaffordable to another. Even in the same country, a service may be affordable to one person but not to another.

Good health: There is no general agreement to what constitutes good health. A preconception demonstrates an increased GDP and GNP lead s to good health. But this notion has no association with the WHO definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. Thus good health may be understood as but not limited to low infant mortality rate and higher life expectancy. Morbidity and mortality reductions are a process of good health.

Health and economic today - in a nutshell
Across the world today the expenditure on health is growing. Between 1995 and 2005 it almost doubled from I$ 2.6 to 5.1 trillion. The rate of growth is also accelerating between 2000- 2005 the total money spent on health increased by I$330 billion per year against an average of I$ 197 billion in previous five years (World Health Report, 2008). The Government spending on health in Nepal has increased. The government health budget was 4.93% of the total national budget in 2003/04 and in 2006/07 increased to 6.4% and has now moved up to 7.14% of the national budget in this year amounting to 12.099 million rupees.(Annual Health report, 2063/64)

The strategies for the achievement of good health at low cost include

Rural cooperative method
Rural cooperative method have proved effective in many sec:tors. It enhances community participation and also helps to solve root problems. Eg. community drug programs, community based health insurance, free health camps etc.For labourers, herd medical insurance from the company and community health insurance can be effective.

Public private partnership
This has the potential to be the most effective strategy in Nepal. Privatization, but not commercialization of health services will encourage investment on health sector.

Health tax
The user fee was conceptualized to generate finance for health. But same fee to both poor and rich made services unaffordable to the poor. So, health tax could be a better strategy as it is based on income and the major burden is shared by haves groups.

Aid harmonization
Many low income countries depend on aid from developed countries. This has created hurdle to the country independency and leadership in health system. For effective manage of the fund, pooling fund and then disseminating according to the priority health need must be enhanced rather than single project funding.

Integrated health care system
Integrated health care system provides various health services from a single delivery point. This becomes a cost effective strategy as it helps to prevent duplication of resources. Closer to client services like outreach clinics, health posts and sub health posts provide comprehensive services at integrated cost and thus should be promoted.

Political commitment
The main political partnership could be in the decentralization of health services, to strengthen the national health system, better designed and implemented health policies and more importantly for the provision of equity based health services.

Emphasis on prevention
Prevention is better than cure not only because it is health oriented but also cost effective. Emphasis should be on preventive and promotive services, which also serve as sustainable health development plan.

Encouraging health seeking behavior
Until and unless there is health seeking behavior among the public, the efforts for quality care at low cost is vain. Community based health education is the prime strategy for increasing awareness towards health right and health need. Social commitment like women education has led to overall development in Kerela.

Priority to local partnership
A huge budge is spent on import of medical equipments and drugs. Drugs that are locally manufactured should be given priority, which also support nation's independency to drugs in the long run.

History remains evident of what youths can do and what youths have done. Youth is the age of energy, power, life and most dynamic and productive segment of life. Not to mention that youth were the most vibrant population in the recent turn in the country, confronting all the praise and blame throughout.

But this change is not be confused as the end of the journey; it’s just a mere yet important leap in this race field that we took. Like we proved ourselves earlier and like youths all around the globe, we can make the change. We just need to go on, however exhausted we might feel or however weary we might get.

Youths are the change agents. India is standing taller today as it is gaining success in IT because Indian youths wanted change. Cambodia stood up once again because youths there realized they can do everything. The US has chosen a youth leader once again to stand up from the recession, and because “change US needed”.

Nepal needs change too, and youths as the change agents. We achieved success those days with stones and sticks do not mean we need to protest every time and everything. There is more peaceful way to achieve what we want to achieve. Politics is not only where we want change. There are more fields seeking youths - for change.

A renowned college in Sinamangal-9 welcomes you with black dirty drainage water at the gate itself. The situation is same for other institutions in the area as well. The pedestrian lane is the route for drainage and one must tip toe to walk pass it. The roads are dirty- the sewage footprints and tyre prints are running zigzag on the road.

The sewage in Sinamangal started creating problem around 5 years ago, when urbanization and settlements started growing. Rapid population growth and declaration of the road as “SAARC road” by the government created increase in establishment of corporate houses, colleges, schools, hospitals at the area. More schools and colleges also made the area feasible for migrated tenant students, who prefer rents near the college.

The problem is basically due to two reasons. First, the lack of drain pipes itself. The houses from Sinamangal Chowk to Tara Chowk do not have drainpipe. Beyond that area, the drainpipes are present but are namesake, fragile and incapable. The next reason is the slope road at the head of the drain system which becomes flattened as it goes downwards. So, the sewage is carried down to the flat lands causing drain collection at low lands. The problem becomes worst in rainy season. The Sinamangal brook enlarges and takes its line through the houses. Due to the lack of rain drain, the rainwater enters the niches in the drainpipes. The pipes burst at many places due to overload and the sewage gets flooded on the road. Corporate houses and institutions lying at the head of the drain system, i.e. Sinamangal Chowk, do not have much problem – their drain is carried down by the slope. The problem is to the people living in flatlands, whose house is flooded every rainy season by filthy black water.

It is not necessary to mention that the open drains are a great problem. They ruin the aesthetic value of the area, depict the uncivilized nature of the residents and denote least maturity. But most importantly, they are creating a great public health problem. The hundreds of people walking on the road everyday and other hundreds residing there inhale, see and touch the drain every day. Drain is the best source of all gastro intestinal microorganisms and around 90% diseases in Nepal can be solved by proper sanitation. But this behavior is creating constant encounter with the microorganisms. The people who come to the place carry the germs to their homes multiplying the vulnerability to gastro intestinal germs up to their homes.

The problem is numerous and so is the attempts taken for its solution. Different clubs, societies and social activist groups have put their hand for the solution, but all in vain. One club cleaned their drain line, the other replaced pipe in their area, the other estimated the cost for proper reconstruction in their work area, and another group opened manholes, and so on. But no one thought about the total 720 meters of drain line and working for it at the same time. The nature of working out the problem in a single area resulted in unsustainable solution and unfriendliness among the people. There are people who have been trying to solve the problem since many years, and are too tired by now. It’s like walking on the trade mill, despite the deliberate attempt, they are still at the same point.

The need to solve the problem is intense. If something is not done immediately, Sinamangal is going to see flooded houses in approaching monsoon and commotion among the locality people themselves. With the increasing number of houses, the need to increase the drain capacity is severe.

The problem can be solved only if all the community groups come together at the same platform with the common agenda and full commitment. The Metropolitan office has already put 60-40 concept of funding. So, the 40% funding is not a problem. Each one should realize that they are the one to work for themselves and it is foolish to expect third person to make out for them.

La ALIANZA ARAGONESA CONTRA LA POBREZA, conformada por más de 30 organizaciones del ámbito social y de Cooperación al Desarrollo, con su campaña POBREZA CERO se vincula a la Feria del Libro de Zaragoza el sábado 6 junio de 11 a 20 horas a través de diferentes actos culturales y la instalación de una mesa informativa, los actos se celebrarán en Plaza España.

El objetivo de la campaña POBREZA CERO es concienciar a la población de la necesidad de conseguir los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) para logar disminuir los índices de pobreza en el mundo. En este sentido, es importante llamar la atención sobre este tema, aún más en el contexto actual de crisis y aumento de los precios de los alimentos que pone en peligro muchos de los progresos conseguidos en la reducción de la pobreza y el hambre. Se estima que 100 millones de personas más vivirán en la pobreza extrema y 75 millones más pasarán hambre como consecuencia de la crisis económica mundial.

Por todo esto queremos aprovechar la celebración de la Feria del Libro para hacer énfasis en el segundo de los ODM “Lograr la enseñanza primaria universal”. Cuya meta es que todos los niños y niñas puedan terminar un ciclo completo de enseñanza primaria en 2015.

Los invitamos a estar presente el 6 de junio en la Plaza España exigiendo desde el espacio de la cultura y desde el poder de la palabra, el derecho a la educación y a una vida con justicia social y equidad económica.


Programa

Día: 6 de junio de 2009

Lugar: Plaza de España (escaleras de la DPZ), Zaragoza.

Horario:

11 a 13 y de 17 a 20 horas: Mesa informativa sobre la campaña Pobreza Cero. Con libros relacionados con el tema.

18.00 horas: Lectura manifiesto

18.05 horas: Cuentos Pobreza Cero, narradores de cuentos de diferentes países nos contarán historias de la lucha contra la pobreza

Como en todos los lugares del mundo, es un libro que cuenta que "mientras los hombres duermen la siesta, las mujeres airean el corazón."

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

source: http://www.indianchild.com/inspiring_stories.htm

A new fad is just beginning to hit Albuquerque— "smokeless" cigarettes.
Instead of lighting up, a device allows users to get their fix through water vapor, and it looks almost identical to the real thing.

But not everyone is happy about the "e-cigarette" that can legally be puffed indoors.

The nicotine delivery devices are touted as safer, but the government isn’t so sure; it’s trying to stop shipments of the gadgets into the U.S.

Albuquerque resident Jo Davis says it’s the final key to her quitting smoking after the nicotine patch and gum failed.

"It addresses the whole issue of smoking: The hand thing, the oral gratification...and even smoke," she said Friday.

Dominic Montoya sells the devices in Albuquerque under the name "Smokesource 51" and his sales pitch is that they’re healthier and cleaner for customers.

Montoya said, "They're feeling a lot better, they no longer have the smell because there's no secondary smoke."

The Food and Drug Administration says that the electronic cigarettes "could lead to an increase in the use of conventional tobacco products by young people."

The FDA has started to refuse importation of the device from China, because it hasn’t been approved by the agency.

The American Cancer Society has the same concerns.

"These products are flying under the radar of state and federal regulations, and so we are really urging our public officials to take a very close look at these products," said Tracy Cadigan of the Cancer Action Network.

The devices are available online for around $30 and at local malls, they’re going for about $150.

Source: www.KOB.com

Public health
Public health is an effort organized by society to protect, promote, and restore the people's health. It is the combination of sciences, skills, and beliefs that is directed to the maintenance and improvement of health through collective or social actions.

Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting life and efficiently through organized community efforts for the sanitation of environment, the control of communicable infections, the education of the individuals in a personal hygiene, the organization of medical and nursing services for early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease, and the development of social machinery to ensure for every individual, a standard of living adequate for maintenance of health, so organizing these benefits as to involve every citizen to realize his birth right of health and longitivity (WHO, 1952, Tech. Report).

Briefly, philosophy of public health is that health frees the individual to live up to his potentials. (Hanlon, J.J.)

Functions of Public health

The three core public health functions are:
• The assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities;
• The formulation of public policies designed to solve identified local and national health problems and priorities;
• To assure that all populations have access to appropriate and cost-effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention services, and evaluation of the effectiveness of that care.

Hanlon’s categories

Hanlon suggested 7 categories of public health as follows:

1. Activities conducted on community basis
2. Activities designed for prevention of illness, disabilities and premature health
3. Activities related to provision of comprehensive health care
4. Activities concerned with collection, preservation and analysis of vital records
5. Public education in personnel and community health
6. Comprehensive health planning and evaluation
7. Research- scientific, technical and administrative


Community Health

The term "community health" refers to the health status of a defined group of people, or community, and the actions and conditions that protect and improve the health of the community. Those individuals who make up a community live in a somewhat localized area under the same general regulations, norms, values, and organizations. For example, the health status of the people living in a particular town, and the actions taken to protect and improve the health of these residents would constitute community health. In the past, most individuals could be identified with a community in either a geographical or an organizational sense. Today, however, with expanding global economies, rapid transportation, and instant communication, communities alone no longer have the resources to control or look after all the needs of their residents or constituents.
The actions and conditions that protect and improve community or population health can be organized into three areas: health promotion, health protection, and health services. This breakdown emphasizes the collaborative efforts of various public and private sectors in relation to community health.

Clinical medicine
Clinical Medicine is a part of medicine which deals with clinical applications of medicine. It is mainly bed side or patient oriented approach to medicine. The study and practice of medicine based on direct observation of patients is known as clinical medicine. It is significant since it forms basis for Evidence based medicine.

Community medicine

Community medicine means public health services emphasizing preventive medicine and epidemiology for members of a given community or region.

The major areas of community medicine are as follows:
• Epidemiology
• Biostatistics
• Medical sociology and anthropology
• Family health
• Nutritional health
• Maternity and child health and family planning
• Occupational medicine
• Health education
• Community health lab
• Community health diagnosis

Bueno, estaba sentada en el sofa, mis pies en el puff.. ¡Ahh que bien el fin de semana...!  Pero faltaba algo, siempre falta algo porque una parte mia está lejos. ¡Y vale ya! eso ya lo se... Para tapar los agujeros pequeños tengo mis libros, mi musica, mi te turco al lado...