Smartphone users: Beware of muscle neck ailments
Gokul Rajendran,TNN | Jun 29, 2015, 11.24 AM IST
Times of India Trichy
TRICHY: Your mobile phone may be smart, but you must be smarter (and cautious too) when using it, or you face the risk of calling for serious health problems.
Improper use of smartphones is one of the main causes of serious health hazards relating to the neck muscles of a user.
Ever since smartphones became popular, the posture of mobile users has completely changed. The constant users of smartphones are not bothered about bending over onto their device to make the most of the options loaded on their favourite gadget.
The forward bending of neck over the phone for a long time leads to neck muscle strain, forward postural deformities, continuous pain, neck stiffness, migraine, wryneck and back pain. "The smartphone users should make sure that they are not bending their neck more than 20 seconds continuously, otherwise they will have to face numerous problems. Though it may be curable, the people can avoid the complications by looking at the phones at the right angle without straining their muscles," Dr S A Karthikeyan, principal of Government College of Physiotherapy at Trichy, told ToI.
Some physiotherapists warn that prolonged illnesses such as vertebral prolapse and spine damage caused by forward bending may even need surgery to be cured.
"The affected people can feel relaxed after taking pain killers which may not be a permanent cure. If they are diagnosed earlier, it can be even treated with minor strengthening exercise or by wearing neck collar. Otherwise, they may have to undergo surgery," said physiotherapist Dr M Barani Sethu.
The hospitals have also been witnessing more number of patients with muscular bone and joint problems, cervical spondylitis, adhesive capsulitis problems caused by bending of the neck to use the smartphone.
Besides the muscular and bone related problems, the smartphone users are also prone to loss of memory, attention deficiency, delay in reacting to a situation, hearing problems, loss of sperm count, cardiac alignment problems and ringtone phobia, say doctors.
The doctors also raised concern about the width and weight of the phone. The cellphone makers are not bothered about the measurement of the devices, which will affect users, they said.
Neurologist Dr M A Aleem advises people to use small size and light weight phones. "The latest trend of using bigger and heavy phones is not advisable because they strain the hands holding the devices. It will lead to numbness in the long run. The handset should fit the normal expanding position of the hand," said Dr Aleem.
The doctors advise that the problem can be prevented if the smartphone users adjust their holding position to the level of their eyes so that they need not bend over onto the phone.
The constant users of smartphones are not bothered about bending over onto their device to make the most of the options loaded on their favourite gadget.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
International Yoga Day 2015 June 21
First International Yoga Day 2015 June 21
YOGA AND BRAIN
Dr M A Aleem MD DM
Consultant Neurologist
ABC Hospital
Trichy
Tamilnadu India
First I Thank our Prime Minister Narandra Modi for initiating to adopt an International day for our 5000 years old Yoga
Yogis had larger brain volume in the somatosensory cortex, which contains a mental map of our body, the superior parietal cortex, involved in directing attention, and the visual cortex. The hippocampus, a region critical to dampening stress, was also enlarged in practitioners, as were the precuneus and the posterior cingulate cortex, areas key to our concept of self. All these brain areas could be engaged by elements of yoga practice. The yogis dedicated on average about 70 percent of their practice to physical postures, about 20 percent to meditation and 10 percent to breath work, typical of most indian and Western yoga routines.

Yoga can supposedly improve depressive symptoms and immune function, as well as decrease chronic pain, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. These claims have all been made by yogis over the years, and it sounds like a lot of new age foolishness. Surprisingly, however, everything in that list is supported by scientific research.
It may sound like magic that posing like a proud warrior or a crow could have such extensive effects, but it's not magic. It's neurobiology. This next statement may sound to you either profound or extremely obvious, but it comes down to this: the things you do and the thoughts you have change the firing patterns and chemical composition of your brain. Even actions as simple as changing your posture, relaxing the muscles on your face, or slowing your breathing rate, can affect the activity in your brain (beyond, of course, the required activity to make the action). These changes are often transient, but can be long-lasting, particularly if they entail changing a habit.
yoga works not because the poses are relaxing, but because they are stressful. It is your attempts to remain calm during this stress that create yoga's greatest neurobiological benefit.
Your brain tends to react to discomfort and disorientation in an automatic way, by triggering the physiological stress response and activating anxious neural chatter between the prefrontal cortex and the more emotional limbic system. The stress response itself increases the likelihood of anxious thoughts, like "Oh god, I'm going to pull something," or "I can't hold this pushup any longer". And in fact, your anxious thoughts themselves further exacerbate the stress response.
Interestingly, despite all the types of stressful situations a person can be in (standing on your head, running away from a lion, finishing ) the nervous system has just one stress response. The specific thoughts you have may differ, but the brain regions involved, and the physiological response will be the same. The physiological stress response means an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and elevation of cortisol and other stress hormones.
The fascinating thing about the mind-body interaction is that it works both ways. For example, if you're stressed, your muscles will tense (preparing to run away from a lion), and this will lead to more negative thinking. Relaxing those muscles, particularly the facial muscles, will push the brain in the other direction, away from stress, and toward more relaxed thoughts. Similarly, under stress, your breathing rate increases. Slowing down your breathing pushes the brain away from the stress response, and again toward more relaxed thinking.
So how does this all fit together? As already stated before, the stress response in the nervous system is triggered reflexively by discomfort and disorientation. The twisting of your spine, the lactic acid building up in your straining muscles, the uneasy feeling of being upside down, the inability to breathe, are all different forms of discomfort and disorientation, and tend to lead reflexively to anxious thinking and activation of the stress response in the entire nervous system. However, just because this response is automatic, does not mean it is necessary. It is, in fact, just a habit of the brain. One of the main purposes of yoga is to retrain this habit so that your brain stops automatically invoking the stress response
Some people might think that the stress response is an innate reflex and thus can't be changed. To clarify, the response is partly innate and partly learned in early childhood. Yes, the stress response comes already downloaded and installed on your early operating system. However, this tendency is enhanced, by years of reinforcement. In particular, you absorb how those around you, particularly your parents, react to stressful situations. Their reactions get wired into your nervous system. However, just because a habit is innate, and then reinforced, does not mean it is immune to change. Almost any habit can be changed, or at least improved, through repeated action of a new habit.
The poses most people associate with yoga are just a particular way of practicing yoga called the asana practice ("asana" translates to "pose"). The asana practice challenges you in a specific way, but life itself offers plenty of challenges on its own. Under any stressful circumstance you can attempt the same calming techniques: breathing deeply and slowly, relaxing your facial muscles, clearing your head of anxious thoughts, focusing on the present. In fact, applying these techniques to real life is what yoga is all about.
Yoga is simply the process of paying attention to the present moment and calming the mind. Over time you will start to retrain your automatic stress reaction, and replace it with one more conducive to happiness and overall well-being.
I am requesting our PM Modi to declare Yoga as our Indian National Excercise . I am Thanking our Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for including Yoga in school textbook in Tamilnadu the first state in India did this.
YOGA AND BRAIN
Dr M A Aleem MD DM
Consultant Neurologist
ABC Hospital
Trichy
Tamilnadu India
First I Thank our Prime Minister Narandra Modi for initiating to adopt an International day for our 5000 years old Yoga
Yogis had larger brain volume in the somatosensory cortex, which contains a mental map of our body, the superior parietal cortex, involved in directing attention, and the visual cortex. The hippocampus, a region critical to dampening stress, was also enlarged in practitioners, as were the precuneus and the posterior cingulate cortex, areas key to our concept of self. All these brain areas could be engaged by elements of yoga practice. The yogis dedicated on average about 70 percent of their practice to physical postures, about 20 percent to meditation and 10 percent to breath work, typical of most indian and Western yoga routines.

Yoga can supposedly improve depressive symptoms and immune function, as well as decrease chronic pain, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. These claims have all been made by yogis over the years, and it sounds like a lot of new age foolishness. Surprisingly, however, everything in that list is supported by scientific research.
It may sound like magic that posing like a proud warrior or a crow could have such extensive effects, but it's not magic. It's neurobiology. This next statement may sound to you either profound or extremely obvious, but it comes down to this: the things you do and the thoughts you have change the firing patterns and chemical composition of your brain. Even actions as simple as changing your posture, relaxing the muscles on your face, or slowing your breathing rate, can affect the activity in your brain (beyond, of course, the required activity to make the action). These changes are often transient, but can be long-lasting, particularly if they entail changing a habit.
yoga works not because the poses are relaxing, but because they are stressful. It is your attempts to remain calm during this stress that create yoga's greatest neurobiological benefit.
Your brain tends to react to discomfort and disorientation in an automatic way, by triggering the physiological stress response and activating anxious neural chatter between the prefrontal cortex and the more emotional limbic system. The stress response itself increases the likelihood of anxious thoughts, like "Oh god, I'm going to pull something," or "I can't hold this pushup any longer". And in fact, your anxious thoughts themselves further exacerbate the stress response.
Interestingly, despite all the types of stressful situations a person can be in (standing on your head, running away from a lion, finishing ) the nervous system has just one stress response. The specific thoughts you have may differ, but the brain regions involved, and the physiological response will be the same. The physiological stress response means an increase in heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and elevation of cortisol and other stress hormones.
The fascinating thing about the mind-body interaction is that it works both ways. For example, if you're stressed, your muscles will tense (preparing to run away from a lion), and this will lead to more negative thinking. Relaxing those muscles, particularly the facial muscles, will push the brain in the other direction, away from stress, and toward more relaxed thoughts. Similarly, under stress, your breathing rate increases. Slowing down your breathing pushes the brain away from the stress response, and again toward more relaxed thinking.
So how does this all fit together? As already stated before, the stress response in the nervous system is triggered reflexively by discomfort and disorientation. The twisting of your spine, the lactic acid building up in your straining muscles, the uneasy feeling of being upside down, the inability to breathe, are all different forms of discomfort and disorientation, and tend to lead reflexively to anxious thinking and activation of the stress response in the entire nervous system. However, just because this response is automatic, does not mean it is necessary. It is, in fact, just a habit of the brain. One of the main purposes of yoga is to retrain this habit so that your brain stops automatically invoking the stress response
Some people might think that the stress response is an innate reflex and thus can't be changed. To clarify, the response is partly innate and partly learned in early childhood. Yes, the stress response comes already downloaded and installed on your early operating system. However, this tendency is enhanced, by years of reinforcement. In particular, you absorb how those around you, particularly your parents, react to stressful situations. Their reactions get wired into your nervous system. However, just because a habit is innate, and then reinforced, does not mean it is immune to change. Almost any habit can be changed, or at least improved, through repeated action of a new habit.
The poses most people associate with yoga are just a particular way of practicing yoga called the asana practice ("asana" translates to "pose"). The asana practice challenges you in a specific way, but life itself offers plenty of challenges on its own. Under any stressful circumstance you can attempt the same calming techniques: breathing deeply and slowly, relaxing your facial muscles, clearing your head of anxious thoughts, focusing on the present. In fact, applying these techniques to real life is what yoga is all about.
Yoga is simply the process of paying attention to the present moment and calming the mind. Over time you will start to retrain your automatic stress reaction, and replace it with one more conducive to happiness and overall well-being.
I am requesting our PM Modi to declare Yoga as our Indian National Excercise . I am Thanking our Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for including Yoga in school textbook in Tamilnadu the first state in India did this.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Obesity and Brain
Obesity and Brain
Putting on the pounds not only transforms your belly, but it also alters your brain, a number of studies suggest. These brain changes may, in turn, fuel overeating, leading to a vicious cycle that makes losing weight and keeping it off challenging.
There are five ways obesity changes our the brain they are
1.Obesity causes food 'addiction'
Gaining weight may desensitize the brain to the pleasure we get from sugary and fatty foods , prompting us to eat more cookies and cake than we did when we were leaner, research shows. A similar effect is seen in drug users, who eventually require more cocaine or heroin in order to achieve their original high.
In a study published Sept. 29 in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers scanned the brains of women as they drank a milkshake. They saw the sugary drink activated an area known as the striatum. Half a year later, the researchers repeated the experiment on the same women some of whom had gained some weight. The more weight the women had put on in the interim, the less their brains responded to the milkshake in the second experiment.
Research on animals has also shown rats fed a diet rich in sugar and fats are less sensitive to the pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter dopamine.
2.Obesity may make us more impulsive
In obese children, a region of the brain in charge of controlling impulsively, called the orbitofrontal cortex, appears to be shrunken compared with that of lean children, according to a study presented this year at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry meeting in New York. Moreover, the smaller this brain region was, the more likely the adolescents were to eat impulsively, the researchers said.
While the study did not prove a cause-effect link, it's possible that the children's obesity reduced the size of their orbitofrontal cortex , the researchers said. Obesity is known to cause changes to the immune system, boosting inflammation in the body. This increased inflammation may impact the brain and "lead to a vicious cycle, where the obesity leads to inflammation, which damages certain parts of the brain, which in turn leads to more disinhibited eating and more obesity," said study researcher Dr. Antonio Convit, of the New York University School of Medicine.
3.Obesity raises the risk of dementia
Having more belly fat is associated with a decrease in total brain volume in middle-aged adults, according to a study published in May in the journal Annals of Neurology. It's possible that the extra fat triggers inflammation, which puts stress on the body and perhaps impacts the brain, the researchers said. The finding suggests something particular about belly fat, also known as visceral fat the fat located between organs in the abdominal cavity may play a role in reducing brain size. Visceral fat releases a unique profile of hormones, which may impact the body in a manner different from the hormones released by subcutaneous fat, or fat under the skin, the researchers said.
Previous studies have found that people with smaller brain volumes are at higher risk for dementia, and tend to do poorer on cognitive tests.
4.Yo-yo dieting may prompt binge eating under stress
It's not just putting on weight that alters the brain taking it off does too, studies suggest. Dieting may change how the brain responses to stress , so that the next time we find ourselves in a bind, or just plain frazzled, we eat more, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
In the study, researchers put a group of mice on a diet so that they lost 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. Then, the mice were allowed to put the weight back on, similar to the way human dieters often see the pounds creep back. When the mice were exposed to stressful situations, such as hearing sounds at nighttime, they ate more food than those who had never been placed on a diet.
The mice also had what are known as epigenetic changes changes in the way genes are expressed that don't involve changes in the gene sequences themselves particularly in genes involved in regulating responses to stress. The researchers said these modifications may have altered the animals' eating behavior during stress.
5.Obesity harms memory
Obesity may impair memory, at least for women after menopause. A study published July 14 in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society looked at memory test scores for 8,745 women ages 65 to 79. The researchers found a 1-point increase in an woman's body mass index (BMI) was associated with a 1-point decrease on a 100 point memory test.
Hormones released by fat could impair memory, the researchers said. These hormones can cause inflammation, which may affect cognition.
Putting on the pounds not only transforms your belly, but it also alters your brain, a number of studies suggest. These brain changes may, in turn, fuel overeating, leading to a vicious cycle that makes losing weight and keeping it off challenging.
There are five ways obesity changes our the brain they are
1.Obesity causes food 'addiction'
Gaining weight may desensitize the brain to the pleasure we get from sugary and fatty foods , prompting us to eat more cookies and cake than we did when we were leaner, research shows. A similar effect is seen in drug users, who eventually require more cocaine or heroin in order to achieve their original high.
In a study published Sept. 29 in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers scanned the brains of women as they drank a milkshake. They saw the sugary drink activated an area known as the striatum. Half a year later, the researchers repeated the experiment on the same women some of whom had gained some weight. The more weight the women had put on in the interim, the less their brains responded to the milkshake in the second experiment.
Research on animals has also shown rats fed a diet rich in sugar and fats are less sensitive to the pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter dopamine.
2.Obesity may make us more impulsive
In obese children, a region of the brain in charge of controlling impulsively, called the orbitofrontal cortex, appears to be shrunken compared with that of lean children, according to a study presented this year at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry meeting in New York. Moreover, the smaller this brain region was, the more likely the adolescents were to eat impulsively, the researchers said.
While the study did not prove a cause-effect link, it's possible that the children's obesity reduced the size of their orbitofrontal cortex , the researchers said. Obesity is known to cause changes to the immune system, boosting inflammation in the body. This increased inflammation may impact the brain and "lead to a vicious cycle, where the obesity leads to inflammation, which damages certain parts of the brain, which in turn leads to more disinhibited eating and more obesity," said study researcher Dr. Antonio Convit, of the New York University School of Medicine.
3.Obesity raises the risk of dementia
Having more belly fat is associated with a decrease in total brain volume in middle-aged adults, according to a study published in May in the journal Annals of Neurology. It's possible that the extra fat triggers inflammation, which puts stress on the body and perhaps impacts the brain, the researchers said. The finding suggests something particular about belly fat, also known as visceral fat the fat located between organs in the abdominal cavity may play a role in reducing brain size. Visceral fat releases a unique profile of hormones, which may impact the body in a manner different from the hormones released by subcutaneous fat, or fat under the skin, the researchers said.
Previous studies have found that people with smaller brain volumes are at higher risk for dementia, and tend to do poorer on cognitive tests.
4.Yo-yo dieting may prompt binge eating under stress
It's not just putting on weight that alters the brain taking it off does too, studies suggest. Dieting may change how the brain responses to stress , so that the next time we find ourselves in a bind, or just plain frazzled, we eat more, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the Journal of Neuroscience.
In the study, researchers put a group of mice on a diet so that they lost 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. Then, the mice were allowed to put the weight back on, similar to the way human dieters often see the pounds creep back. When the mice were exposed to stressful situations, such as hearing sounds at nighttime, they ate more food than those who had never been placed on a diet.
The mice also had what are known as epigenetic changes changes in the way genes are expressed that don't involve changes in the gene sequences themselves particularly in genes involved in regulating responses to stress. The researchers said these modifications may have altered the animals' eating behavior during stress.
5.Obesity harms memory
Obesity may impair memory, at least for women after menopause. A study published July 14 in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society looked at memory test scores for 8,745 women ages 65 to 79. The researchers found a 1-point increase in an woman's body mass index (BMI) was associated with a 1-point decrease on a 100 point memory test.
Hormones released by fat could impair memory, the researchers said. These hormones can cause inflammation, which may affect cognition.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Parents take the ‘smart’ route to motivate kids
Parents take the ‘smart’ route to motivate kids
TNN | Jun 7, 2015, 03.21AM IST
Times of India Trichy
TRICHY/ CHENNAI: Gone are the days when scoring well in exams earned you a watch, shoes or at the most a bicycle. In the age of latest gizmos, parents promise nothing less than smart phones, tabs and highend bicycles if their children manage to clear the first hurdle of their life with flying colours.
R Manoharan from Trichy bought his son a smart phone when he scored 492 marks in his Class 10 exams. "As a father it is my responsibility to fulfill my son's wishes especially when he has kept his part of the deal and done well in the exam," he said. Needless to say the 15-year-old was enthused and excited about his new gift. "The smart phone is a necessity these days and it is not for showing off but to have the entire world at your fingertip," said Manoharan. Many parents say they have actually been able to encourage their children with the promise of a costly gift.
But psychologists and academicians are not much in favour of the trend. "More than a gadget, parents should ensure that their children have enough relaxation in the post-exam days. They can take them for a vacation or even to some nice picnic spot instead of letting them be holed up in the room with their laptops or smart phones," said former vice-principal of KAPVGMC, Trichy, Dr MA Aleem.

Many councellors say that having a smartphone doesn't ensure more knowledge especially at such a young age. "Children do not know how to use a smart phone for their own good and the gift may end up harming them," said motivational counsellor Paul Guna Loganath, Trichy.
Promise of expensive gifts can also act as distraction as in the case of 15- year- old David D'Souza (name changed) from a state board school in Chennai whose parents promised him a high-speed bike provided he fared well in his board exams. He was in Class 11 and the boy could not focus on his studies. Every time he opened his books, he could only dream of his bike, visualize its colour and make and failed to concentrate on his studies. He had to seek help of a counsellor to bring back his concentration. "The gift, meant to motivate him, ended up being his biggest distraction before exam," says adolescent physician and paediatrician, Dr S Yamuna.
Many parents are of the opinion that smart gifts can be given only if they are used under parental supervision. Sam Daniels, a media personality, gifted his daughter a smart phone after her Class 10 results and even shared the news on his social networking site. "For children a cell phone is a must these days, especially because they go out for tuitions and other classes. I have not activated 3G pack on my daughter's phone and she is allowed to use only the wifi at home. We keep an eye on the sites she browses and she is not allowed to keep the phone switched on at night." Daniels acknowledges that excessive use of gizmos may be detrimental but a costly gift doesn't mean unlimited access and the trick lies in maintaining that balance, he feels.
Psychologists, however, say that expressing emotion, hugging and kissing children for studying, encourage them more to strive harder towards their goals than any latest gadget ever will.
TNN | Jun 7, 2015, 03.21AM IST
Times of India Trichy
TRICHY/ CHENNAI: Gone are the days when scoring well in exams earned you a watch, shoes or at the most a bicycle. In the age of latest gizmos, parents promise nothing less than smart phones, tabs and highend bicycles if their children manage to clear the first hurdle of their life with flying colours.
R Manoharan from Trichy bought his son a smart phone when he scored 492 marks in his Class 10 exams. "As a father it is my responsibility to fulfill my son's wishes especially when he has kept his part of the deal and done well in the exam," he said. Needless to say the 15-year-old was enthused and excited about his new gift. "The smart phone is a necessity these days and it is not for showing off but to have the entire world at your fingertip," said Manoharan. Many parents say they have actually been able to encourage their children with the promise of a costly gift.
But psychologists and academicians are not much in favour of the trend. "More than a gadget, parents should ensure that their children have enough relaxation in the post-exam days. They can take them for a vacation or even to some nice picnic spot instead of letting them be holed up in the room with their laptops or smart phones," said former vice-principal of KAPVGMC, Trichy, Dr MA Aleem.

Many councellors say that having a smartphone doesn't ensure more knowledge especially at such a young age. "Children do not know how to use a smart phone for their own good and the gift may end up harming them," said motivational counsellor Paul Guna Loganath, Trichy.
Promise of expensive gifts can also act as distraction as in the case of 15- year- old David D'Souza (name changed) from a state board school in Chennai whose parents promised him a high-speed bike provided he fared well in his board exams. He was in Class 11 and the boy could not focus on his studies. Every time he opened his books, he could only dream of his bike, visualize its colour and make and failed to concentrate on his studies. He had to seek help of a counsellor to bring back his concentration. "The gift, meant to motivate him, ended up being his biggest distraction before exam," says adolescent physician and paediatrician, Dr S Yamuna.
Many parents are of the opinion that smart gifts can be given only if they are used under parental supervision. Sam Daniels, a media personality, gifted his daughter a smart phone after her Class 10 results and even shared the news on his social networking site. "For children a cell phone is a must these days, especially because they go out for tuitions and other classes. I have not activated 3G pack on my daughter's phone and she is allowed to use only the wifi at home. We keep an eye on the sites she browses and she is not allowed to keep the phone switched on at night." Daniels acknowledges that excessive use of gizmos may be detrimental but a costly gift doesn't mean unlimited access and the trick lies in maintaining that balance, he feels.
Psychologists, however, say that expressing emotion, hugging and kissing children for studying, encourage them more to strive harder towards their goals than any latest gadget ever will.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
World Environment Day 2015 June 5 Theme : sustainable lifestyles.
World Environment Day 2015 June 5 Theme : sustainable lifestyles.
Every year, the United Nations Environment Program honors World Environment Day on June 5 to raise awareness about environmental issues and call for action.
The UN Environment Program just announced the theme of this year’s event: sustainable lifestyles.
The topic is a particularly powerful one, because there’s room for everyone to take a moment to question how we live and how it impacts the planet. The theme asks everyone to evaluate our consumer habits: how we shop, eat and travel.
The UN Environment Programme says creating more sustainable lifestyles is crucial.
By 2050, if current consumption and production patterns remain the same and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, we will need three planets to sustain our way of life. Living well within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future.
Every year, the United Nations Environment Program honors World Environment Day on June 5 to raise awareness about environmental issues and call for action.
The UN Environment Program just announced the theme of this year’s event: sustainable lifestyles.
The topic is a particularly powerful one, because there’s room for everyone to take a moment to question how we live and how it impacts the planet. The theme asks everyone to evaluate our consumer habits: how we shop, eat and travel.
The UN Environment Programme says creating more sustainable lifestyles is crucial.
By 2050, if current consumption and production patterns remain the same and with a rising population expected to reach 9.6 billion, we will need three planets to sustain our way of life. Living well within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2015: Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2015: Stop illicit trade of tobacco products
One in every 10 cigarettes, and many other tobacco products, consumed worldwide are illegal, making the illicit trade of tobacco products a major global concern from many perspectives, including health, legal, economic, governance and corruption. The tobacco industry and criminal groups are among those who profit from the illegal tobacco trade, leaving the public to pay the health and security costs. Ratification by governments of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is necessary to respond to the financial, legal and health impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products. The public, academia and other sectors can take action by urging their lawmakers to make their countries Parties to the Protocol
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030.
Nearly 80% of the world's one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Surveillance is key
Good monitoring tracks the extent and character of the tobacco epidemic and indicates how best to tailor policies. Only one in four countries, representing just over a third of the world's population, monitor tobacco use by repeating nationally representative youth and adult surveys at least once every five years.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Tobacco users need help to quit
Studies show that few people understand the specific health risks of tobacco use. For example, a 2009 survey in China revealed that only 38% of smokers knew that smoking causes coronary heart disease and only 27% knew that it causes stroke.
Among smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most want to quit. Counselling and medication can more than double the chance that a smoker who tries to quit will succeed.
National comprehensive cessation services with full or partial cost-coverage are available to assist tobacco users to quit in only 21 countries, representing 15% of the world's population.
There is no cessation assistance of any kind in one-quarter of low-income countries.
Picture warnings work
Hard-hitting anti-tobacco advertisements and graphic pack warnings – especially those that include pictures – reduce the number of children who begin smoking and increase the number of smokers who quit.
Graphic warnings can persuade smokers to protect the health of non-smokers by smoking less inside the home and avoiding smoking near children. Studies carried out after the implementation of pictorial package warnings in Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand consistently show that pictorial warnings significantly increase people's awareness of the harms of tobacco use.
Just 30 countries, representing 14% of the world's population, meet the best practice for pictorial warnings, which includes the warnings in the local language and cover an average of at least half of the front and back of cigarette packs. Most of these countries are low- or middle-income countries.
Mass media campaigns can also reduce tobacco consumption, by influencing people to protect non-smokers and convincing youths to stop using tobacco.
Over half of the world's population live in the 37 countries that have implemented at least one strong anti-tobacco mass media campaign within the last two years.
Ad bans lower consumption
Bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship can reduce tobacco consumption.
A comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship could decrease tobacco consumption by an average of about 7%, with some countries experiencing a decline in consumption of up to 16%.
Only 24 countries, representing 10% of the world’s population, have completely banned all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Around one country in three has minimal or no restrictions at all on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. . A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and about 5% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
WHO response
WHO is committed to fighting the global tobacco epidemic. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control entered into force in February 2005. Since then, it has become one of the most widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations with 178 Parties covering 89% of the world's population. The WHO Framework Convention is WHO's most important tobacco control tool and a milestone in the promotion of public health. It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of people to the highest standard of health, provides legal dimensions for international health cooperation and sets high standards for compliance.
In 2008, WHO introduced a practical, cost-effective way to scale up implementation of provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on the ground: MPOWER. Each MPOWER measure corresponds to at least one provision of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The 6 MPOWER measures are:
Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
Protect people from tobacco use
Offer help to quit tobacco use
Warn about the dangers of tobacco
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Raise taxes on tobacco.
For more details on progress made for tobacco control at global, regional and country level, please refer to the series of WHO reports on the global tobacco epidemic.
One in every 10 cigarettes, and many other tobacco products, consumed worldwide are illegal, making the illicit trade of tobacco products a major global concern from many perspectives, including health, legal, economic, governance and corruption. The tobacco industry and criminal groups are among those who profit from the illegal tobacco trade, leaving the public to pay the health and security costs. Ratification by governments of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products is necessary to respond to the financial, legal and health impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products. The public, academia and other sectors can take action by urging their lawmakers to make their countries Parties to the Protocol
Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030.
Nearly 80% of the world's one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries.
Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing nearly six million people a year. More than five million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while more than 600 000 are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.
Nearly 80% of the more than one billion smokers worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest.
Tobacco users who die prematurely deprive their families of income, raise the cost of health care and hinder economic development.
In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to "green tobacco sickness", which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.
Gradual killer
Because there is a lag of several years between when people start using tobacco and when their health suffers, the epidemic of tobacco-related disease and death has just begun.
Tobacco caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century. If current trends continue, it may cause one billion deaths in the 21st century.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths will increase to more than eight million per year by 2030. More than 80% of those deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries.
Surveillance is key
Good monitoring tracks the extent and character of the tobacco epidemic and indicates how best to tailor policies. Only one in four countries, representing just over a third of the world's population, monitor tobacco use by repeating nationally representative youth and adult surveys at least once every five years.
Second-hand smoke kills
Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills restaurants, offices or other enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as cigarettes, bidis and water pipes. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
In adults, second-hand smoke causes serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In infants, it causes sudden death. In pregnant women, it causes low birth weight.
Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places.
Over 40% of children have at least one smoking parent.
Second-hand smoke causes more than 600 000 premature deaths per year.
In 2004, children accounted for 28% of the deaths attributable to second-hand smoke.
Every person should be able to breathe tobacco-smoke-free air. Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers, are popular, do not harm business and encourage smokers to quit.
Over 1 billion people, or 16% of the world's population, are protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws.
Tobacco users need help to quit
Studies show that few people understand the specific health risks of tobacco use. For example, a 2009 survey in China revealed that only 38% of smokers knew that smoking causes coronary heart disease and only 27% knew that it causes stroke.
Among smokers who are aware of the dangers of tobacco, most want to quit. Counselling and medication can more than double the chance that a smoker who tries to quit will succeed.
National comprehensive cessation services with full or partial cost-coverage are available to assist tobacco users to quit in only 21 countries, representing 15% of the world's population.
There is no cessation assistance of any kind in one-quarter of low-income countries.
Picture warnings work
Hard-hitting anti-tobacco advertisements and graphic pack warnings – especially those that include pictures – reduce the number of children who begin smoking and increase the number of smokers who quit.
Graphic warnings can persuade smokers to protect the health of non-smokers by smoking less inside the home and avoiding smoking near children. Studies carried out after the implementation of pictorial package warnings in Brazil, Canada, Singapore and Thailand consistently show that pictorial warnings significantly increase people's awareness of the harms of tobacco use.
Just 30 countries, representing 14% of the world's population, meet the best practice for pictorial warnings, which includes the warnings in the local language and cover an average of at least half of the front and back of cigarette packs. Most of these countries are low- or middle-income countries.
Mass media campaigns can also reduce tobacco consumption, by influencing people to protect non-smokers and convincing youths to stop using tobacco.
Over half of the world's population live in the 37 countries that have implemented at least one strong anti-tobacco mass media campaign within the last two years.
Ad bans lower consumption
Bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship can reduce tobacco consumption.
A comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship could decrease tobacco consumption by an average of about 7%, with some countries experiencing a decline in consumption of up to 16%.
Only 24 countries, representing 10% of the world’s population, have completely banned all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Around one country in three has minimal or no restrictions at all on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Taxes discourage tobacco use
Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use, especially among young people and poor people. . A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and about 5% in low- and middle-income countries.
Even so, high tobacco taxes is a measure that is rarely used. Only 32 countries, less than 8% of the world's population, have tobacco tax rates greater than 75% of the retail price. Tobacco tax revenues are on average 175 times higher than spending on tobacco control, based on available data.
WHO response
WHO is committed to fighting the global tobacco epidemic. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control entered into force in February 2005. Since then, it has become one of the most widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations with 178 Parties covering 89% of the world's population. The WHO Framework Convention is WHO's most important tobacco control tool and a milestone in the promotion of public health. It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of people to the highest standard of health, provides legal dimensions for international health cooperation and sets high standards for compliance.
In 2008, WHO introduced a practical, cost-effective way to scale up implementation of provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on the ground: MPOWER. Each MPOWER measure corresponds to at least one provision of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The 6 MPOWER measures are:
Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies
Protect people from tobacco use
Offer help to quit tobacco use
Warn about the dangers of tobacco
Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Raise taxes on tobacco.
For more details on progress made for tobacco control at global, regional and country level, please refer to the series of WHO reports on the global tobacco epidemic.
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