Health news – Arquibio

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.7 million children under the age of 5 die each year from environmental pollution.

The pollution of our planet does not only have an impact on the environment, it also obviously affects humans and especially children. This is what this recent statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) says, stressing that 1.7 million children under the age of 5 die each year from pollution.

There are many causes. The WHO estimates that 570,000 children die each year from infections linked to the respiratory system, which are directly linked to indoor and outdoor pollution, as well as passive smoking. 361,000 children die before the age of 5 due to illnesses linked to diarrhea, contracted due to poor access to clean water and, in fact, good hygiene. The remaining 600,000 deaths, detailed by WHO, include problems linked to water and air pollution, but also to diseases directly linked to the environment, such as malaria.

Between 11 and 14% of Children Have Asthma

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, explains that a polluted environment is deadly, especially for young children. Their developing organs, immune systems, bodies and smaller airways make them much more vulnerable to pollution and polluted water. WHO also highlights the negative consequences of these problems, which have a real impact on the growth of children around the world.

In fact between 11% and 14% of children suffer from asthma, 44% of these cases are linked to pollution. Without forgetting the chemicals present in food, such as pesticides composed of fluoride, lead and mercury, and other toxic substances, like paints containing lead. The growing increase in electronic waste is also alarming WHO.

Invest in a Greener World

Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health said that a polluted environment has a very negative impact on the health of our children. Investing in the elimination of environmental risks, by improving water quality or using less polluting fuels, will bring huge health benefits. The world needs better better waste management solutions in order to combat that rampant pollution problem.

The solutions presented by the organization aim to renew urban environments with the improvement of public structures such as hospitals and schools, the increase of green areas and public transport in cities, as well as the phase out of pesticides and chemicals in several household cleaning products.

Can algorithms help fight noise pollution

You will have to train them first.

Scientists want to reduce noise pollution by using algorithms. Through a network involving computers and citizens, they want to identify the sounds that accumulate in New York.

Air conditioning, car horn, street music, sirens: what if we taught computers to recognize the different sounds of noise pollution? This is the objective pursued by Sonyc in New York, a project carried out by a group of scientists.

Their work, presented in the journal Communications of the ACM in February 2019, is based on the use of sensors and a machine listening system. It consists of training algorithms to recognize the sounds of New York City in real time.

A Network of Acoustic Sensors

The tool must therefore be trained to describe precisely what is the origin of the noises that pollute the sound environment of New Yorkers. The sounds will be recorded by the acoustic sensors, which are manufactured using Raspberry Pi nanocomputers and microphones. Each unit costs around 80 dollars to produce.

The inventors of Sonyc also want citizens to participate in the process, by passing noise deemed undesirable to an application (which has not yet been developed). Its users will be able to view data annotated by other people. One of the objectives would also be to be able to alert the authorities through the app.

The result of all these observations could then be presented to the competent authorities, in order to better identify the urban areas subject to certain types of noise pollution, a road axis regularly congested, for example. For the time being, the creators of this system have yet to deploy and test it in real conditions. They hope the results will allow Sonyc to be used across the United States.

And humans are not the only ones to suffer from noise pollution: some animals must adapt as well to continue living in the city.

It’s easy to see what are the causes of obesity on the surface; consuming more than what you can burn through physical exertion and activity will lead to weight gain and/or obesity. Though this is true, it may not be the entire case.

Each and every one of us are different – from the way we look, move, speak and act. Even our preference with food is different. These all are stemming from our genetic make up. And the risk factors that cause obesity can be a combination of genes, lifestyle choices and metabolic factors. Health conditions can also contribute to weight gain.

Genes

Is your mom and dad fit? Is one of them obese? Studies say that “fat genes” are real. You can inherit obesity from your parents if one of them is overweight or obese. If one or both of your parents is obese, you are 25% more likely to become obese yourself.

The areas where you carry weight depend on your heredity as well. If one of your parents carry the weight in the middle or hips area, you are most likely to get that too.

Choices in Lifestyle

If you are living a very sedentary lifestyle, even if you’re eating healthily, you are most likely to still gain some weight. Making sure that you burn more than what you eat will help you stay fit. Life choices is an extremely important factor when it comes to preventing or treating obesity.

If you prefer sugary, high in fat, refined foods, chances are you’ll still gain the pounds. As people prefer to eat-and-go, more people tend to choose fast food. This is not the kind of lifestyle you should take. A balanced diet and controlled portions should be your choice.

Metabolic System and Hormones

The calories from the food we eat becomes the energy we use to fuel our bodies. Though all of us use calories as the basic energy unit, we all metabolize differently. This means, the way you expend energy may not be the same as your sister’s. Metabolic rate is different for everyone. However, it also plays a vital role in determining your weight.

This is also the same with hunger. Hunger can also be triggered by hormones – even though you just ate 30 minutes ago. Hunger and appetite is dependent on how much ghrelin is released in your body. Hormones also play a part in the feeling of fullness.

Treating Obesity For Adults

Setting a goal is the important part in treating obesity. While some people may want to lose weight due to fashion, societal or vanity reasons, it is a must that losing as little as 10% of your current body weight will have a huge improvement in your health. The positive effects of losing as little as 10 pounds will alleviate some stress on your organs. No two people are alike.

A weight loss plan for you may not work for the other. Stick to a plan that works for you. The best method in losing the weight is to take it slowly. Often times, quick loss will spur up weight gain as soon as you slow down. Planning for a 2 lbs loss per week is more preferable. If you keep this course for the next 3 years, you’ll lose around 70 lbs for good.

In the end, it is the life choices that you make that will matter. Obesity is not easy to treat, as obesity can also affect your mentality and emotions. As mentioned, setting a goal is very important, but staying on the goal is the key to a successful weight loss. If you are an individual who is suffering with obesity, check with your physician on options that you can take to become better.