Minister calls for food date labels to be made clearer to reduce food waste

Summary:

Because of the UK’s growing mountain of food waste, retailers should label their products with only one label the government said. Consumers are confused and misled by the rich variation of food labels. The products should all be carrying “use before” date. The Department of Food, Environment and Rural showed figures that consumers are throwing away hundreds tonnes of food, while it is still healthy to eat.
Retailers do not think that using one label will reduce the food waste, but they should inform the consumers better about the different food dates on labels, because consumers do not understand their meaning. Retailers should work more closely with the government to improve understanding and help customers to make better choices about buying; storing and using food at home and then the food waste will probably reduce. Environment and food secretary Hillary Benn said that over the next decade consumers could have the option of buying anything then by simply taking empty containers back to shops to be refilled.

My reaction:
As reading this article it appeared to me that wasting food is not only a big problem in the UK, but also in the rest of the world. I am generally not confused by the food labels, but due to the labels. I do not drink or eat anything that is outdated. When thinking it I know that I probably can eat or drink the product without any risk, but I do not know that for sure, so I throw it away. Therefore I am also one of the consumers whom are throwing away edible food. Maybe I need to change my attitude and taste or drink it first and then decide if I need to throw it away.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/09/food-waste-sell-by-date

Tributes paid to pregnant woman who was fatally stabbed

Summary:
Pregnant woman Claire Wilson was without a clear reason, fatally stabbed on a Sunday afternoon. She was seven months pregnant and was expecting a baby girl. She planned to name her baby April. Claire’s boyfriend and family visited the scene and left a few items, such as a “Baby Girl” balloon and red baby’s shoes. Claire’s family is distracted. The stabber, Alan McMullan, has been caught and need to appear for Grimsby magistrate court.

My reaction:

It seems that killing other people has come into fashion, because at the moment you cannot watch the seven o’clock news without hearing someone has been killed. It is awful that this has happened to such a young woman, who was carrying her first child and I feel deep sympathy for her boyfriend and the rest of her family. Loosing a beloved one in such a brutal way makes it a lot more difficult to deal with this loss.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jun/08/pregnant-woman-fatally-stabbed

Ocean search finds plane debris

summary:

Since last Monday a French Airliner with 228 people on board is still missing. The plane was heading from Rio to Paris and probably there was a fault, because the plane did not send any distress call but regular automatic alerts for three minutes. This indicated the failure of all systems. There were not only French or Brazilian people on board, but a total of 32 nationalities. Brazilian and French search planes have been searching together for debris of the missing airliner and thankfully they have found some missing debris in waters off Brazil’s coast. It is not confirmed yet that all of the 228 passengers are dead, because they have only found metallic and non metallic pieces. However there is not even a slim change of anyone is still being alive. If in a few days is confirmed that all 228 passengers are dead, then it will be the worst loss of life in Air France’s history and a tragic loss for all the families who are waiting for news.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8080290.stm

reaction:
Almost every year I go on holiday by plane and every time I am relieved that my family and I are safe back home. It is a wonderful way of transportation and they say that it is one of the less dangerous ways of travelling. Driving a car or taking the bus could be more dangerous. When tragic accidents happen I feel deeply moved for the family as you would not wish it on anyone. I hope that I will never get a phone call with the unbearable news that one of my family members or dearest friends have been killed in a plane crash or any other kind of accident. I think that this news would totally destroy my life and I will never be the same person again.

Real 'close in on £56m Kaka deal'

Summary:

Kaka, the Brazilian star midfielder of AC Milan is a very popular football player and a lot of famous football teams such as Chelsea and Real Madrid are hoping that he will sign a contract for their team. AC Milan owner and Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi does not think that they can keep Kaka in Italy, because of the huge sum of money he has been offered. Earlier this year Kaka rejected a £100m transfer to Manchester City as he did not find this club good enough to play in. Rejecting a £56m offer from Real Madrid seems unlikely.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8080228.stm

Reaction:
It is outrageous the amount of money Real Madrid is offering to Kaka to join their football team. I find it unbelievable that Real Madrid wants to pay £56m for just one football player. Have they gone mad? Where does this end. I do not think that there is another sport in the world that is better paid than in football. Sometimes I wonder if people want to become football players because they like to play football or just for the money. Some players do not know how to deal with the attention and status and are some what arrogant.(giving oneself airs)

Sexual risk to Britain’s teenagers/speaker's corner

I would like to talk about the sexual ativities of British teenagers. A survey shows that British teenagers have the worst sexual health in western Europe.

Do you think that the government should get more involved to produce campaigns etc.

http://www.aegis.org/news/bbc/BB990505.html

Sexual risk to Britain’s teenagers

A survey performed by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) shows that British teenager’s sexual health is the worst within western Europe. Due to the teenager’s sexual activities at such early age could lead to long-term effects. For example: cervical cancer, infertility and infection of HIV. Figures in the survey shows that girls were more vulnerable to contract various sexual diseases, where as the figures for boys were relatively low in comparison. They learned form the USA that educational campaigns could make a significant change in attitude among teenagers.

My reaction:
I was very surprised to read that the British teenagers have the worst sexual health in western Europe. As a teacher of this age group the pupils often speak to me about this subject. They speak very openly and sometimes I am very shocked about their sexual knowledge at this young age. I have not seen any figures about this subject in the Netherlands, but I can imagine that there is not a significant difference between both countries. I think that the teenage culture in the Netherlands is more laid back. Not but not least it is important that all schools in every country produce programmes, classes and information about this subject to teenagers, hoping to prevent the increase in sexual transmitted diseases in the teenage groups.

http://www.aegis.org/news/bbc/BB990505.html

Asian facing ‘diabetes explosion’

Diabetes is now becoming a global problem and research shows that low and middle income countries are suffering the most. The disease is expensive to treat, so therefore the Asian communities will find this very difficult to deal with. After studies it has become to light that those affected in Asia are very young and therefore not likely to be struggling with their weight. This compared to the West is totally different as sufferers of diabetes are usually due to factors such as bad diet, age and overweight.

My reaction:
I was very surprised after reading the article, which shows the differences between diabetes in the West and Asia, as the outcome showed that people in Asia suffer diabetes at earlier age due to the fact that the diets are changing due to the increase of income. The younger generations are now able to afford more luxurious lifestyle. I am really surprised in the age gap between Asia and the West. In the last part of the article I was very surprised to read tat Asian women are more likely to have gestational diabetes, which to my surprise is diabetes that develops during pregnancy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8069431.stm

Walking often and far reduces risks in heart patients.

Higher-caloric exercises as daily long-distance walking will not only help to loose weight and fat loss but it also reduce cardiac risk factors as well. Researchers published this article in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. The author of this study, Philip A. Ades followed 74 overweight cardiac rehabilitation patients, who did the high-caloric exercise instead of doing the traditional rehabilitation, and the results were extremely successful
There was a significantly greater improvement in 10 heart risk factors and a greater average in weight, body fat and waistlines, but cardiac patients require supervision by medical staff.
After one your both groups were studied and the results were that all members gained a few pounds, but their weight and body fat remained significantly lower. This research is still going on. They would like to determine if it improves the incidence of death and disability.

My reaction:
I think that it is very important to perform researches for this group of patients. The amount of obesity in the population is increasing every year and that could be the cause of heart failures. Loosing weight enable you to walk easier, breathe more freely ad above all you feel a lot more confident about yourself. I also think this should not only apply to overweight patients, but to all age groups. It is important that we eat healthily, exercise frequently and above all, do not smoke.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/05/11/walking.often.and.far.reduces.risks.heart.patients.

Tyson’s daughter dies aged four

Mike Tyson’s four-year old daughter Exodus has died, it was owing to a tragic accident. The little girl was playing on a treadmill at home, when her head apparently slipped inside a cord hanging under the console. Another possibility could be that she has put her head in the looped cord and was unable to remove it. She was found by her older brother and her mother has tried to resuscitate her. Mike Tyson was not at the premises when this terrible accident took place.

My reaction:

Loosing a child is the worst nightmare for every parent. I think especially when it takes place at your own home. I am mother of two children in the age of 13 and 18 and the older they get, the more worried I become. Every parent hopes that his/her child will grow up and will out live the parents. If you loose a child caused by an accident or a terrible disease, this would not make the lost of a child any easier to bear, because your loss remains the same. However I think that losing a healthy child that was playing in my own home would make me feel guiltier as I feel responsible for not being able to prevent the death.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8068048.stm

The Queen's day

I would like to make a statement if after a tragedy as happened at April 30, Queen’s day will ever be the same.

Please read article about the car driver who has crashed into crowds watching a Dutch royal parade.
www.news.bbc.uk/2/hi/europe/8026807.stm

China denies flu discrimination

Article:
China denies flu discrimination

Because of one man who tested positive from swine flu all the other passengers of his from flight from Mexico to Shanghai have been punt in quarantine. Not only the flight passengers but also another 70 Mexican citizens are held in quarantine.
The government of China took these drastic measures, because of the covering up the outbreak of the respiratory disease Sars in 2003.
Everyone is treated well but a Mexican ambassador was not allowed to talk or see the quarantined people. A lot of countries criticized China for taking these out of proportions measures, because China has no evidence that all those quarantined people are suffering from the swine flu virus.

My reaction:
I can imagine that China is afraid of an outbreak of the swine flu and if that would happen China will have a big problem, as the population of China is over 1.5 billion people. However I do not know if the measures they have taken so far are out of proportions. You would think that the Chinese Health Department know how to react in such circumstances. On the other hand it is odd that de Chinese government is holding hundreds of people in quarantine without knowing if they are infected by the swine flu. This kind of actions is for an outsider difficult to understand, but I think that they do it because they have everybody best interest at heart. Better communications could reduce panic and overreaction to the swine flu virus. This would therefore maybe decrease hostilities between countries.

www.news.bbc.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8032157.stm

I dropped 7,000 calories – a day

Article:
I dropped 7,000 calories – a day

Natasha Cavey, a single mum from Birmingham weighed 26 ½ st (+/- 170 KG) and could not buy any clothes in the UK anymore. Drastic change in her lifestyle was needed. She ate more than 7.700 calories per day, because she suffered from an eating disorder since her childhood.
She followed the tips given by “Fit Squad” and began to eat less food. She also exercised three times a week. Nowadays she is down to a size 12 and 12 st, but she has still difficulties to find clothes that suit her shape, which Natasha states as being an up and down figure.
Natasha’s motto: “If you really want to loose weight, make up your mind and go for it”.

My reaction:
Nowadays a lot of people have to cope with their overweight. Therefore I found this an interesting article to read. The enclosed pictures shocked me, because I had not realised what loosing a considerable amount of weight can do with a person appearance. She looks happy, confident and fit in the pictures. I found it a big achievement that she was able to drop her calories from 7.700 to approximately 1.000. After reading this article I came to the conclusion that you need a lot of will-power and energy to achieve your goal. Hopefully Natasha stays slim for the rest of her life, because I admire her will-power and she deserves it.

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/article2409659.ece

Couples to test 'intimacy' device

summary

Technology laboratory, Distant Lab, has developed an ‘intimacy’ device and needs three couples for testing it. Especially couples where one of the partners lives in the capital and the other lives a few hundred miles away. The ‘intimacy’ device makes it possible by using a touch-activated ring and a camera to draw in light in each other’s bodies and beds. One of the three developers, Stefan Agamanolis, thinks that they offer a good alternative to text and e-mail messaging. This project even won an award form the Alt-w Production Fund.

Comment
I personally think that you cannot take this kind of invention seriously. It is more a fun toy/gadget and using your laptop with webcam gives more satisfaction, because that makes it possible to see each other in person. Most people want to hear the voice or like to see their beloved husband/wife and therefore I think this gadget will have no future at all. We have to wait and see if after testing this ‘intimacy’ device people want to buy this gadget.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8004769.stm

Sugar drinks 'worsen vomit bug'

summary
The idea that flat coke and lemonade helps children suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea is just a myth. These children needed to be treated with oral rehydration solution instead of flat coke and lemonade. These drinks contain too much sugar and can make the sickness a lot worse. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced handy guidelines for parents to recognize the symptoms whether their children are dehydrated.

Comment
Luckily I have a GP who taught me how to recognize the first symptoms of dehydration. I always bring a box of oral rehydration solution with on holiday. When my children were a lot younger I had to use it more then once. Therefore I think that it is a good idea that GP’s or other health services inform parents with the basic knowledge of dehydration a lot more. Every parent would like to protect their child from illness and using flat coke or lemonade could make it a lot worse.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2hi/health/8010346.stm

welcome to my blog

Hello everyone,

This is my first blognews. I look forward to hear from you. I hope that we will have a lot of fun reading each others articles.

greetings


Nickie