A new study found that around 2 billion people struggle with excess weight, obesity, and other health problems caused by poor diets and lack of physical activity. This means that one-third of the world’s population is affected by weight issues.

In the U.S., there is the highest percentage of obese teens and kids (13%), while Egypt has the most obese adults (35%), among the 195 countries surveyed.

In 2015, 2.2 billion people lived with excess weight, of whom more than 700 million were diagnosed as obese. In addition, more and more people are killed by health issues caused by carrying excess weight such as heart disease or diabetes.

The findings were reported this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers also found that 4 million of the people who died because of a high BMI were not diagnosed as obese. This means that excess weight can lead to premature death even when the patient isn’t considered obese.

A Piece of Advice from Researchers

Lead researcher Dr. Christopher Murray who is heading the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation noted that people who ignore their weight problems do it at their own risk.

Murray advises people to turn their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight into year-round commitments to shed the extra pounds and prevent excess weight in the future.

For the study, researchers sifted through data on 68.5 million people. The data was provided by the Global Burden of Disease study which analyzes trends involving injuries, diseases, and conditions worldwide.

The study revealed that the number of people living with obesity has doubled over the last three decades in more than 70 countries. Women were the most likely to be affected by obesity.

The number of children affected by obesity was lower than adults, but obesity rates among children were higher, which means childhood obesity could become rampant in the near future if nothing is done to curb it.

The chances of having a 100 percent healthy diet are as likely as the possibility of growing your own fruits and vegetables in a 2-bedroom apartment. Nevertheless, it is not impossible to lead a balanced life sustained by vitamin-packed foods. Unfortunately, there are many “posers” out there, tricking people into believing that they are eating healthy when, in fact, they are filling up on flavor enhancers and harmful oils. To this extent, we have compiled a list of 11 food items that confirm the adage looks can be deceiving.

Crispbread

While many prefer to replace a good old loaf of bread with a couple of pieces of crispbread as the latter looks healthier, it is not always the truth. Unfortunately, many manufacturers use things like preservatives, dyes, and modified starch when producing it, individuals ending up eating food that looks, tastes, and has the nutritional value of a piece of cardboard infused with harmful oils and preservatives.

Healthy replacement: Whole-wheat crispbread with no additional dyes, preservatives, yeast, and modified starch; whole-wheat or whole grains bread.

Gluten-Free Foods

Speaking of bread, gluten-free foods have become a trend, lately, a concerningly high number of people who do not suffer from celiac disease choosing a gluten-free diet without realizing the risks they are exposing themselves to. Gluten is a protein found in most grains. It only affects about 1 percent of the entire population of the planet – those suffering from gluten intolerance. When people who tolerate gluten replace bread with a gluten-free variant, they actually give up on eating a healthy meal while imbibing themselves with the plethora of refined additives that replace the protein.

Healthy replacement: bread

Banana Chips

Banana chips are relatively healthy as they contain magnesium, iron, potassium, and food fiber. However, the majority also contain plenty of sugar and flavor enhancers. Moreover, not all banana chips are cooked in the oven, manufacturers preferring to deep-fry them.

Healthy replacements: bananas or homemade banana chips baked in the oven (keep in mind that homemade banana chips will not be as sweet as their sugar-packed commercial counterparts).

Vegetable Chips

While banana chips still contain some vitamins and nutrients that are undeniably beneficial for the body, vegetable chips are among the biggest posers on this list. Usually, a bag of vegetable chips contains sweet potato, carrots, beetroot, parsnip, and kale. In order to make them taste as delicious as they do, manufacturers add more than a dash of salt, sugar, and flavors. More than often dyes are added into the equation.

Healthy replacements: if you don’t have the time to bake your own vegetable chips, you can always chop fresh vegetables and dip them into a home-made yogurt dressing.

Candied and Dried Fruit

Candied fruits usually contain high amounts of sugar, a single piece satisfying the daily recommended dose. Dried fruit can go bad as quick as regular fruit. To avoid selling bags filled with moldy dried apricots, manufacturers usually add sulfur dioxide and fungicides to their products.

Healthy replacements: home-made dried fruit or their natural counterparts

Canned Fruit and Vegetables

It’s true that caned fruit and vegetables are considerably cheaper and longer-lived than the unprocessed items, a can of vegetables of fruit contains more than enough sugar, vinegar, and barbecue sauce.

Healthy replacements: if you don’t afford to always buy fresh and risk the food to spoil, canning fruit and vegetables at home is always a healthier option.

Tasty Starchy Vegetables

Not all vegetables are healthy, some bringing more benefits than others. For example, starchy food items like pears, potatoes, corn, yams, and pumpkin offer more calories than minerals, fibers, and vitamins, meaning that they are best suited for breakfast or lunch.

Healthy replacements: if you’re on a diet and counting your daily calories, it’s best to eat more leafy greens. However, starchy vegetables shouldn’t be eliminated from your daily meals, just opt for a lighter dinner.

Processed Cheese

Processed cheese – especially the shiny deep yellow stuff found in cheeseburgers – is riddled with salt and other additives. Canned cheese is a definite no-no, and spreadable cheese has more additives than natural ingredients.

Healthy replacements: cottage cheese, mozzarella, Edam, cheddar, and any other quality cheese products.

Instant Oatmeal

As a general rule: nothing that contains the word instant is healthy. Instant oatmeal is no exception as the smaller the flakes, the more time it took to process them and enhance their flavor.

Healthy replacements: coarsely ground oatmeal that, even though it takes a little more time to cook, packs plenty of nutrients and fibers.

Fruit Yogurt

Fruit yogurt rarely contains actual pieces of fruit, but in abounds in preservatives, dyes, and flavor enhancers. Even more, to make it more appealing, manufacturers usually add extra sugar.

Healthy replacements: natural Greek yogurt or yogurt with high levels of proteins and low amounts of sugar.

Sports Drinks

Even though they have electrolytes – which are the new best thing – sports drinks are also rich in carbohydrates, artificial flavors, and even caffeine or taurine. They’re not health-hazard bad, but sports drinks can stress the pancreas into releasing more insulin than needed, ending up making the body feel more tired than if the person in question opted for a tall glass of water instead.

Healthy replacements: water or freshly squeezed orange juice.

Image Source: Pixabay

In a not so distant future, sex with robots could replace human intimacy, at least partially. Manchester is host to the Human Choice and Computers conference on human intimacy and technology. Scientists from various fields are discussing how technological advancements will impact society.

The rise of artificial intelligence and “sex dolls” could prove to be addictive enough to replace human to human intimacy.

There is a large media library on “robots taking over.” In a different context, famous genius Stephen Hawking believes that the rise of artificial intelligence could be the end for humans.

In a world already troubled by flawed communication and intimacy, robot technology could prove to be a serious competitor to a romantic relationship.

Robot sex dolls could become so advanced, that some could become addicted to this type of cyborg sex.

Encounters between humans and robots will not carry emotional baggage or performance ratings. It could also save a lot of money on expensive gifts or dates. It could also be a progress to some people who find it hard to maintain human relationships.

According to Dr. David Kreps, senior lecturer from Salford University, new materials, and advancements in technology have resulted in an increased level of intimacy for humans and technology.

He further explained that technology plays a bigger role in our lives than ever before. We’ve got Facebook for personal relationships, all kinds of sensors to track diseases and portable smartphones. Sex dolls with artificial intelligence were the next obvious step.

There are some benefits to this new technology emerging. For example, robot-dolls could be the end of sexually transmitted diseases and we could even see the end of unwilling humans being pushed into prostitution.

Some experts in the field believe that there is a middle way. Humans could end up using sex toys or even robots to spice up their sex lives, and eventually build a stronger relationship which may include robot use.

Kate Moyle, a psychosexual therapist in London has come up with a novel idea: an iPhone app called “Pillow Play.” It uses interactive technology to allow couples to improve their intimacy.

Moyle has not commented on the app but pointed out that one of the negative effects of having a sex life based solely on robotic encounters could impend an individual’s ability to connect with others.

Do you think we’re headed for a bleak robot future? Or that we could find a balance between the benefits and disadvantages of technology? Leave us a comment, below! Thanks.

Image Source – Pixabay

 

 

There is a growing homework debate across America. While some teachers completely give up assigning homework to students, others still believe in the power of homework to shape young minds.

Teacher Brandy Young is one of the teachers who sparked off a national debate, by completely renouncing homework.

Young works in the Godley School, in Fort Worth. She gave a notice to parents that she will not assign work outside class.

She says she bases her decision on research, which has shown no conclusive evidence that homework helps a child perform better in school.

Instead, she asked parents to spend the evenings in ways that are proven to ensure success for students. Methods like eating dinner together, reading together,  playing outside and tucking the child in bed early.

It sounds like a great advice for all families. However some wonder if a little bit of homework could go a long way.

Some parents tell stories of teachers who give their students with boring, mindless homework that wastes a lot of time. These are families already stressed out from parents’ jobs and kids’ homework activities.

Some newspapers are touting the homework apocalypse, even, with headlines like “We’re destroying our kids with homework” and others along those lines.

Some parents tell stories of fifth graders who are supposed to be in school from 8 pm to 5 pm. Others are upset because their child is supposed to read 10 books every day and can’t get enough sleep.

There is some research which supports these parents and teachers – a 2006 survey found that homework in primary grades doesn’t have to do with academic performance, and it’s only beneficial to older students, in smaller doses.

However, upon a closer look, most researchers agree that smaller amounts of homework help students get good study habits, act responsibly and involve parents in their child’s education.

These studies recommend between 10 and 20 minutes of homework daily, for the youngest students. Most teachers only ask their students to do simple things, together with parents- things like practicing counting, reading aloud and recognizing words.

What’s your opinion on this article? Do you think that your child receives too much homework? Or maybe we should focus on our children more? Please leave a comment below.

Image Source – Wikipedia

Around twenty-four million people take cruises each year. An earlier report showed that people love cruising around, especially after retirement. A quarter of the cruising enthusiasts are sixty or older, and over one-fifth are retired.

One of the main reasons cruises are popular with this age group is because they are taken care of at high standards. There is no need to do the cooking, cleaning, there are a lot of activities going on and there is plenty of entertainment.

Most people return home to their regular lives when the cruise is over. Lee Wachtstetter however never leaves the ship. She lives on board the Crystal Serenity permanently. She has been doing so for the past eight years.

She loves the fact that the doesn’t have to clean the house, shop, or cook. She can do what she pleases when she pleases and that’s very reassuring.

She talks to her family back home daily. She even talks to them twice a day, just so she won’t be there. Her late husband, Mason was also a cruise enthusiast. When he died, they had taken almost one hundred cruises together. His last words before dying were “Don’t you quit cruising.”

So the senior started to cruise frequently. Soon, she got tired of packing and unpacking so she sold the house she had in Florida and her car and belongings and did not look back ever since.

Captain of the Crystal Serenity, Birger Vorland, said that “she knows everybody and everybody knows her.” He also compared Lee Wachtstetter to a diva. She’s got her opinions and her day to day habits and she’s a great person.

Although many people of her age choose a retirement place, she doesn’t want to. She is a great-grandmother, but she doesn’t want to spend all the time she’s got with them.

Mama Lee, as she is known on the ship, has done over 240 cruises worldwide. She’s seen many ports. But for her, it feels like she’s seen it all. She loves the company and she loves the ship. She doesn’t get off it anymore.

The price tag for such an amazing adventure is around 175,000 dollars per year. The cruise director, Rick Spath sees himself as part of Mamma Lee’s family at sea.

The 86-year-old loves to dance and does so every day, around a quarter passed five.

Image Source – Wikipedia

 

It is the first time a major sexual minority study reveals unfair treatment. The premiere survey conducted at a national level has asked high school students about their sexuality. It found that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered teens had a greater risk for depression, bullying and other types of violence, compared to their straight colleagues.

According to Dr. Jonathan Mermin, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the numbers were “heartbreaking”.

The study found what smaller studies have been hinting for years. However, this particular survey is important because it’s the first time the government looks at teenage sexuality in connection to identity. The study found that around eight percent of the high schoolers described themselves as LGBT. That accounts for 1.3 million students across America.

These teenagers were three times more exposed to rape, than their straight counterparts. LGBT teenagers skipped school a lot more than their colleagues, as they did not feel safe. One-third of them was bullied on school premises. These teens were twice as exposed to injury or threat with a weapon on school property.

Over forty percent of LGBT students considered suicide and twenty-nine percent attempted to do so in the year previous to the survey. When it came to drug use, 1.3 percent of straight students had used heroin, compared to a six percent figure of the lesbian, gay , bisexual and transgendered students who have done the same thing.

Dr. Mermin also pointed out that the nation should act on reducing these figures quickly. The survey was conducted with 13,600 students across the United States, with ages ranging form 14 to 17.

Although the figures reveal loneliness and discrimination which is too longstanding and too familiar, at least they helped create a national database with information on teen sexuality.

Dr. Debra Houry, who is in charge of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control wants more prevention campaigns.

She mentioned programs such as Green Dot which empowers students to support victims of bullying.  Other programs help vulnerable students cope with dangerous situations.

The report did not look at the underlying causes of the situation.

What’s your opinion on this news piece? Have you ever experienced bullying? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think. Thank you.

Image Source – Flickr

 

 

New research suggests that reading books could prolong your life. The study involved looking at 3,635 people’s reading habits.

Experts split the sample in three groups: those who did not read at all, those who read up to three and a half hours per week and those who read for more than three and a half hours weekly.

The study got published in Social Science and Medicine and it revealed that book readers are more likely to be females with a college education and in higher income groups.

Researchers correlated this information with other factors, like age group, race, health, employment and marital status.

Compared to those who did not read at all, those who were in the middle group were seventeen percent less likely to die over a course of twelve years, and those who read more than three and a half hours weekly were the least likely to die, by twenty-three percent.

Those who read more lived two years longer than those who did not read at all. There was a similar connection between newspaper readers or periodical readers but it was not as strong as the above-mentioned link.

Even people who read as little as a half hour per day have a better chance of survival than those who don’t read at all – according to senior author, Becca R Levy, professor of epidemiology at Yale.

Others have argued that reading remains a sedentary activity, so maybe it’s not fair to expect increased life spans for reading.

But the authors of the study remain convinced that reading, perhaps through enhancing knowledge, leads to longer lifespans.

Another Mayo Clinic Study on Aging found in 2008 that reading books could protect older people from dementia, by as much as 50 percent.

Over the last few years, we are seeing an increase in the e-book market. Nearly half of all Americans were reading e-books in 2014.

The trend seems to be less in favor of paperback books. A lot of people choose e-books because they are less expensive, they can read them off their tablet and they are more portable than traditional print books.

What’s your opinion on this article? Do you agree that reading expands your life? Leave a comment below. Thanks!

Image Source – Wikipedia

Pizza boxes have been deemed unsafe for consumers, due to chemicals that are used during their manufacturing process.

The impending ban was revealed on Monday, January 4, by representatives of the United States Food and Drug Administration, following a petition issued in October 2014 by a group of 9 non-profit organizations.

More precisely, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Breast Cancer Fund, the Environmental Working Group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Improving Kids’ Environment, the Center for Food Safety, the Clean Water Action, the Center for Environmental Health and the Children’s Environmental Health Network have all been militating against the use of dangerous food contact substances (FCS) in day-to-day packaging.

FCS compounds provide a protective layer for paper containers, such as pizza boxes, impeding fatty content and water coming from the warm meals from seeping into the packaging.

Thanks to this coating, pizza can remain fresh and keep its toppings intact while being transported by delivery staff. At the same time, the packaging can stay relatively clean, without becoming soggy or being spoiled by the food it protects.

However, now health officials have come to the conclusion that 3 varieties of perfluoroalkyl ethyl, commonly serving as FCS, are in fact hazardous to consumers.

Prior studies had suggested that such perflourinated substances, used in a wide variety of merchandise, ranging from electronics to footwear and non-stick pans, can lead to various thyroid disorders  and to an inflammatory bowel disease known as ulcerative colitis.

It can also trigger preeclampsia, a condition which causes pregnant women to have excessively high blood pressure, which can even prove deadly to the mother or the baby, or can result in congenital disorders and other complications before, during or after birth.

It appears more evidence has been stacked up against the use of such compounds in food packaging, and although the risks faced by American consumers haven’t been fully estimated and understood it’s still better to eliminate them altogether.

As a result, it will soon be illegal to incorporate perflourinated substances in boxes ensuring the storing and transportation of warm meals.

For now, the decision to prohibit the use of perfluoroalkyl ethyl as an FCS has been made public on Thursday, January 7, in the Federal Register, the daily journal issued by the United States Government, and 30 days will have to pass before the interdiction is fully enforced.

Unless the ban is contested and a public hearing is required by February 3, 2016, from that point onward manufacturers will no longer be allowed to include the hazardous substances as part of pizza boxes and other types of food packaging.

The ban was welcomed by Erik Olson, senior strategic director of the food & agriculture and health programs, at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

According to him, while the interdiction concerning toxic FCS substances is important, this in fact just a small victory in the wide-ranging war against harmful chemicals commonly found in food items.

For instance, another petition issued by this organization has called for the FDA to strictly forbid 7 other substances which have been proven to be carcinogenic.

Image Source: Flickr

Christmas has always been about red, green and white color combinations, so designers think it’s time for a change. This year, try to leave traditional decorations aside and opt for these surprising color combinations for Christmas. We guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

1. Pastel Christmas colors

Pastel colors need not be used only in the summer. It is the conclusion we have reached after we’ve seen the recent Christmas color trends. Pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow and green can literally work wonders on your Christmas tree. They give a fairytale-like feeling to your home and decorations seem to be made out of frosted snow.

2. Blue and White Christmas

In case pink and warm tones are too feminine for you, you can replace them with blue and white color combinations. Designers like these schemes because they have a strong impact without making the Christmas tree or the house too gaudy. They work great with the white snow and the blue sky outdoors and they make a perfect match with the green leaves of the Christmas tree.

3. Earthly Christmas

Some people think Christmas decorations and Christmas colors are too ostentatious for them and they often give up decorating their homes. Designers recommend them earthly tones of brown, orange and green. To better understand this color scheme, think of firs and their simple yet, appealing cones. An earthly Christmas color combination will bring nature into your home.

4. Purple Christmas

Christmas is rarely associated with pink or purple, or at least, that’s what most people used to think. Until they finally saw the first purple Christmas tree. One of the most surprising color combinations for Christmas, no doubt about it and it works great for children, who often feel more attracted to such lively colors.

5. Black and White Christmas

Baroque is back and Christmas can’t escape its power, either. This year, you and your family can spend a truly aristocratic Christmas by choosing to decorate your Christmas tree with black and white accessories. For an impressive contrast, you can add expensive-looking silvery ornaments in your home, like candle holders, wreaths and table centerpieces.