Health in the News: Sex & Relationships

Health in the News

Vietnamese see funny side of sex, Ha Mi (BBC Vietnamese Service), November 4, 2009

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8325827.stm


Summary:
In most cultures, the topic of "sex" is very taboo, especially in Asian cultures, but the Vietnamese approach this topic using humor to make it less awkward and uncomfortable. A survey was conducted, showing data such as an increasing number of people are having sex below the age consent and how sex seemed to be a one-sided argument. Young children and teenagers are not fully educated about sex; so, it leads to dilemmas, such as unprotected sex and an increase in people contracting HIV. Additionally, the issue of sex is sexist and Hong Hanh, radio presenter, said, "All male callers said that sex before marriage for men is normal and okay, but they would not want to get married to someone who has lost her virginity through sex." Nevertheless,light-hearted jokes are still made around the household and Vinh shares his experience, "My parents say if you get her pregnant before marriage, you both won't be allowed to go in the house by the front door." But, will these jokes ever educated young children about sex and its dangers?


Big Meaning:
One could say that some parents find it hard to talk to children about sex, and not educating children will lead to greater consequences later on. It affects the world and community socially, emotionally, and physically. Socially, the community would be affected since teaching young teens about sex will be beneficial. However, it depends on the community. If the community is as conservative as Vietnam or as liberal as the United States, there will be different outcomes in the willingness to educated young minds about sex. If not properly educated about sex, teens will experience an emotional roller-coaster because you never know what might happen after two teens conduct in unprotected/protected intercourse. After the ordeal, the partner would either leave the other or face certain extreme consequences, such as pregnancy. In the end, it comes to the physical health implications. In terms of physical, unprotected sex will lead to sexually transmitted disease or teen pregnancy, both of which will affect both partners physically. Therefore, there are many consequences that will happen if a child is not properly educated in sex and its dangers. Additionally, the increase in contracting STD will affect the world since people are now able to travel, so there will be a high chance of spreading these diseases. In brief, the big meaning is young minds must be educated in sex so they will know the consequences of unprotected sex before it's too late!


Personal Meaning:
This issue struck me as interesting and it reflects my culture as well since I believe that Asians are not keen on talking about sex to their children. Even though some parents are fine with it, some parents will make jokes about sex to make themselves and the kid feel less awkward. I felt this issue of using sex as a joke topic to be very strange since it does benefit the kids, but it doesn't have an underlying meaning. Additionally, you could not blame the parents since they are just repeating the cycle again to the next generation. Similarly, my parents and I never talk about sex since I feel it's awkward and I never bothered asking them about it. So, just like the young Vietnamese kid, I know their situation. But thanks to Health class I took in Grade 8, 9, and currently 10, I know more about sex and its dangers. But I wish the schools in Vietnam will conduct a sex education course so that there will be less teen pregnancies and less people suffering from STDs.

What is the Most Dangerous Drug?

The most dangerous drug is Inhalants because they can be found everywhere. Even though they are not publicized as much as the illicit drugs, they are still very harmful because they are household items. By not making the public aware of inhalants, many people are addicted to them. Therefore, inhalants are very harmful because they are like the silent drugs.

Inhalants come in many different forms, such as solvents and aerosol. Solvents, liquids which vaporize at room temperature, are inexpensive and can easily be found in household appliance stores. Examples of Solvents are: paint thinner and removers, glues, correction fluids, and felt-tip marker fluids. Aerosol, sprays containing propellant and solvents, can be found in spray paint, deodorant, hair spray, and fabric protector spray.

Inhalants are psychoactive drugs, so they are mind-altering. According to NIDA, inhalants are the first drugs that young children are exposed too. About 3.0% of children in the United States have tried inhalants before reaching the 4th grade, so inhalants are more likely problematic for children. However, the habit of using inhalants may follow through adulthood, so it acts as a gateway drug, I suppose.


Additionally, inhalants can cause brain damages, such as shrinkage of the brain, since inhalants make the person delirious, and may lead to confused thinking...

All in all, inhalants have the same effects as a hallucinogen or psychoactive illicit drug, but the only difference is that we are exposed to it everyday...

So Beware when you Open that Marker

Personal Food and Excersise Analysis

Food Intake

Physical Activity


Evaluation

Positives of Diet Summary:
My Grains are good because I get to be consistent with 6 oz, as recommended, due to my rice intake. Also, I'm proud of my Fruits and Vegetables because I never realized I ate that much amount of fruits and veggies. Also, the amount of saturated fat (7% taken in) is within a good range (less than 10%). Additionally, my cholesterol level is better than I had expected since I always believed that I ate too many cholesterol-type foods.

Negatives of my Diet Summary:

I have 2246 calories rather than 2130 (recommended), and it is bad for me to gain a lot of calories, which turns into fat if I don't burn them off doing physical exercise. Also, the dairy intake I had on that day was poor, and I would have gotten 0 oz of Milk intake if it wasn't for the yogurt I had at night. However, I find it odd that the total fat of the foods I ate came out a poor on the Dietary Guidelines evaluation. I saw that my sodium level is too high from the maximum range recommended, which is unhealthy to my body.

Food Groups Presented/Missing from my Diet:
As I stated before, I am missing my recommended intake for Dairy products because I rarely drink milk during Ramadan season. It affected my need Calcium intake. However, I did well on the other food groups (Meat & Beans, Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables) since I either was a bit short on the recommendation or I over exceeded the recommendation. Also, I have a high intake in sodium. However, the amount of fiber I needed in my body is fine. I take in high amounts of vitamins, which is good since it keeps my body strong.

Overabundant/Insufficient Nutrients:
In the previous paragraphs, I have stated that I have insufficient Calcium/Dairy intake. However, I have an overabundance on protein and carbohydrates. Also, I had too much from the Vegetables and Fruits group. I eat twice as much as I needed to for Fruits. My carbohydrate intake is also about twice as much as I needed. However, I have 1/3 less of needed calcium.

Long-Term Consequences from Dietary Habits:
By having less calcium, I have a high chance of developing osteoporosis when I'm older. Also, I'm still young so by having less calcium, I will be prone to bone problems. If I dance, then my knees will hurt, so this is a very serious matter to me since I love dancing. Also, the high sodium intake will be harmful to my body since the sodium, or salt, will go into my blood stream and cause high blood pressure. If I have a lot of calories, but I don't burn them off doing exercise, then it will cause me to gain weight, which will lead to a variety of problems in the future. I am also concerned with my high protein intake because protein foods are likely to have cholesterol in them, which will then lead to heart diseases and various cancers.

Implications in the balance between Energy Intake and Energy Usage:
Since I had a total of 2246 calories and the calories I had burned on that day was 965, it would have given me a total of 1281 calories in total for that specific day. I think it is better since the recommended calories per day which I need is 2130, and I burned some of it through my physical activities. However, if I was inactive on that day, the stored energy will turn to fat, which will increase my weight. You need to find the right balance between energy in and out so that you will maintain a healthier weight.

My Stomach's Favourites

I grew up with food since my parents, grandparents, and other relatives are FOOD ADDICTS. I've tasted some good stuff and some weird stuff, but all in all, my favorite five is:

1. My Grandmother's Food! I grew up in my grandmother's house and she kept on feeding me, my brother, and my dad... I can't live a second without trying Grandma's food. Her kuey teow's are the best and her Chinese style of cooking made me develop a Grand Love of Chinese cuisines, mainly in Cantonese style.


2. Dim Sum! It is a traditional Chinese cuisine and there are light dishes served at your table and you drink it with Chinese tea. I grew up with Chinese traditions, so dim sum has been part of my life in different variations.

3. Satay! Every Malaysian should LOVE satay, and the best satay is Kajang satay. Every time during Hari Raya, my family and I will go back to Kajang, and we will stop by this satay place and chow down before we see the relatives.


4. Inari Sushi! The best type of sushi, and my absolute favourite when I go to any sushi restaurant. It's sweetened bean curd on rice, and it's extremely healthy.


5. Kai-Lan! It is Chinese Kale or Chinese Broccoli. It's my top favourite vegetable and I never fail to devour it all... Also, it's one of the few vegetables that I like as a kid. I Love it when it's cooked in Cantonese Style.

6. McFlurry M&M's! An old time favourite but it is never served in McD Malaysia anymore. Now, they have Orea, which comes in as a strong second against the Cornetto flavor.

There are many more foods my stomach and I agree on, but sadly, I can only put 5...

Health in the News

Health in the News

Excess Media in Teen Years May Cause Depression, Rick Nauert PhD, February 26, 2009

http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/02/06/excess-media-in-teen-years-may-cause-depression/3962.html


Summary:
Teenagers who over-expose themselves to electronic media, such as television and video games, are likely to be depressed in their adult years. Research shows that teenagers who spend 5.68 hours under the influence of electronic media may likely have symptoms of depression during their adult years. However, men are more likely to be affected by depression due to electronic media exposure rather than women. Due to over-exposure to electronic media, the person is deprived of social, physical, and intellectual activities; also, the person will have lack of sleep. Therefore, the author of the article suggest people over-exposed to electronic media should be more sociable in order to prevent depression.

Big Meaning:
According to wordnetweb.princeton.edu, depression is a mental state characterized by pessimistic and inactive behavior. The definition holds true for people under the heavy influecne of electronic media. For example, by sitting down for 5-6 hours, the person is lacking the ability to be active; therefore, it weakens his or her physical health. Also, they become reclusive, thus affecting their social health negatively. Eventhough many people under the heavy influence of electronic media may enjoy their lifestyle, they will begin to see a change once they are put in real-life situations. However, teenagers who are under the influece of electronic media never seem to affect the community directly, they lack participation so it affects the community indirectly. Nevertheless, the depression they feel when the teenagers get older will affect the community because the depression may lead to other problems. Therefore, we must limit teenagers' usage with electronic media before it is too late.

Personal Meaning:
Since I watch television almost everyday, I was shocked that exposing myself to media may cause depression. After reading the article, I fear my brother's health because he spends more than 6 hours playing games or watching TV. Therefore, it affects me more personally. Also, I never knew how silent depression can creep up on your life. I will try limiting my time in front of the television or other mind-droning forms of media, such as video games, and be more sociable in the real life. Also, I will help my brother be more sociable and try to free him from the control of games and television. However, my brother denies the fact that video games will make you depress.

What Stresses Me Out ?!

There are many things that stresses me out,
Many whom contributes to my hair slowly falling apart...
Things that I should do something about,
But sadly, I left it all for time to fix...
Guess what, it hasn't...

So here they are, my stress causes:

1. Family
   
2. School Load (Homework, etc.)
3. Time Management (Procrastination is a wrong way out)
4. Fitting In (Peer Pressure)
   
5. The Future Responsibilities
   
6. Self-Image
7. Trying to Please Others (Helping them until I have no time for myself)
8. Lack of Relaxation (I'm always doing something)
9. Pressure of Friends
   
10. Thinking Too Much about Past Mistakes (Keeps me up at night)

Lifestyle Factors -n- Me

Sleep 7-8 hours per night: 4 ~ because I sleep until noon during the weekends or holidays, but during school days, I sleep at a "normal" time


Eat 3 (or 5 smaller) meals at regular intervals: 5 ~ because I love eating and if you take that away from me, I will be very sad.

Eat a healthy breakfast every day: 4.5 ~ because I always wake up just in time for breakfast, or brunch. Sometimes, my breakfast varies from cereal to nasi lemak. =)

Maintain a healthy weight: 3 ~ because I don't see my weight as an ideal weight for me.

Avoid smoking/drinking alcoholic beverages/doing drugs: 5 ~ because I know it's unhealthy for my body, and I don't want to die with a disease.

Exercise regularly (30 or more minutes a day/5-7 times a week): 3-4 ~ I tried out for Volleyball, and it made me have a will to work-out. Hopefully, I will continue trying out for other sports here.

Have a positive attitude!: 4.5 ~ Usually, I'm a very happy person, but sometimes, it's one of those bad days that brings a person down. So, I'm generally caught smiling, but I keep my sadness away from public.

About Alya...

Full Name: Alya Shaiful Bahari

Roots of your name or special meaning: Alya - Sky, heaven, loftiness, sublime (Arabic Origin)

Age: 15 1/2

Birth Date: 09 October 1993

Nationality: Malaysian

Siblings: Haris Shaiful Bahari - Grade 8

Previous Schools: SKDT - Malaysia; American International School/Dhaka - Bangladesh


Special Interests and hobbies: Writing and Reading; "Picnik"-ing pictures; Listening to Music; Randomly Dancing in my room

My favorite quote (whom is it by?): "We are not cavemen, people!" by Zainab Khan, a friend of mine

One fond memorable experience: When we went to India, I conquered my fear of heights when I jumped off a cliff into the freezing Ganges River. My friends were all cheering for me at the bottom, so it boosted my confidence.

I would like to possibly pursue a career in acting because I just love the stage and it builds confidence. Also, a career in acting will take me all around the world, either as a performer or a TV presenter.


One healthy and unhealthy thing about me:
Healthy: I tried out different sports back in my old school, and I hope to do try out for sports in ISKL, too
Unhealthy: I have an unhealthy craving for junk food every minute of my life; I tend to overdo myself, and that leads to stress