INOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND MANAGE OBESITY

 INOVATIVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND MANAGE OBESITY

Obesity is a common health issue that is defined by having high percentage of body fat. According to statistics, it is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Often results from taking in more calories that are burned by exercise and normal daily activities. Generally, it is caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy particularly fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat.

When you think of an obese person what comes to your mind? An extremely large, sagging body and a round chubby face? Or images of someone sitting on a sofa, being inactive; eating fast foods and drinking soda? Well you may be right.

People tend to ask, 'Does obesity have a cure?' According to experts, Obesity is biologically 'Stamped In' Diet and exercise won't cure it but it can reduce health risks. Obesity prevention begins at a young age. It's important to help young people maintain a healthy weight without focusing on the scale. For children, as a parent, one  can prevent obesity in way like;

      *Build early relationships with food

      *Eat healthy foods as a family

      *Encourage eating slowly and only when hungry - overeating can happen if you eat when not hungry and this happens to children alot. This excess fuel eventually becomes stored as body fat and can lead to obesity. Also, encourage them to eat slowly for proper digestion.

     *Limit unhealthy foods in the household 

    *Incorporate fun and exciting physical activities- this keep the children active and fit.

            

    *Make sure everyone is getting enough sleep- good sleep, a comfortable matress and pillow are a good way of maintaining a healthy weight because one gets a good rest and does not cause disruption to the normal body functioning.

    *Know what your child is eating outside of the home - from school, to hanging out with friends, make sure you are aware of what your child consumes eaither good fat or bad fat

Prevention of obesity in adults are the same to those of kids.

*Consume less bad fat and more good fat.

Bad fat include; Meat products like sausages, biscuits, cakes, chocolate etc

 

Good fat include; Avocados, cheese, chia seeds, whole eggs, dark chocolate etc

 

 

*Get the family involved with your journey- we all know that support is the best motivation one can ever have. Social support isn't just for children and teens. 

"Incorporate a weight training regimen

*Focus on reducing daily stress - living a stress free life can also help in maintaining a healthy weight.

A healthy weight is important in maintaining good health. Taking steps to prevent obesity in your daily life is a good first step. As we always say, it's all about the baby steps and little things. Even small changes, such as eating more vegetables and visiting the gym a few times a week, can help to prevent obesity.

If interested in a more tailored approach to your diet, a nutritionist can help provide you with the tools to get started. In addition meeting with a personal trainer or fitness instructor can help you find the physical activities that work best for your body.

  

    

  

FACING REALITY

'I still can't believe you're single,'jokes Patrick. Is it that you're not interested in anyone or you haven't found someone? He goes on. ' I haven't found myself yet,' i replied slowly.

Let's talk about moving on.

Some may find it easy but it's not and there's no shortcut to make the pain go away soon. However, it won't last forever. Soon you will move on and there's no looking back. You'll end up a better person when you handle this situation properly.

A failed relationship can cause self- doubt, feeling of worthlessness and fear of loving again. We tend to drown in episodes that will make us push everyone away because of trust issues or even insecurities.

Some will tell you it's time you got over your relationship because it's been long enough and that you need to find someone new. Moving on doesn't necessarily mean finding someone else. Did anyone say being single is illegal? You can move on and still be single, as long as you have erased everything from the past. Hurtful experiences, ones that emotionally reset our lives, leave us with two choices: open up more or close down. It's so unfortunate that i chose to close down completely, though, the braver choice and the one that will allow new things to enter your life is to open up. Give yourself a new and different opportunity to leave it behind.

Moving on doesn't take a day. It takes alot of little steps to be able to break free off your broken self. Breakups can be hard and painful but it is a normal part of life. Don't let it destroy you. Don't let  your emotions dictate how you should live your life, because you could expect your decisions to be irrational. It must be mind over matter.

Loving someone doesn't mean you should be with them. It also doesn't mean that they're good for you. Face this reality squarely. You can have a happy life, even with great sorrow in your heart, even while carrying loss. Physically, your body is probably going fine and it's only your mind that has the problem. Facing the truth is difficult and life may feel more painful, yet perhaps also more peaceful, because conflict with it is reduced.

Iam not a motivational speaker but i hope this sinks in. Taylor Swift once said; when someone hurts you, it's okay to cry a river, but don't forget to build a bridge over it.

WHEN STAYING HOME IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS

As more children around the nation are now forced to stay home due to strict quarantine regulations, the risk of physical abuse is greater. Any type of crisis can put children at an increased risk for abuse and neglect. Well, everybody is going through something right now, both parents and children. Parents are under so much stress but then there's also the financial hardships and may end up letting out their anger on their little ones. All in all, this shouldn't be a reason to abuse children.

 

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Photo courtesy: Pintrest

Some children would open up to their teachers if anything happened at home but right now they have literally no one to run to. Advocates say awareness is even more urgent because of how many children may be quarantined at home with an abuser. Stress and tensions at home related to school closures, economic uncertainty and even job loss are all possible triggers for abusers. Home isolation, however vital to the fight against the pandemic, is giving still more power to the abusers.

Besides child abuse,movement restrictions may be making violence in homes more frequent, more severe and more dangerous. Violence has very many effects, besides physical injury it may lead to PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better.

 

Photo courtesy: Pintrest

Isolation is a key component of intimate partner violence and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been left hopeless. Knowing that you have a loved one exposed to such, you need to help them. Keep on communication to them frequently and checking up on them. Let people know that while they may feel isolated and abandoned, they do have friends out there. Don't judge or make them regret being in such situations. We all have friends and family and that support can be what gets someone through a violent relationship.

Borderline Personality Disorder

The first day i met Mercy, i knew she was a blessing in my life. Cheerful, loving, fun with a star like smile and beautiful ocean eyes. She was calm and everything i said made her happy. Though things changed abruptly when she got into an argument with her sister. I was shocked at how she couldn't handle her emotions. She cried endlessly and was shaking all through. After talking to her, everything changed and she was back to being the noisy girl i had met first. That is when i knew Mercy had a problem.

        

Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health that impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others, causing problems functioning in everyday life. Includes self-image issues, difficulty managing emotions and behavior, and a pattern of unstable relationships.

Having a relationship with someone who has feelings that don't have a basis in your own reality can be very difficult. You may feel as if you are speaking past your loved one. Mercy would tend to be quiet when she talks to someone with great importance in her life because she fears that her words would go beyond.

An essential part of loving someone with borderline personality disorder is realizing that you cannot fix them. You can have a close, loving, meaningful relationship and provide invaluable support but you cannot heal their illness. Watching Mercy struggle with deep inner turmoil, and experiencing such profound rawness of emotion breaks my heart. As much as i would really like to help Mercy, all i could do is show her love and be by her side everytime she breaks down.

At times Mercy would go deep in her feelings mostly when she is alone. With BPD, you have an intense fear of abandonment or instability, and you may have difficulty tolerating being alone. Yet inappropriate anger, impulsiveness and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though you want to have a long and lasting friendship and relationship.

Most common triggers are relationship triggers and interpersonal distress. Many people with BPD experience intense fear and anger, impulsive behavior, self-harm, and even suicidality in the wake of relationship events that make them feel either rejected, criticised or abandoned. When i found out that Mercy would hurt herself sometimes i did not judge her or lecture her on what is right or wrong. People tend to use different ways to deal with stress or depression and worst thing you can do is judging their own. Don't try convincing them that they are wrong, in fact, doing so will likely make feel attacked and they will likely respond by pushing you away.

         

There are many people in the world who have Mercy's condition and all of them need help. Medication is provided but mostly show them they are loved because they will know they are worth of living. Praying everyday that Mercy overcomes everything and comes out as the strong girl i know she is.

Maintaining Sanity in Quarantine

For the past two months the world has been battling a heavy pandemic of the Covid-19. Governments have taken measures to quarantine those exposed to the virus. In addition, those negative are advised to stay home and quarantine themselves. However, quarantine has a serious effect on mental health.

Before shaming others for going to the park or labelling staying indoors as a 'minor inconvenience' as has happened on twitter, know that medical quarantine and isolation in general, is associated with serious mental health effects.

Whether in quarantine or not, anxieties are only worsened by confusion and social judgement as people try to figure out the appropriate response. This may be, a sense of community and connection with others and purpose of effectiveness. Trying to create all this while in quarantine, whether by skyping friends, assigning yourself structured work or exercised indoors or making dance videos as seen in most Kenyans who have actually been making use of Tiktok. All this can help keep the mind active.

However, things are different for those in restricted quarantine. Kenyans who are in government designated mandatory quarantine sites have described how they are coping with life in isolation.

Some, who are housed in government-owned schools and colleges, have told local broadcasters that the crowding and sharing of washrooms and bathrooms is exposing them to the risk of contracting Coronavirus.

The government placed all people who had arrived in the country during the last few days before international flights were stopped in mandatory quarantine at their cost.

More measures should be taken to make sure those in quarantine stay protected and healthy. One may actually go into quarantine healthy but due to poor and inadequate resources, they might come out testing positive. This may be the main reason why the Covid-19 cases keep on increasing day by day. We stay positive everyday praying that this global pandemic will come to an end!

Above all, let us obey and stay home but most importantly, STAY SANE!

Positives and negatives of the standard gauge railway

Being the largest transport infrasructure project in the country since independence, the Standard Gauge Railway has brought many benefits to the Kenyan economy.

      

Madaraka express

By providing a fast, efficient and reliable mode of transportation, the SGR cargo trains help decongest the port of Mombasa by ensuring goods that arrive at the port are moved to the destination without delays.

The SGR enables passangers to enjoy a faster and cheaper journey compared to the eight hour bus trips between Nairobi and Mombasa

It has also brought about job creations. Starting with individuals employed in the construction sector, to the staff from diverse professional backgrounds working at the 33 stations and in the passenger and cargo rolling stock, the project has generated numerous job opportunities.

            

  SGR during construction

Due to the construction, there is increased industralization of the high demand of materials like cement, steel, stone, glass required for construction of the line and stations.

Tourism, being the main contributor to the Kenyan revenue, has been improved .The route via Nairobi- Mombasa has catchy scenes especially Tsavo National Park has boosted the number of international tourists visiting.

The SGR has reduced the number of heavy trucks on the road, reducing the number of accidents. It has also reduced the wear and tear of roads hence reducing road maitenance cost.

Despite the many benefits, the Standard Gauge Railway has it's negative impacts.

The positive aspects of the SGR have brought market disruption and caused loss of income for trucks and bus owners and job loss for turn boys and truck leaders.

The small businesses between towns that are heavily reliant on trucks and buses are in danger, of economic downfall as establishments like hotels and lodgings collapse due to lack of customers.

The SGR caused involuntary resettlement. During construction, some residents were forced to relocate. Well resettlement because of infrastructure development is a common phenomenon in Kenya. Although there is compensation, relocation to a new location is hard even with adequate compensation.

FEARS BEHIND THE DEADLY VIRUS

In February 2020, as fears of a world wide COVID-19 pandemic caused by a new corona virus from China spread across the globe, many Western news outlets began running stories suggestion the popular Mexican brand of beer called Corona due to their mistakenly connecting it with the corona virus. Now this is funny. A clear trope that suggests people are dumb that they think the beer and the virus are connected.

     

Some believe that China created this virus so as to use it against the Iranians during the World War III. All this backfired when the virus became stronger than the cure. Well this is just a myth . Others believe that the virus was spread by animals like cats and dogs. We are not sure.

     

Reportedly, Corona has caused 200 deaths in Italy and approximately 49 people died in 24hours. Over 684 cases in Germany and 206 cases in United Kingdom. 197 deaths exceed in China causing over 100,000 deaths globally. China exports fall by 17% hence a big loss to the Chinese government. This is causing fear as we breathe and meet people daily knowing it can get to us anytime.

There was a corona virus scare in Narok Eastsub-county because of Chinese nationals who were involved in a construction project. Residents feared because the nationals were seen with masks and hence suspected that they had the virus. They were quarantined at one of the Standard Gauge Railway construction sites.

The Government may seem to be promising in ensuring the safety of the citizens, buh how sure are we that the virus is not in our midst? It may be the biggest fear in most countries especially when you realize that life must go on and you don't really know when or how it comes. ' Don't touch your eyes, mouth and nose' is all they say. Will this practice really help prevent us from getting the virus?

This issue has really left many question marks as we just move hoping and praying all will be well and that we will stay healthy.