Government Jobs | Sarkari Jobs | Bank Jobs India

Crop of Children with various body composition...

By Sushma Veera

CHILDREN need lots of 'nutritional fuel' because they are growing. A varied and nutritious diet is essential for their development. However, like adults, if they take in more energy - in the form of food - than they use up, the extra energy is stored in their bodies as fat.

Being a few extra pounds overweight does not mean a child is obese, although this may indicate the child's tendency to gain weight easily, and a need for changes in diet and exercise.

Obesity means having too much body fat. Unlike adults, the acceptable amount of fat in a child changes as he/she matures from infancy to toddlerhood, through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Therefore, there isn't a fixed Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-off that defines obesity in children (paediatricians use a BMI centile chart to measure obesity). The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines overweight as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25 and obesity of at least 30. However, studies have shown that the health risks of increased body fat rise progressively above BMI levels of 20-22.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Chow Su Lin said a child is defined as obese if their weight is more than 20 per cent higher than the ideal weight for a boy or girl of their age. It is among the easiest medical conditions to recognise, but among the most difficult to treat.

Obesity most commonly begins in childhood between the ages of five and six, and during adolescence. Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 per cent chance of becoming an obese adult.

In a large-scale study conducted by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Peninsular Malaysia in 2000, it was discovered that 11 per cent of children between the ages of six to 12 were overweight and six per cent were obese.

In a study of primary school children (seven to 10 years old) in almost all schools in Kuala Lumpur conducted around the same time, about 8.4 per cent of them were found to be overweight.

How do you know if your child's weight gain is normal and when it's leading to childhood obesity?

"Children who take in more calories than they need gain weight beyond what's needed to support their growing frames. In these cases, the added weight increases their risk of obesity and weight-related health problems," said Dr Chow.

She said childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds put them at a dangerous headstart for adult-type health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which can lead to serious adult medical conditions, such as heart disease, heart failure and stroke.

"Preventing or treating obesity in children may reduce the risk of their developing these conditions as they get older. One of the best strategies to combat excess weight in your children is to improve the diet and exercise levels of your entire family. This helps protect the health of your children now and in the future.

"The key to ensure children of all ages are at a healthy weight is by formulating a whole-family approach. It's the `practice what you preach' mentality," she added.

She said parents should commit themselves to new, healthy habits and behaviours as a family, with all members sticking to the plan. If not, your child may feel singled-out, deprived or resentful.

There are several ways to achieve this, and it involves eating a healthy diet and increasing the child's activity level.

Said Dr Chow: "Parents are the ones who buy the food, cook the food and decide where the food is eaten. When buying groceries, choose fruits and vegetables over convenience foods high in sugar and fat. Always have healthy snacks available. And never use food as a reward or punishment."

Limit sweetened beverages, including those containing fruit juice. These drinks provide little nutritional value in exchange for their high calories. They also can make your child feel too full to eat healthier foods.

Dr Chow said physical activity is also important as it not only burns calories, but can improve your bones and muscles; reduce the risk of contracting diabetes, abnormal cholesterol and heart disease; and increase your overall energy levels.

Tips to avoid falling into some common eating behaviour traps:

* Don't reward children for good behaviour or try to stop bad behaviour with sweets or treats. Come up with other solutions to modify their behaviour.

* Don't maintain a clean-plate policy. Be aware of kids' hunger cues. Even babies who turn away from the bottle or breast send signals that they're full. If kids are satisfi ed, don't force them to continue eating. Reinforce the idea that they should only eat when they're hungry.

* Don't talk about `bad foods' or completely eliminate all sweets and favourite snacks from overweight children's diets. Children may rebel and over-eat these forbidden foods outside the home or sneak them in on their own.

Many factors, usually working in combination, increase your child's risk of becoming overweight:

* Diet - Regular consumption of high-calorie foods, fast foods, baked goods and vending-machine snacks, contribute to weight gain. High-fat foods are dense in calories. Loading up on soft drinks, candy and desserts can also cause weight gain.

* Inactivity - Sedentary kids are more likely to gain weight because they don't burn calories through physical activity. Popular, inactive leisure activities, such as watching television or playing video games, contribute to the problem.

* Genetics - If your child comes from a family of overweight people, he or she may be genetically predisposed to put on excess weight, especially in an environment where high-calorie food is always available and physical activity isn't encouraged.

* Psychological factors - Some children overeat to cope with problems or to deal with emotions, such as stress or boredom. Their parents may have similar tendencies.

Home/

True Finns And Fake Finns

Home/

Malaysian Beach Paradise: Perhentian Islands

Perhentian Islands are a paradise for swimmers and divers: water like gin and no poisonous jellyfish around.

We were practically all the time in the sea swimming. We haven't had many chances to enjoy jellyfish-free seas during the last years. Penang coast has jellyfish. In Mombasa, one jellyfish found Päivi right away when we went swimming for the first time in Diani Beach. Before that we were staying in the Mediterranean which is unfortunately also infested with the nasty swimming companions. Some days were OK to swim but many times we went to the beach just to see the warning flags.

A paradise for msg and meat eaters

There is not much else to do in Perhentian than swim, dive and sunbathe. It is a perfect place to chill out. For party animals the place is probably a disappointment as alcohol is not widely available and it is rather expensive. Just a few days before we arrived, the police had raided all the bars and destroyed one of them.

We enjoyed the peace and quiet. Food was the only thing that made us return to the mainland. There were no vegan and msg-free food available in the restaurants and when we bought toast—the only food available apart from flesh-flavoured instant noodles—fearless giant rats raced our chalet all night long to get their share of the toast. It was a sleepless night.

Good old island scams

Compared to other South-East Asian tropical islands, it is pretty much the same. There are scams when getting into the island. In addition to the jetty ticket, 50 Malaysian ringgits (12€) for return, you have to pay an extra 5-ringgit (1€) conservation fee. It is a government enforced fee. Poor Malaysia needs desperately the money for keeping the beaches clean. Despite our donation, there was some trash on the beaches, but not too much. This kind of milking foreigners reminded us of Gili Air in Indonesia and Jericoacoara in Brazil. Remote locations that require special transportation are always perfect spots for rip-offs.

If you go to the Small Island, don't take the offer to go straight to the Long Beach. They will call a special taxi boat which costs you extra. The way from Coral Bay to the Long Beach is only a 10-minute walk. From the Long Beach you can get a chalet with 20-40 ringgits (5-10€) with shared shower and toilet facilities. Not bad!

Home/

Living in Penang, Malaysia

We spent the last couple of months in Penang, Malaysia. The island is interesting with its Malaysian mix of people. There are the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians plus a lot of Western pensioners who are after warmer weather and cheaper living.

The island is densely populated and touristy, much more than we expected. Some parts remind Spain's Costa del Sol with ugly highrisers and terrible traffic. It is a pity because the island itself is beautiful. There are only a few unspoilt places left.

We had a chance to live in a Chinese neighbourhood away from the hassle. People greeted us in the street and dog owners stopped to talk with us. Because we were always walking, people offered us rides probably thinking that we are too poor to own a motorbike. Sometimes they thought we were lost because we were so far away from the touristy areas where the Westerners hang out.

Easy Living

The tiny island is quickly explored. Normally a couple of days should be enough for a visit. We stayed longer because we finished writing the Finnish manuscript Urban Nomads—Adventurers or Vagrants which was interrupted in Africa by the scamming landlord. We had a possibility of signing a rent agreement of a nice condo with a sauna, swimming pool and gym at affordable price for one year but we thought the contract was too long and flat too big. Now that the manuscript is in commentator's hands for some months, we are free to explore.

The weather is quite nice outside the monsoon season which is supposed to be from November until February. This year March and April were exceptional. There was plenty of torrential rain. On some days, we couldn't take our daily walk. The humidity makes everything grow mold so we experienced some flu-like symptoms like coughing. In Malaysia mold is considered an aesthetic problem rather than a health hazard. The marks are covered by paint. We are using vinegar to kill the mold.

Penang is good if you want low living costs and easy living without much excitement. That is why so many pensioners choose Penang. For Europeans, the visas are easy. You get automatically three months which is renewed with every exit for free.

Home/

Cerebral Malaria in Africa

There are many man-eaters dwelling in Africa, but the most dangerous ones are the mosquitoes. We decided to travel without preventive malaria medication and here is how we did it. The next twelve months will show how successful that was.

There are many variants of malaria. The most dangerous and common species of malaria parasites is P. falciparum causing cerebral malaria. It is responsible for 80% of all infections and 90% of all deaths. Within 24 hours, it reaches the brain and can cause coma, which reduces the chances of survival significantly. A mosquito gets the malaria parasite by biting someone who has malaria and then transmits it to everyone she bites. The only effective way to not get it is stay out of Africa or avoid mosquito bites. We chose the latter option.

A Deadly Nightly Hazard

Malaria mosquitoes are active at night. Some people told us that the dangerous time begins at 8pm, others talked about 10pm. We went to bed at sunset around 7pm and woke up around 5am at sunrise. At night, the most common way to protect yourself is to sleep under a mosquito net. The net is hanged from a hook in the ceiling. We had a few times some very well fed mosquitoes inside the net. The first one was hiding under the bed when we lowered the net and the second time happened when there was a dog sleeping in the same room. In the middle of the night, she jumped to our bed opening the net for unwanted visitors. It can become quite hot inside the net as it also hinders air flow and blocks the effect of a fan.

Another option is to use insect poison to kill mosquitoes. There are devices spreading poison all night long. All you have to do is to remember to refill the poison liquid, or change the poison pad, and plug the device. This means that also you will be inhaling the poison. The room has to be relatively air tight and there shouldn't be any screens on the windows. Otherwise the poison will flow out without expected effect.

The last night in Africa we stayed in Jollyboys' Backpackers Hostel in Livingstone, Zambia (see the photo). It was the rainy season meaning also mosquito high season in one of the worst malaria areas in Africa. We were quite surprised to see that in our dormitory of sixteen people we were the only ones having a net, which we had to go and buy by ourselves because the hostel offered none, nor spraying or any other protective measures.

Medication benefits only the drug factories

From what we learned from Africans we met, the malaria has resistance to the drugs taken in advance that medicine factories eagerly promote in Europe. That's why we decided not to take anything. In the best case, we would have gotten a false feeling of security and in the worst some nasty side-effects. Folklore is also suggesting that eating a lot of raw garlic helps to keep mosquitoes away. We did that, too, as we love raw garlic, but the only definitive reaction we received was empty seats around us in buses and aeroplanes.

There is no way to predict the malaria risk. We met many people who had lived decades in Africa without medication and had never had malaria, so there seems to be hope. But on the other hand, we also met people who only stayed in Africa for a couple of weeks and got sick right away. If you want to be on the safe side, it is perhaps best not to travel to malaria areas at all. Trying to avoid mosquitoes is quite stressing and no matter how careful you are, some of them will anyway bite you.

Key words: Malaria, prevention, preventive, medicine, P. falciparum, Tanzania, Zambia, mosquito, poison, net, medication, cerebral, brain, hospital, antimalaria, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, lariam, primaquine, atovaquone, proguanil, malarone, heliopar.

Home/