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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Nutritional problems of school children Last week this paper highlighted a recurring problem in the drought stricken areas of Sri Lanka: Malnutrition, especially among school children. Here eminent nutritionist Prof. T.W. Wickremanayake emphasises the need to promote more research on the nutrition of Lankan school children and discusses their current nutritional status.
The main health problems they face are Helminth infestations, respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases and malaria. Direct and indirect effects of HIV/AIDS are likely to become important in the future. Much of this disease burden derives from poor environmental conditions, including biological, chemical and physical health hazards. The prevalence of stunting wasting and underweight among pre-school children varies by region and sub-region throughout the low-income countries. Stunting is of low prevalence in Latin America, Caribbean and Sri Lanka (9.3 to 24 per cent). The prevalence of underweight and wasting follow similar regional patterns, that of underweight in Sri Lanka being about 30 per cent. Stunting is widely believed to occur in pre-school children, mostly three years of age, through a cumulative process. The degree of stunting present in the pre-school period tends to increase throughout the school-age years. However, children can exhibit catch-up growth if the environment improves, indicating that interventions can reduce levels of stunting and its effects on health and education.A recent study of anthropometric status of rural school children in five low-income countries found an over-all prevalence of stunting and underweight to be high in all five countries, ranging from 48 to 50 per cent for stunting and 34 to 62 per cent for underweight. The data indicated that, in all five countries, as the children get older they become progressively shorter relative to the FAD/WHO/UNU reference population. Boys tend to be more stunted than girls in most countries. In all countries boys were more underweight than girls. Rather large height deficits can accumulate during the relatively long childhood period of about 8 years. Sanitation and housing conditions have been identified as risk factors for growth-faltering in school-age children. Short stature is associated with poverty. Reducing poverty and its consequences is critical. Height differences have little to do with ethnicity. Even without special interventions, both boys and girls show evidence of growth late into adolescence, although full 'catch-up' growth does not occur. Levels of improvement is moderate. Of children stunted at 2 years, about 25 to 30 per cent are no longer stunted by school-age or pre-adolescence. Stunted children of both genders can catch-up growth up to 17 years. Out-of-schoolchildren There are considerable differences between enrolled children and none enrolled children. The non-enrolled of both genders have significantly short stature, about 50 per cent of the non-enrolled aged 6 to 7 years being stunted when compared with the enrolled. Most of the chronic health problems encountered among 6 to 7 year children are the products of disease and poor sanitation before they enrolled in school. Impact on education: Studies indicate that chronic under nutrition is associated with lower achievement levels in school children. Stunting in the first 2 years of life is strongly associated with lower test scores, at ages 8 to 11 years. These adverse effects may decline over time. Lower test scores are related to late enrolment, increased absenteeism and repetition of school years, among stunted children. Therefore, both the stunted and non-stunted can benefit similarly from education. A study in Vietnam showed that chronic malnutrition was not associated with language and mathematics test scores. Studies should be initiated to identify (1) whether the height deficits accrued during the primary school years are made up through the larger pre-pubertal growth in height and at what age children stop growth in height. (2) The functional implications of linear growth retardation in school-age children. (3) The age at which school-based interventions could prevent stunting. (Condensed from a publication of the UN system) Medical update : Walking whittles down waistlines A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a group of post-menopausal women (aged 50-75 years), who switched from wholly sedentary lifestyles to a regular exercise regime trimmed their waistlines significantly. Three hours per week of brisk walking or riding a stationary bike, without cutting calorie intake over a one year period, resulted in an average loss of almost 7 per cent of intra-abdominal fat, irrespective of any reduction in total body weight. Excess abdominal body fat is associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and heart disease. It seems likely that the observed increased risk faced by moderately overweight and obese Asians compared to their Caucasian counterparts, to develop these chronic degenerative diseases is linked to a greater tendency to deposit fat in the abdominal region. From 'Food Facts Asia' Mutant muscles by Linda A. Johnson Somewhere in Germany is a baby Superman. Born in Berlin with bulging arm and leg muscles. Not yet 5, he can hold seven-pound (3.15-kilogram) weights with arms extended, something many adults cannot do. He has muscles twice the size of other children his age and half their body fat.
Many scientists believe the find could eventually lead to drugs for treating people with muscular dystrophy and other muscle-destroying conditions. And athletes would almost surely want to get their hands on such a drug and use it like steroids to bulk up. The boy's mutant DNA segment was found to block production of a protein called myostatin that limits muscle growth. The news comes seven years after researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltilmore created buff 'mighty mice' by turning off" the gene that directs cells to produce myostatin. "Now we can say that myostatin acts the same way in humans as in animals," said the boy's physician, Dr. Markus Schuelke, a professor in the child neurology department at Charite/University Medical Center Berlin. "We can apply that knowledge to humans, including trial therapies for muscular dystrophy." Muscular dystrophy is the world's most common genetic disease. There is no cure and the most common form. Duchenne's usually kills before adulthood. A non-conventional approach to curing body aches by I'shan Abdeen, psychotherapist, 'Healing chambers' Thalassic treatment combined with Psycho-Therapy has shown encouraging results in curing body aches and pains. This method is now being used to cure disabling conditions like arthritis, spondylosis, Herniated Discs, Lower back pain, Joint pains and Inflammation.
In children and teenagers Rheumatoid Arthritis exist in several forms. Though milder in symptoms they still become affected and may even last through adulthood. In adults such ailments usually begin with general fatigue, soreness, stiffness and aches followed by general appearance of localized symptoms of pain, swelling, warmth and tenderness. In most cases several joints become involved particularly those of the hands and feet. Free and voluntary movements and flexibility of joints are thereby restrained. The primary cause of them is still unknown though several syntheses have been explained and construed. Another theory holds that the body's chemistry may be thrown out of kilter so much so that the body produces antibodies that attack its own joints and tissues. The suspected process is identified as Auto Allergy. Moreover such aches and inflammation together with restricted and confined movements and flexibility causes not only physical pain and anguish but psychological and emotional stress that tends to aggravate the illness. Thalassic treatment This treatment when therapeutically discharged can substantially reduce inflammation, soreness, stiffness and pain and provides lasting relief to all those so afflicted. It is a simple homogeneous and effective therapy conducted at the beach and revolves about utilising three naturally available resources. - sea water, sea sand and sunlight. The treatment is performed thus: Rest and relax in sea water. Allow the body to soak, taking its natural course along with the waves contained within, for twenty minutes. Engulf in wet sand, away from the waves, giving attention to the areas of affliction. Rest and relax. Allow all the diseased energy to depart from the body. Do deep breathing, for twenty minutes. Surrender your body to the Sunlight in dry sea sand. Rest and relax. Allow the body to rejuvenate and recoup energy. Continue deep breathing for twenty minutes. The state of calmness, the warmth and the fresh air revitalises the entire body and reactivates the circulation of blood. Many people have experienced considerable comfort, relief and restoration of pain free movements. Psycho therapy As in all psychological ailments, psycho therapy plays an invigorating role at this decisive point to relieve all the pent-up negative emotions of anguish, anxiety, stress and frustrations.One shall promptly feel calm, composed and relaxed due to the rebalanced and restored energy levels and psyched-up blood circulation. Thalassic treatment has been a mediterranean traditional therapy. Recorded by the Greeks and the French and now practiced by a large group of psycho therapist the world over. It is based and built on the simple principle that the human body has its own miraculous ability to heal and correct itself under stimulation. Low-cost food mixes saves lives and helps diabetes By David Welsh, London Press Service
Tests have shown that while foods provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation as part of the World Food Programme are energy-rich, the food mixes developed at the UK university have a higher mineral and vitamin content for a more complete diet with longer lasting benefits. Dr. Paul Amuna, senior lecturer in nutrition from the university's School of Science, explained: "We are using our understanding of the science of nutrition and the composition of foods to create nutrient-enriched foods. We focused initially on transforming traditional foods in developing countries, such as cereals and rice, into enriched food mixes for poor communities. It would cost only 10 to 15 pence to produce 100g of food which would provide half the daily nutritional requirements of a child. The foods could also be used in nutritional emergencies such as famine."Rather than adding nutrients and vitamins to fortify foods, this research focuses on combining individual components from several foods to achieve maximum nutritional value. The team are also looking at how methods of processing and cooking affect the nutritional content. In developing countries, the need for affordable high protein and nutrient-enriched food products using local foodstuffs is more urgent now that HIV is on the increase. Anti-retroviral therapy has improved survival rates but in the absence of good nutritional support, drugs will not produce the best outcomes for patients, said Dr. Amuna. The university's Food Multimix (FMM) products have been designed with this in mind, using cutting-edge scientific methods and technology that can be reproduced in developing country settings. The team is also working with the University of Sheffield on adapting some everyday UK foods to assist in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Dr. Amuna added: "We are focusing on foods with high fibre and low sugar content which are important factors in the diet of a person with diabetes." |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The main nutritional problem facing school age children include
stunting, underweight, anaemia, iodine deficiency and vitamin A
deficiency. In countries experiencing the nutrition transition, from
traditional life styles to that of the West, overweight and obesity are
increasing problems of school age, especially among urban children and
affluent rural households.
DNA testing showed why: The boy has a genetic mutation that boosts
muscle growth. The discovery, reported in New England Journal of Medicine,
represents the first documented human case of such a mutation.
Unlike former conceptions that pain and inflammation or damage of
joints and muscles only affect people over fifty, today many as young as
twenty are likely to be so afflicted.
Thanks to research at Greenwich University near London, the health of
pregnant women, new mothers and people suffering from HIV or malnutrition
in the developing world could be improved by nutritious, low-cost foods.
The technology can also be used to help people with diabetes.
