An international medical aid group's decision to quit Thailand will increase the burden on the nation's health system, a Thai border physician says.
Sangkhla Buri District Health chief Supakorn Suprasit said the plan by Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) to close down two medical centres for unregistered migrants in Thailand will lead to an unwieldy burden that the country must shoulder.
MSF, one of the world's most respected medical and humanitarian aid groups, said on Monday it planned to close down the centres at the Three Pagodas Pass in Kanchanaburi's Sangkhla Buri district and Samut Sakhon province after 36 years because of "government interference". It did not say when that would happen.
Dr Supakorn said thousands of stateless migrants and ethnic minority people would be forced to try to get treatment under the Thai health system and this could affect health staff and hospitals that were already overloaded with work.
Dr Supakorn said MSF had sent a letter to the Kanchanaburi provincial health office and the Sangkhla Buri Health District to inform them of the planned closures.
He said with the MSF clinic at Three Pagodas Pass closed, healthcare services would struggle to provide polio, measles, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza meningitis vaccines under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) for children and prenatal visits once a month.
Health staff from neighbouring districts such as Thong Pha Phum might be temporarily rotated to help reduce the workload at border hospitals and community clinics, he said.
Kanchanaburi provincial public health chief Paisan Dankum said he was optimistic border hospitals and community clinics would manage without the MSF clinic.
Dr Paisan said the financial situation of border hospitals was much better after the government last year approved 472 million baht to provide stateless people with healthcare.
MSF has been working in Thailand since 1975 when it set up the two clinics.
About 500,000 stateless people live in Thailand _ about 22,000 of them in Sangkhla Buri district. They have no healthcare coverage and depend on international health assistance.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/259735/departure-of-msf-will-hit-hospitals
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Myths and misconceptions about weight loss
Maintaining a healthy body weight is a worthy goal that can prove
elusive for even the most committed among us. Many people turn to the
latest fad diet, only to have little or nothing to show for the money
and effort. Others exercise vigorously but end up eating more. Still
others lose some weight but feel worse. Understanding the key to healthy
weight control should start by dispelling the most common weight loss
myths and misconceptions.
In the past, the medical community tended to view weight loss as a "carry in, carry out" concept, meaning if you balance your diet with exercise, your weight should remain stable. To lose weight, exercise more and eat less. Unfortunately, the reality is more complex, and other factors bear consideration before you embark on a weight loss mission, especially when it comes to your health.
Weight loss is tied to the body's metabolism, a complex network of hormones and enzymes responsible not only for converting food into energy but also for controlling how efficiently you burn that energy. People with a high metabolic rate tend not to gain weight no matter how much they eat, while those with a low rate have a hard time taking off one or two kilogrammes. Studies have shown that about 30% of an individual's health problems stem from epigenetic factors, ie factors related to one's DNA. In simple terms, many health problems result from genetics; genes controls hormones, and hormones control metabolism.
Research has also shown that losing weight in an unhealthy way can cause long-term damage to the body's metabolic system. Many trendy diets pose a threat to the thyroid hormone that is produced by the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism.
MYTH #1:
Eating less will make you thin
It is a common misconception that simply eating less or even fasting is the sure way to lose unwanted weight. This misconception is fuelled by the fact that the approach appears to work at the outset. However, the slimming effects soon stop as the body automatically adjusts to the reduced calorie intake by slowing the metabolism to conserve energy. Reducing calories or fasting on a long-term basis is not only an ineffective weight loss strategy; it's also deleterious to the health and an easy way to create a hormone imbalance. For successful weight control, it's critical to follow a healthier diet, with sufficient calories and nutrients, and in some cases eating more frequent, smaller-portion meals.
MYTH #2:
If you lose weight you will feel better
Many people look at losing weight as a "magic bullet" that offers a new lease on life and an abundance of rewards. This can be the case when done properly. But if not, health problems are the more likely outcome.
Along with hormone imbalances, frequent, improper dieting is a leading cause of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Researchers recently demonstrated a connection between dieting and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is fat soluble, and the deficiency is a common result of trendy diets focused on avoiding fats.
Lack of variety in our diets is another cause of vitamin deficiencies. Food technology has expanded food choice and affordability, allowing us to eat our favourite foods more often. This has made it far easier to load our diets with too much of some foods and too little of others, making it easy to miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients.
It also puts us at greater risk of toxin accumulation. For example, a person who loves salmon risks consuming an excessive amount of toxins if the fish were raised in a toxic environment. Our bodies store the toxins in areas with less circulation, namely in body fat. Dieting triggers fat burning, which can cause the toxins to be released; this can trigger health problems and quickly dispel the myth that dieting makes you feel better.
MYTH #3:
Exercise = weight loss
It seems logical that the more you exercise, the more weight you'll lose. Many people take this to the extreme _ a dangerous decision that won't produce the desired weight-loss effect. Too much physical exertion causes the body to compensate for the heavy stress by storing energy, a process that entails accumulating fat and retaining water.
Extreme exercise also makes the body more prone to inflammation, causes hair to become dry, and promotes wrinkles and other ageing effects. Exercising too much can cause insomnia and lingering aches and pains instead of the normal refreshed feeling.
To lose weight the healthy way, avoid fad diets, eat a variety of foods, and don't overdo the exercise.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/258479/myths-and-misconceptions-about-weight-loss
Weight loss is tied to the body's metabolism, a complex network of hormones and enzymes responsible not only for converting food into energy but also for controlling how efficiently you burn that energy. People with a high metabolic rate tend not to gain weight no matter how much they eat, while those with a low rate have a hard time taking off one or two kilogrammes. Studies have shown that about 30% of an individual's health problems stem from epigenetic factors, ie factors related to one's DNA. In simple terms, many health problems result from genetics; genes controls hormones, and hormones control metabolism.
Research has also shown that losing weight in an unhealthy way can cause long-term damage to the body's metabolic system. Many trendy diets pose a threat to the thyroid hormone that is produced by the thyroid gland which regulates metabolism.
MYTH #1:
Eating less will make you thin
It is a common misconception that simply eating less or even fasting is the sure way to lose unwanted weight. This misconception is fuelled by the fact that the approach appears to work at the outset. However, the slimming effects soon stop as the body automatically adjusts to the reduced calorie intake by slowing the metabolism to conserve energy. Reducing calories or fasting on a long-term basis is not only an ineffective weight loss strategy; it's also deleterious to the health and an easy way to create a hormone imbalance. For successful weight control, it's critical to follow a healthier diet, with sufficient calories and nutrients, and in some cases eating more frequent, smaller-portion meals.
MYTH #2:
If you lose weight you will feel better
Many people look at losing weight as a "magic bullet" that offers a new lease on life and an abundance of rewards. This can be the case when done properly. But if not, health problems are the more likely outcome.
Along with hormone imbalances, frequent, improper dieting is a leading cause of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Researchers recently demonstrated a connection between dieting and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is fat soluble, and the deficiency is a common result of trendy diets focused on avoiding fats.
Lack of variety in our diets is another cause of vitamin deficiencies. Food technology has expanded food choice and affordability, allowing us to eat our favourite foods more often. This has made it far easier to load our diets with too much of some foods and too little of others, making it easy to miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients.
It also puts us at greater risk of toxin accumulation. For example, a person who loves salmon risks consuming an excessive amount of toxins if the fish were raised in a toxic environment. Our bodies store the toxins in areas with less circulation, namely in body fat. Dieting triggers fat burning, which can cause the toxins to be released; this can trigger health problems and quickly dispel the myth that dieting makes you feel better.
MYTH #3:
Exercise = weight loss
It seems logical that the more you exercise, the more weight you'll lose. Many people take this to the extreme _ a dangerous decision that won't produce the desired weight-loss effect. Too much physical exertion causes the body to compensate for the heavy stress by storing energy, a process that entails accumulating fat and retaining water.
Extreme exercise also makes the body more prone to inflammation, causes hair to become dry, and promotes wrinkles and other ageing effects. Exercising too much can cause insomnia and lingering aches and pains instead of the normal refreshed feeling.
To lose weight the healthy way, avoid fad diets, eat a variety of foods, and don't overdo the exercise.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/258479/myths-and-misconceptions-about-weight-loss
Thursday, October 13, 2011
How implants can affect breastfeeding
There is consensus in the medical and public-health communities that
breast milk provides essential nutrition for babies in addition to
improving their immune responses to various infections. Moreover,
breastfeeding is beneficial to the mother as well, helping to create a
psychological bond between her and the infant and aiding postpartum
recovery.
Nowadays, breast implants have become a lot more common, especially among younger women. When these individuals become pregnant, some of them immediately get anxious about whether they will be able to breastfeed their infants or if the implants will interfere with the production of milk.
IS BREASTFEEDING POSSIBLE?
According to the Institute of Medicine, a woman who undergoes any kind of breast surgery, including the insertion of implants, is at least three times more likely that a woman will have an inadequate supply of breast milk. The possibility of her successfully breastfeeding her infant will depend on a number of surgery-related factors, most of which have to do with the type of surgery she had. Usually, incisions made under the fold of the breast or through the armpit shouldn't cause any trouble. However, the more popular method of making a "smile" incision around the areola _ the coloured skin surrounding the nipples _ puts the women at greater risk of encountering difficulties in breastfeeding. Mothers who have had this kind of operation are five times more likely to have an insufficient supply of milk than women who have never had breast surgery.
WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEMS?
It is not yet entirely clear whether the cause is the implants, the surgery, or a combination of both factors.
One possibility is that the surgery may damage the milk-producing and transferring ducts. That is especially likely if the implants are inserted by means of an areolar incision. Another possibility is that the breast implant may be putting pressure on the breast tissue, which could damage the tissue and thereby diminish the rate of milk production.
Nerves can also be damaged during surgery and this could decrease feeling in the nipple area. These nerve endings are vital for breastfeeding because they trigger a reaction that tells the brain to release prolactin and oxytocin, the hormones that affect milk production. The chances of successful breastfeeding improve if no nerves were cut or damaged during surgery.
WILL MY IMPLANTS LEAK?
Another common concern among expecting mothers is the spectre of silicon or saline solution leaking from breast implants into the milk and possible poisoning the baby. There is no evidence that silicone or saline has ever leaked from implants and contaminated breast milk. But even if there was some leakage, it would not harm the baby.
One important thing to be aware of is that you will never know the full extent of the damage, if any, caused by breast surgery until such time as you try to nurse your newborn child. So, let the doctor supervising your pregnancy know that you've had breast surgery. And if you do have trouble breastfeeding later on, your physician will be able to advise on how best to supplement your breast milk with baby formula, if that should prove necessary.
So, if you're thinking about getting breast implants, it might be a good idea to postpone the surgery until after you've given birth to and breastfed the last child you intend to have.
IS BREASTFEEDING POSSIBLE?
According to the Institute of Medicine, a woman who undergoes any kind of breast surgery, including the insertion of implants, is at least three times more likely that a woman will have an inadequate supply of breast milk. The possibility of her successfully breastfeeding her infant will depend on a number of surgery-related factors, most of which have to do with the type of surgery she had. Usually, incisions made under the fold of the breast or through the armpit shouldn't cause any trouble. However, the more popular method of making a "smile" incision around the areola _ the coloured skin surrounding the nipples _ puts the women at greater risk of encountering difficulties in breastfeeding. Mothers who have had this kind of operation are five times more likely to have an insufficient supply of milk than women who have never had breast surgery.
WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEMS?
It is not yet entirely clear whether the cause is the implants, the surgery, or a combination of both factors.
One possibility is that the surgery may damage the milk-producing and transferring ducts. That is especially likely if the implants are inserted by means of an areolar incision. Another possibility is that the breast implant may be putting pressure on the breast tissue, which could damage the tissue and thereby diminish the rate of milk production.
Nerves can also be damaged during surgery and this could decrease feeling in the nipple area. These nerve endings are vital for breastfeeding because they trigger a reaction that tells the brain to release prolactin and oxytocin, the hormones that affect milk production. The chances of successful breastfeeding improve if no nerves were cut or damaged during surgery.
WILL MY IMPLANTS LEAK?
Another common concern among expecting mothers is the spectre of silicon or saline solution leaking from breast implants into the milk and possible poisoning the baby. There is no evidence that silicone or saline has ever leaked from implants and contaminated breast milk. But even if there was some leakage, it would not harm the baby.
One important thing to be aware of is that you will never know the full extent of the damage, if any, caused by breast surgery until such time as you try to nurse your newborn child. So, let the doctor supervising your pregnancy know that you've had breast surgery. And if you do have trouble breastfeeding later on, your physician will be able to advise on how best to supplement your breast milk with baby formula, if that should prove necessary.
So, if you're thinking about getting breast implants, it might be a good idea to postpone the surgery until after you've given birth to and breastfed the last child you intend to have.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Raise your child, not race them
Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok once said that competitions
are for horses, not artists. I agree, and I would like to say that
competitions are also not for little children, especially if the
competition is about trying to be someone they are not.
A few months ago, I turned on the TV and saw a little girl, perhaps about 8 years old, dressed in a very flamboyant dress, with heavy make-up. She was singing a song about love in a very flirtatious way, and the way she danced was no less inviting. It would have been acceptable had she been 10 years older (or 20 years older if she were my daughter). But for an 8-year-old, I found the act quite disturbing and not age-appropriate.
It was a "talent show" searching for little stars, and all the kids were dressed up like they were old enough to vote although their age was a single digit. Should these children be judged based on how well they imitate adults? I don't think that's fair or even necessary at all.
One time I went to a department store and there was a dance competition for children. A group of small children got on stage and danced to Britney Spears' Do Somethin' which goes, "I see you lookin' at me like I got what you need. Get up out of your seat. Why don't you do somethin'?"
I was shocked not only by the song they had chosen but also the way these little girls danced, shaking their recently-nappies-free bottoms and batting their fake lashes. The crowds cheered. The parents were applauding proudly. Competing with other groups of children who were dancing meekly to kiddy songs, this group took home the prize.
There are two things I don't like about this kind of competition. First and foremost, these kids are awarded for not being themselves or being their age. They are praised because they act like adults, and they will be further encouraged to be older than they are ready to be. Yes, songs are just songs, and just because these kids hear them it might not mean they will do what the songs say. I grew up listening to many PG18 songs but I didn't behave that way. Still, is it really a healthy habit for a young girl to play pint-sized version of Britney Spears, and more worryingly, do it rather well? The concept may sound "cute" but it gives the kids the wrong idea of what "talent" really mean. (To be honest, I don't think the adult contestants in many talent shows get it either. It's all about the appearance now.)
Secondly, teaching children to be competitive is not good. Yes, there are advantages, as the real world is full of competitions. Dr Sylvia Rimm, a parenting expert, said that in her research on the childhoods of successful women, winning in competition was the most frequently mentioned positive experience.
However, children are too small to understand competing and other things that come with it, such as success, failure, criticism and judgment. Before the parents or teachers decide to let their child enter a competition, they should be sure that they can cope with these things. Most of the times, the parents of the winner gloat, teaching the child to be a sore winner, while the parents of those who do not win sometimes shower them with sympathy, making the loss feel like a bigger deal than it is. These habits are unhealthy for the children, as they will not learn how to accept victory and defeat properly.
I would say, do not expose your child to competition if you, as a parent, are not sure how to explain what it means to win or lose. If you know that you will be disappointed when your kid loses, do not do it. Nothing hurts children's little hearts more than knowing they have let their dearest mummy and daddy down. When you are disappointed, it will show, and your kid will certainly feel it. For most children, losing a competition is not as painful as disappointing the parents. For many parents, sadly, losing face is more devastating than their child's feeling.
I have once seen a mother berating her child for losing. "I've told you to practice more! You never listened to me! See? You didn't win anything. What a waste of time!" The mother was yelling and the poor little thing was just crying. It was a heartbreaking scene for me. And that was just a very small competition with a few silly prizes.
Let children be children. They have sweet, adorable charms and innocence that make them so lovely. Don't encourage them to be someone they are not, just to please the adults. After all, we all only get a few years to be children, so we might as well let them enjoy their time. If there's anything more unpleasant than a child posing as an adult, it is an adult posing as a child to make up for the lost chance. Let them be children when their appearance still suits them.
reference
 |
| Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok |
It was a "talent show" searching for little stars, and all the kids were dressed up like they were old enough to vote although their age was a single digit. Should these children be judged based on how well they imitate adults? I don't think that's fair or even necessary at all.
One time I went to a department store and there was a dance competition for children. A group of small children got on stage and danced to Britney Spears' Do Somethin' which goes, "I see you lookin' at me like I got what you need. Get up out of your seat. Why don't you do somethin'?"
I was shocked not only by the song they had chosen but also the way these little girls danced, shaking their recently-nappies-free bottoms and batting their fake lashes. The crowds cheered. The parents were applauding proudly. Competing with other groups of children who were dancing meekly to kiddy songs, this group took home the prize.
There are two things I don't like about this kind of competition. First and foremost, these kids are awarded for not being themselves or being their age. They are praised because they act like adults, and they will be further encouraged to be older than they are ready to be. Yes, songs are just songs, and just because these kids hear them it might not mean they will do what the songs say. I grew up listening to many PG18 songs but I didn't behave that way. Still, is it really a healthy habit for a young girl to play pint-sized version of Britney Spears, and more worryingly, do it rather well? The concept may sound "cute" but it gives the kids the wrong idea of what "talent" really mean. (To be honest, I don't think the adult contestants in many talent shows get it either. It's all about the appearance now.)
Secondly, teaching children to be competitive is not good. Yes, there are advantages, as the real world is full of competitions. Dr Sylvia Rimm, a parenting expert, said that in her research on the childhoods of successful women, winning in competition was the most frequently mentioned positive experience.
However, children are too small to understand competing and other things that come with it, such as success, failure, criticism and judgment. Before the parents or teachers decide to let their child enter a competition, they should be sure that they can cope with these things. Most of the times, the parents of the winner gloat, teaching the child to be a sore winner, while the parents of those who do not win sometimes shower them with sympathy, making the loss feel like a bigger deal than it is. These habits are unhealthy for the children, as they will not learn how to accept victory and defeat properly.
I would say, do not expose your child to competition if you, as a parent, are not sure how to explain what it means to win or lose. If you know that you will be disappointed when your kid loses, do not do it. Nothing hurts children's little hearts more than knowing they have let their dearest mummy and daddy down. When you are disappointed, it will show, and your kid will certainly feel it. For most children, losing a competition is not as painful as disappointing the parents. For many parents, sadly, losing face is more devastating than their child's feeling.
I have once seen a mother berating her child for losing. "I've told you to practice more! You never listened to me! See? You didn't win anything. What a waste of time!" The mother was yelling and the poor little thing was just crying. It was a heartbreaking scene for me. And that was just a very small competition with a few silly prizes.
Let children be children. They have sweet, adorable charms and innocence that make them so lovely. Don't encourage them to be someone they are not, just to please the adults. After all, we all only get a few years to be children, so we might as well let them enjoy their time. If there's anything more unpleasant than a child posing as an adult, it is an adult posing as a child to make up for the lost chance. Let them be children when their appearance still suits them.
reference
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Kin Jay: genesis and evolution
Jitra Kornantakiat, a local expert in Chinese culture and traditions,
said that while the origins of the festival in Thailand are unclear,
records show that it has been celebrated here for at least two
centuries.
"The oldest shrine built for the purpose of marking the vegetarian festival is Siu Hok Tua in Amphawa, Samut Songkhram," she said. "It is now 202 years old. The oldest in Bangkok proper is the Sin Heng Tua shrine in Yaowarat, which is about 130 years old."
The Kin Jay festival in the central region differs in several ways from that celebrated in the South. In Bangkok, where most Thai-Chinese residents are descended from Taechew-speaking immigrants, the festival comes from a belief that at this time of year nine deities, the so-called Emperor Gods, descend from the heavens. "To show that we are doing good, such as by not harming animals, it is believed that we will earn extra merit points [by abstaining from meat]."
Down south, where most Thai-Chinese are of Hokkien ancestry, it's a different story altogether, Jittra said. There, people eat vegetarian food to honour a constellation of nine stars that resembles the shape of a ladle _ which Westerners know variously as the Great Bear or Big Dipper _ believing that by doing so they they will prolong their lives. In ancient times the Chinese apparently worshipped the North Star, believing it was the mother of that constellation of nine stars.
The two separate traditions have become intermingled with the passage of time, however. Jitra noted that the Hokkien custom of putting on fire-walking displays during the festival can now be witnessed in Bangkok, too, while a bowl-floating ritual, once the sole preserve of Taechew speakers in the Central Plains, can be seen in southern towns like Phuket or Trang. Nowadays, there are several Hokkien shrines to be found in Bangkok as well as a few Taechew shrines down south.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/258475/kin-jay-genesis-and-evolution
 |
| Jitra Kornantakiat. |
The Kin Jay festival in the central region differs in several ways from that celebrated in the South. In Bangkok, where most Thai-Chinese residents are descended from Taechew-speaking immigrants, the festival comes from a belief that at this time of year nine deities, the so-called Emperor Gods, descend from the heavens. "To show that we are doing good, such as by not harming animals, it is believed that we will earn extra merit points [by abstaining from meat]."
Down south, where most Thai-Chinese are of Hokkien ancestry, it's a different story altogether, Jittra said. There, people eat vegetarian food to honour a constellation of nine stars that resembles the shape of a ladle _ which Westerners know variously as the Great Bear or Big Dipper _ believing that by doing so they they will prolong their lives. In ancient times the Chinese apparently worshipped the North Star, believing it was the mother of that constellation of nine stars.
The two separate traditions have become intermingled with the passage of time, however. Jitra noted that the Hokkien custom of putting on fire-walking displays during the festival can now be witnessed in Bangkok, too, while a bowl-floating ritual, once the sole preserve of Taechew speakers in the Central Plains, can be seen in southern towns like Phuket or Trang. Nowadays, there are several Hokkien shrines to be found in Bangkok as well as a few Taechew shrines down south.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/258475/kin-jay-genesis-and-evolution
Monday, October 10, 2011
Go veggie but stay healthy
Just because something is labelled 'jay' doesn't mean it's necessarily good for you
Today is the official start of the annual Kin Jay (vegetarian) festival when many Thais, especially those of Chinese ancestry, embark on a 10-day purification ritual, abstaining from all animal products, alcohol and substances thought to over-stimulate the senses like onions, garlic, celery and certain spices.
For people who generally give up meat only at this time of year, vegetarianism, and especially the strict jay variety adhered to during the festival, is unknown territory. How do I make it taste good without adding fish sauce? So what can I put in? But isn't garlic a vegetable? So why isn't this jay, then?
The dietary restrictions give rise to a seemingly never-ending series of questions. Doubts about which ingredients have to be avoided coupled with the ready availability of tempting vegetarian treats from stalls that pop up along practically every street, cause many people to buy food rather than cook for themselves over this 10-day period.
Dr Anadi Nitithamyong, an assistant professor at Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition, thinks it is fine to buy takeaway jay food as long as you know what's in it. And because they taste so much like the real thing, one of the biggest traps, she says, is the range of ersatz meats _ "vegetarian pork", "vegetarian chicken", etc _ which are prepared especially for the festival.
"Mock meat is not unhealthy per se. It can be a good source of protein. However, there are some kinds, such as imitation meatballs or imitation sausages, which are made of konjac [aka glucomannan, a bland, rubbery substance made from the tuber of a perennial plant called Amorphophallus konjac]. This type of product does not contain much protein and can only replace real meat in terms of taste, but not nutritional value. So before you choose mock meat, make sure you know what it's made from," Dr Anadi said. This is a red flag for those of you who are allergic to soya beans, as many imitation meats are made from soya-bean protein.
Two other types of mock meats are generally available. One is made from TVP, a textured vegetable protein usually derived from soya beans. The other is composed of wheat gluten (aka seitan), better known here as mi kueng. Wheat gluten, Dr Anadi explained, is made by rinsing a ball of wheat-flour dough under running water for a while. The starch in the dough dissolves in the water and is washed away, leaving a lump of sticky, protein-rich gluten. Soya beans, by-products such as soya milk and tofu, and wheat gluten are all important sources of protein in a vegetarian diet.
As for TVP, Dr Anadi is of the opinion that eating properly cooked soya beans, the source of this processed convenience food, is a much healthier choice. She went on to make the point that plant-based protein can replace animal-based protein only in terms of quantity, not quality. The variety of essential amino acids in plant-based protein is not as great as in animal-based protein, she noted. Protein is composed of chains of different amino acids. Nine of these (some authorities put the figure at eight) are termed "essential amino acids" because they cannot be created from other compounds by the human body and so must be taken in as food.
Plant-based proteins may not have all nine. However, soya protein is regarded as a so-called "complete protein" because it contains adequate quantities of all nine essential amino acids.
"Soya has all the essential amino acids, in almost the same amounts as meat, making soya protein the nearest plant-based protein in terms of quality to animal-based protein. Wheat is also a good source of protein but it is low in lysine," she said. Lysine is an amino acid that is required for growth and bone development in children and which assists in calcium absorption as well as in the repair of tissue.
Of the nine essential amino acids, lysine is one of four "limiting amino acids" _ the other three are methionone, threonine and tryptophan. The term "limiting" is used because a deficiency in any one of the four will limit the usefulness of the others. Apart from in meat and dairy products, lysine is also found in nuts, seeds and oats.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/258474/go-veggie-but-stay-healthy
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Denmark levies fat tax
Denmark on Saturday became the first country in the world to impose a
fat tax after a week in which consumers hoarded butter, pizza, meat and
milk to avoid the immediate effects.
"We have had to stock up with tonnes of butter and margarine in order to be able to supply outlets," Soeren Joergensen of Arla Distribution told AFP.
The new tax, designed by Denmark?s outgoing government as a health issue to limit the population?s intake of fatty foods, will add 16 kroner ($2.87, 2.15 euros) per kilo (2.2 pounds) of saturated fats in a product.
This means an increase in the price of a pack of 250 grammes of butter, for example, by 2.20 kroner to more than 18 kroner.
"It has been a chaotic week with a lot of empty shelves. People have been filling their freezers," Christian Jensen of an independent local Copenhagen supermarket told AFP.
"But actually I don?t think the tax will make that much difference. If people want to buy a cake, they will buy it. But right now they?re saving money," he added.
The new tax will be levied on all products including saturated fats -- from butter and milk to pizzas, oils, meats and pre-cooked foods -- in a costing system that Denmark?s Confederation of Industries (DI) says is a bureaucratic nightmare for producers and outlets.
"The way that this has been put together is an administrative nightmare, and I doubt whether it will give better health. It?s more just a tax," DI foodstuffs spokeswoman Gitte Hestehave told AFP, adding that the costs of levying the tax would be passed on to consumers.
Hestehave said that setting prices on domestically produced or imported goods was complicated, as it required declarations from producers both as to how much saturated fat was in the product itself, and used in its preparation.
Computer systems all had to be adjusted, adding many man-hours to administrative tasks for producers and sellers.
"Products that include other products that include saturated fats also have to have new prices worked out. Imported goods require a declaration from the producers abroad on exactly how much saturated fat has been used in production," Hestehave said.
"As far as we have been able to determine, Denmark is the first country in the world to introduce a fat tax" but we know that other countries are following us closely and have their own plans, she said.
The new Danish tax, however, may not last long.
EU legal expert Jeppe Rosenmejer of the Danish Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises says the European Union is currently studying the tax as there may be a competition issue.
While producers in Denmark have to pay the tax at source, for imported goods it is calculated by the distributor.
"This can mean that imported goods will be cheaper than domestically produced items," Rosenmejer told the national Jyllands-Posten daily.
A Danish producer will have to pay the tax on all of the saturated fat used, including for example what a product is fried in, he said. An importer may only be paying according to what is actually in the finished product.
"Hopefully the tax will be short-lived," Rosenmejer said.
The right-wing government that decided on the tax was superceded by a centre-left administration in elections last month.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/259219/denmark-levies-world-first-fat-tax
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| An obese woman stands outside a sandwich shop. Denmark has become the first country in the world to impose a fat tax after a week in which consumers hoarded butter, pizza, meat and milk to avoid the immediate effects. |
"We have had to stock up with tonnes of butter and margarine in order to be able to supply outlets," Soeren Joergensen of Arla Distribution told AFP.
The new tax, designed by Denmark?s outgoing government as a health issue to limit the population?s intake of fatty foods, will add 16 kroner ($2.87, 2.15 euros) per kilo (2.2 pounds) of saturated fats in a product.
This means an increase in the price of a pack of 250 grammes of butter, for example, by 2.20 kroner to more than 18 kroner.
"It has been a chaotic week with a lot of empty shelves. People have been filling their freezers," Christian Jensen of an independent local Copenhagen supermarket told AFP.
"But actually I don?t think the tax will make that much difference. If people want to buy a cake, they will buy it. But right now they?re saving money," he added.
The new tax will be levied on all products including saturated fats -- from butter and milk to pizzas, oils, meats and pre-cooked foods -- in a costing system that Denmark?s Confederation of Industries (DI) says is a bureaucratic nightmare for producers and outlets.
"The way that this has been put together is an administrative nightmare, and I doubt whether it will give better health. It?s more just a tax," DI foodstuffs spokeswoman Gitte Hestehave told AFP, adding that the costs of levying the tax would be passed on to consumers.
Hestehave said that setting prices on domestically produced or imported goods was complicated, as it required declarations from producers both as to how much saturated fat was in the product itself, and used in its preparation.
Computer systems all had to be adjusted, adding many man-hours to administrative tasks for producers and sellers.
"Products that include other products that include saturated fats also have to have new prices worked out. Imported goods require a declaration from the producers abroad on exactly how much saturated fat has been used in production," Hestehave said.
"As far as we have been able to determine, Denmark is the first country in the world to introduce a fat tax" but we know that other countries are following us closely and have their own plans, she said.
The new Danish tax, however, may not last long.
EU legal expert Jeppe Rosenmejer of the Danish Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises says the European Union is currently studying the tax as there may be a competition issue.
While producers in Denmark have to pay the tax at source, for imported goods it is calculated by the distributor.
"This can mean that imported goods will be cheaper than domestically produced items," Rosenmejer told the national Jyllands-Posten daily.
A Danish producer will have to pay the tax on all of the saturated fat used, including for example what a product is fried in, he said. An importer may only be paying according to what is actually in the finished product.
"Hopefully the tax will be short-lived," Rosenmejer said.
The right-wing government that decided on the tax was superceded by a centre-left administration in elections last month.
reference http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/259219/denmark-levies-world-first-fat-tax
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