Climate Change – Middle East may become uninhabitable by the
end of the 21st century
Modern Diet and Cancer Risk – According to WHO, Processed
Meat Is A Cancer Hazard
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-26/red-meat-processed-meat-labeled-cancer-risks-by-who
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/26/hot-dogs-bacon-and-other-processed-meats-cause-cancer-world-health-organization-declares/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/26/hot-dogs-bacon-and-other-processed-meats-cause-cancer-world-health-organization-declares/
Modern Life and Weight Loss
The Atlantic
piece notes –
“A study published
recently in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice found that
it’s harder for adults today to maintain the same weight as those 20 to 30
years ago did, even at the same levels of food intake and exercise. …
“Our study results
suggest that if you are 25, you’d have to eat even less and exercise more than
those older, to prevent gaining weight,” Jennifer Kuk, a professor of
kinesiology and health science at Toronto’s York University, said in a
statement. “However, it also indicates there may be other specific changes
contributing to the rise in obesity beyond just diet and exercise.” Just what those
other changes might be, though, are still a matter of hypothesis. In an
interview, Kuk proffered three different factors that might be making harder
for adults today to stay thin. First, people are exposed to more chemicals that
might be weight-gain inducing. Pesticides, flame retardants, and the substances
in food packaging might all be altering our hormonal processes and tweaking the
way our bodies put on and maintain weight. Second, the use of prescription
drugs has risen dramatically since the ‘70s and ‘80s. Prozac, the first
blockbuster SSRI, came out in 1988. Antidepressants are now one of the most
commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S., and many of them have been linked to
weight gain.”