How to prevent obesity

 

How to Prevent Obesity

Obesity is a chronic disease affecting more and more children, adolescents and adults worldwide:

• obesity rates among children have doubled since 1980 and have tripled for adolescents
• 15% percent of children aged six to 19 are considered overweight
• over 60 percent of adults are considered overweight or obese

Healthcare professionals are seeing earlier onset of Type 2 diabetes (normally an adult-onset disease), cardiovascular disease and obesity-related depression in children and adolescents. The longer a person is obese, the more significant obesity-related risk factors become. Given the chronic diseases and conditions associated with obesity, and the fact that obesity is difficult to treat, prevention is extremely important.

A primary reason that prevention of obesity is so vital in children is because the likelihood of obese becoming obese adults is thought to increase from about 20 percent at four years of age to 80 percent by adolescence.

Infants

The longer babies are breastfed, the less likely they are to become overweight as they grow older. Breastfed babies are 15 to 25 percent less likely to become overweight. For those who are breastfed for six months or longer, the likelihood is 20 to 40 percent less.

Children and Adolescents

Young people generally become overweight or obese because they don’t get enough physical activity in combination with poor eating habits. Genetics and lifestyle also contribute to a child’s weight status.
There are a number of steps you can take to help prevent overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence. They include:

• Gradually work to change family eating habits and activity levels rather than focusing on weight. Change the habits and the weight will take care of itself.
• Be a role model. Parents who eat healthy foods and are physically activity set an example that increases the likelihood their children will do the same.
• Encourage physical activity. Children should have an hour of moderate physical activity most days of the week. More than an hour of activity may promote weight loss and subsequent maintenance.
• Reduce time in front of the TV and computer to less than two hours a day.
• Encourage children to eat only when hungry, and to eat slowly.
• Avoid using food as a reward or withholding food as a punishment.
• Keep the refrigerator stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk and fresh fruit and vegetables instead of soft drinks and snacks high in sugar and fat.
• Serve at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Encourage children to drink water rather than beverages with added sugar, such as soft drinks, sports drinks and fruit juice drinks.

Adults

Many of the strategies that produce successful weight loss and maintenance will help prevent obesity. Improving your eating habits and increasing physical activity play a vital role in preventing obesity. Things you can do include:

• Eat five to six servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A vegetable serving is one cup of raw vegetables or one-half cup of cooked vegetables or vegetable juice. A fruit serving is one piece of small to medium fresh fruit, one-half cup of canned or fresh fruit or fruit juice, or one-fourth cup of dried fruit.
• Choose whole grain foods such as brown rice and whole wheat bread. Avoid highly processed foods made with refined white sugar, flour and saturated fat.
• Weigh and measure food to gain an understanding of portion sizes. For example, a three-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Avoid super-sized menu items particularly at fast-food restaurants. You can achieve a lot just with proper choices in serving sizes.
• Balance the food “checkbook.” Eating more calories than you burn for energy will lead to weight gain.
• Weigh yourself regularly.
• Avoid foods that are high in “energy density” or that have a lot of calories in a small amount of food. For example, a large cheeseburger and a large order of fries may have almost 1,000 calories and 30 or more grams of fat. By ordering a grilled chicken sandwich or a plain hamburger and a small salad with low-fat dressing, you can avoid hundreds of calories and eliminate much of the fat intake. For dessert, have fruit or a piece of angel food cake rather than the “death by chocolate” special or three pieces of home-made pie.
• Crack a sweat: accumulate at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity activity on most, or preferably, all days of the week. Examples include walking a 15-minute mile, or weeding and hoeing the garden.
• Make opportunities during the day for even just 10 or 15 minutes of some calorie-burning activity, such as walking around the block or up and down a few flights of stairs at work. Again, every little bit helps.

God and Natural Disasters

 

We all have our opinions on natural disasters especially if it affects us directly, even christians who have lost their homes from earthquakes or hurricane might ask this question.....did God create this natural disaster? was it meant to affect me? did God forsake me? Natural Disasters occurs in various degrees of destruction which includes earthquakes, floods, landslides, hail storms, sinkholes, wildfires, and deadly tornadoes. Jamaica in recent years has seen a rush of disasters as hurricanes, fire and drought conditions. And these catastrophes are not in Jamaica alone, but happening around the globe.Various reasons are offered to explain the phenomena. Some argue its global warming. Others say it's always been this way and the natural cycle of things, it's only that the reporting is much better today and we hear about these events more often. Still, anyone with a little age and experience, or any one simply willing to carefully consider matters, finds it a bit hard to believe that what's been occurring of late is merely the natural cycle of things. The succession and intensity of these incidents have rightly caused people to sense something isn't right in the earth, and the scientific data alone can't effectively elucidate the cause.

In the Old Testament describes a time much like our own, when the people of Israel were wondering why so many natural calamities had befallen them. Like many in our own day, they had considered every possible cause but God. Certainly such explanations for the string of latest natural disasters, despite the fact that many of them have been apocalyptic in type, would soundly be rejected by most today  people who would never agree that God was somehow responsible. God is too loving, too kind, too compassionate, too gentle to ever do such a thing, they say. Natural disasters are not in themselves evil or a failure of God. A classic example of this is earthquakes. An earthquake causes massive damage to humans and can result in extreme losses of life. The fact is, however, that earthquakes are a part of the processes that keep the earth living and suitable for life. Land masses wear down with time because of rain, snow, freezing, heating, glaciers, landslides, and gravitational forces. If there were no forces that lift the land to replenish the worn away parts, after a while all land on the earth would be under water. Because the earth is liquid inside, land is constantly being lifted to replace the land that is worn down. Man's problem is that rather than understanding these processes as natural and beneficial, we tend to worship the forces and ignore the common sense lessons all around us. If you build your house in flood prone area you have no complaint when flooding occurs. People continue to ignore the warnings of nature and the lessons of the past. The results are frequently catastrophic. Draining wet-lands, building huge structures that alter climate, and placing massive structures over fault zones in the earth have resulted in tragedy for humans. God placed humans on the earth with instructions to take care of the earth  to dress it and keep it (see Genesis 2: 15). That means not to abuse the earth, but to use it wisely and carefully. In this way we can be at peace with our environment. Western civilization has too often allowed greed and selfishness to be the guiding force. Instead we need to have a love for what God has created and a desire to take care of it and live at peace with it.

Information about Rainfall

 
What is rain? where does it come from? Who created it... these questions are in a number of persons mind. I have done some research on this topic and i plan to add my environmental studies knowledge.
Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then precipitated that is, become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides suitable conditions for many types of ecosystem, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation.
The major cause of rain production is moisture moving along three-dimensional zones of temperature and moisture contrasts known as weather fronts.

Causes

Frontal activity -
This is a broad shield of precipitation with a relatively similar intensity and dynamic precipitation which occur as a consequence of slow ascent of air in synoptic systems (on the order of cm/s), such as in the vicinity of cold fronts and near and poleward of surface warm fronts. Similar ascent is seen around tropical cyclones outside of the eyewall, and in comma-head precipitation patterns around mid-latitude cyclones. A wide variety of weather can be found along an occluded front, with thunderstorms possible, but usually their passage is associated with a drying of the air mass. Occluded fronts usually form around mature low-pressure areas.

Convection -
Convective rain, or showery precipitation, occurs from convective clouds (e.g., cumulonimbus or cumulus congestus). It falls as showers with rapidly changing intensity. Convective precipitation falls over a certain area for a relatively short time, as convective clouds have limited horizontal extent.

Orographic effects -
Orographic precipitation occurs on the windward side of mountains and is caused by the rising air motion of a large-scale flow of moist air across the mountain ridge, resulting in adiabatic cooling and condensation. In mountainous parts of the world subjected to relatively consistent winds (for example, the trade winds), a more moist climate usually prevails on the windward side of a mountain than on the leeward or downwind side.

Human influence -
The fine particulate matter produced by car exhaust and other human sources of pollution forms cloud condensation nuclei, leads to the production of clouds and increases the likelihood of rain. As commuters and commercial traffic cause pollution to build up over the course of the week, the likelihood of rain increases: it peaks by Saturday, after five days of weekday pollution has been built up. In heavily populated areas that are near the coast, the effect can be dramatic: there is a 22% higher chance of rain on Saturdays than on Mondays.The urban heat island effect warms cities 0.6 °C (1.1 °F) to 5.6 °C (10.1 °F) above surrounding suburbs and rural areas.

How much work is too much work

 
We all want to work hard in order to make more money and also secure our future, but are we working too much and even if we are how do we know this? Individuals especially entrepreneurs have to work long hours because they always want to ensure that their businesses are on top or pleasing to their clients. So are there problems associated with overwork and how do we deal with them......well here are some signs of overworking.
1. If you find out that you are working extra hours or overtime and what you are doing is not improving or you not making any extra money its a sign that you should slow down and rethink.

2. If you’re having trouble focusing because you’ve taken on too many different things, your work will suffer. You’ll notice a lack of enthusiasm, a lack of interest, and overall, a lack of quality output. If you’re not able to deliver what your client expects, you’re probably taking on too much. Focus on what you can and should be doing, and find a way to cut out the rest.

3. If you’re tossing and turning at night and having trouble getting those restful Zzz’s, it’s a sign you may have too much on your plate. It’s a dangerous self-fulfilling cycle too; if you can’t get to sleep because your mind is too active, you’ll be even more tired the following day. Look for ways to delegate your to-do’s and make R&R part of your routine.

4. You know you’re starting to experience burnout when you become very irritable and have a hard time keeping your emotions in check. You will tend to lash out at people that are undeserving of the outburst. Then you know it is time to take a break!

5.When you cannot find time spend with the people that you love, this is definitely a sign of working too much. Spending time with your love ones can ease stress and get you motivated to do a good job.

Overworking can cause 

Stress - But while stress is normal, prolonged and repeated exposure to stress can result in a condition called burn-out, where the body experiences symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, suppressed immune system, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and decreased enjoyment from work and play. Burn-out can also be the precursor to several life-threatening diseases.

Disruption of Body Processes -

Our body must always be in a state of balance to function properly. Unless it can find some form of stability, the body will be susceptible to illness and breakdown. Unfortunately overwork leads to fatigue, and fatigue disrupts many vital body processes. The result: your over-all way of life is affected. For instance, sleep deprivation from overwork disrupts the body’s natural ability to produce insulin, a hormone that helps in metabolising sugar. With less insulin, the body is at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes. 

Mental Health Issues - The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 35% of cases of work-related stress result in mental health problems. Stress at work is significantly related to anxiety and panic attacks, given that stress directly impacts a person’s nervous system.

Where is money made?

 
We all love money because in this world that we live it would be almost impossible to live a normal life without money. We use it to buy food, for services almost everything we own comes through money....but the main question is how did this paramount element come about and where is it currently made?

Money is anything that is commonly accepted by a group of people for the exchange of goods, services, or resources. Every country has its own system of coins and paper money. In the past, people would barter which is the exchange of a good or service for another good or service, a bag of rice for a bag of beans. However, what if you couldn't agree what something was worth in exchange or you didn't want what the other person had. To solve that problem humans developed what is called commodity money. Metals objects were introduced as money around 5000 B.C. By 700 BC, the Lydians became the first in the Western world to make coins. Countries were soon minting their own series of coins with specific values. Metal was used because it was readily available, easy to work with and could be recycled. Since coins were given a certain value, it became easier to compare the cost of items people wanted. In our modern era we mainly use banknotes (often known as a bill, paper money or simply a note) which is a type of negotiable instrument known as a promissory note, made by a bank, payable to the bearer on demand. When banknotes were first introduced, they were, in effect, a promise to pay the bearer in coins, but gradually became a substitute for the coins. Banknotes were originally issued by commercial banks, but since their general acceptance as a form of money, most countries have assigned the responsibility for issuing national banknotes to a central bank. Paper currency first developed in Tang Dynasty China during the 7th century, although true paper money did not appear until the 11th century, during the Song Dynasty. The usage of paper currency later spread throughout the Mongol Empire. European explorers like Marco Polo introduced the concept in Europe during the 13th century. Paper money originated in two forms: drafts, which are receipts for value held on account, and "bills", which were issued with a promise to convert at a later date.
Most banknotes are made from cotton paper with a weight of 80 to 90 grams per square meter. The cotton is sometimes mixed with linen, abaca, or other textile fibres. Generally, the paper used is different from ordinary paper: it is much more resilient, resists wear and tear (the average life of a banknote is three years), and also does not contain the usual agents that make ordinary paper glow slightly under ultraviolet light. Unlike most printing and writing paper, banknote paper is infused with polyvinyl alcohol or gelatin, instead of water, to give it extra strength.
Most banknotes are made using the mould made process in which a watermark and thread is incorporated during the paper forming process. The thread is a simple looking security component found in most banknotes. It is however often rather complex in construction comprising fluorescent, magnetic, metallic and micro print elements. By combining it with watermarking technology the thread can be made to surface periodically on one side only. This is known as windowed thread and further increases the counterfeit resistance of the banknote paper. Banknotes last on an average of three years until they are no longer fit for circulation, after which they are collected for destruction, usually recycling or shredding. A banknote is removed from the money supply by banks or other financial institutions because of everyday wear and tear from its handling. Banknote bundles are passed through a sorting machine that determines whether a particular note needs to be shredded, or are removed from the supply chain by a human inspector if they are deemed unfit for continued use – for example, if they are mutilated or torn.

Notable mints

• Austrian Mint - established in 1397 and produces the Vienna Philharmonic gold bullion.
• Birmingham Mint (United Kingdom)
• Casa da Moeda do Brasil
• Casa da Moeda de Portugal
• Currency Centre, Ireland
• Dahlonega Mint (United States of America)
• Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, Spain
• Franklin Mint (United States of America)
• India Government Mint
• Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, "Printer Institute and State Mint", Italy, the first mint to produce bi-metallic coins in recent times
• Japan Mint
• Joachimsthal Royal Mint,Czech Republic, (Jáchymovská královská mincovna in Czech language)
• Kremnica mint,Slovak Republic, (Mincovňa Kremnica in Slovak language), established in 1328 is the oldest continuously-operating mint in the world.
• Casa de Moneda de México, established in 1535, is the oldest mint in the Americas.
• Monnaie de Paris (France)
• Perth Mint (Australia)
• Philadelphia Mint
• Royal Australian Mint
• Royal Canadian Mint
• Royal Dutch Mint
• Royal Mint of the United Kingdom
• Saint Petersburg Mint (Russia)
• Singapore Mint
• Soho Mint (United Kingdom)
• Swissmint, Switzerland
• United States Mint

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How does the blind read?

 
Many of us wonder from time to time how can a blind person function in a normal day to day lifestyle. We see them with trained dogs to get around, we some playing the piano very well and doing a number of other things with the sense of feeling but can a blind person really READ? the answer to this question is yes with the "BRAILLE" but it is not as simple as it may sound.
If you live in a town or city, especially if you work in a large office building, you probably encounter Braille every day. Braille characters mark elevator buttons, signs and public map displays. The dots are tiny, so they're easy to miss, and if you don't need to read them, you may not even realize they're there.
Braille completely changed the way people approached education for the blind. Before the invention of Braille, blind people didn't have many opportunities for education or employment. The few existing schools for the blind were more like residential workshops, teaching basic trade skills while ignoring reading, writing and other academic studies. Braille changed all that by giving blind people an efficient method for communication and learning. Braille is a tactile writing system used by the blind and the visually impaired that is used for books, menus, signs, elevator buttons, and currency. Braille-users can read computer screens and other electronic supports thanks to refreshable braille displays. They can write braille with the original slate and stylus or type it on a braille writer, such as a portable braille note-taker, or on a computer that prints with a braille embosser. Braille is named after its creator, Frenchman Louis Braille, who went blind following a childhood accident. At the age of 15, Braille developed his code for the French alphabet in 1824 as an improvement on night writing. He published his system, which subsequently included musical notation, in 1829. The second revision, published in 1837, was the first digital (binary) form of writing. Braille characters are small rectangular blocks called cells that contain tiny palpable bumps called raised dots. The number and arrangement of these dots distinguish one character from another. Since the various braille alphabets originated as transcription codes of printed writing systems, the mappings (sets of character designations) vary from language to language. Furthermore, in English Braille there are three levels of encoding: Grade 1, a letter-by-letter transcription used for basic literacy; Grade 2, an addition of abbreviations and contractions; and Grade 3, various non-standardized personal shorthands.