Although this advertisement was released in December 2020, team AFT found this an interesting piece to cover.
This two-minute film was selected by Vimeo’s Staff Picks, and highlights “real-life experiences” of three female athletes from different backgrounds in Japan — one is Japanese, one is Korean, and one is of mixed race with an African father and Japanese mother. The film touches on bullying, race sentiments and shows how each girl “overcomes their daily struggles and conflicts to move their future through sports.”
This advertisement raised a few eyebrows in that it became a highly controversial talking point. Have a look at what was reported throughout the international media channels:
“It has about 25 million views on social media and almost 80,000 shares.”
“The video, viewed 14.1 million times on Nike Japan’s Twitter feed by noon Wednesday, had racked up 63,000 likes but also a cascade of critical comments from many who vowed never to buy Nike products again.”
While the film’s message clearly riled members of Japan’s online right – many of whom commented using pseudonyms – more measured critics said it misrepresented modern Japanese society.
Bagaimana cara sabun dan hand sanitizer bisa membunuh virus corona di tangan Anda?
Siswa mencuci tangan saat akan masuk area sekolah dalam pembelajaran tatap muka di SMP Negeri Hindu 2 Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali, 23 Maret 2021.
Dian Wuri Astuti, STIKES Guna Bangsa
Hampir satu setengah tahun pandemi COVID-19 belum terkendali baik di level global maupun Indonesia.
Menjaga kebersihan, memakai masker, dan menjaga jarak fisik merupakan cara terbaik yang bisa dilakukan tiap orang untuk melindungi diri dan orang di sekitarnya dari serangan virus corona.
Mencuci tangan dengan sabun cair atau padat merupakan salah satu cara terbaik untuk mencegah tangan kita menjadi medium penyebaran virus. Karena ukuran virus sangat kecil dan banyak orang terinfeksi tanpa menunjukkan gejala, kita tidak pernah tahu virus dengan pasti di mana dan kapan virus menyebar.
Satu hal yang pasti bahwa virus bisa menyebar saat orang terinfeksi sedang batuk, bersin, berbicara atau tangannya memegang benda-benda.
Masalahnya, kadang-kadang di tempat umum tidak selalu tersedia sabun dan air sehingga hanya bisa menggunakan hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer berbahan dasar alkohol dan sabun mampu membunuh virus yang menempel di tangan.
Bagaimana cara kerja sabun dan hand sanitizer menaklukkan virus corona?
Cara kerja sabun melawan virus corona
Sabun dan air bekerja menghilangkan semua jenis kuman dari tangan, bahkan dapat membunuhnya.
Sabun merupakan zat yang mengandung dua gugus: gugus hidrofilik (bagian kepala molekul sabun) dan gugus hidrofobik (bagian ekor molekul sabun).
Gugus hidrofilik merupakan bagian yang dapat berinteraksi dengan air. Sedangkan gugus hidrofobik akan berinteraksi dengan lemak (lipid).
Dengan komposisi seperti itu, sabun dapat merusak struktur luar virus yang berupa protein dan lipid (lemak). Mekanisme kerja sabun melawan virus corona dapat dijelaskan sebagai berikut.
Saat kita mencuci tangan dengan sabun dan air, ekor molekul sabun mulai mencari area yang tidak ada air dan mulai mengelilingi partikel virus.
Saat mereka terus bergerak, ekornya dapat menancap di lapisan luar virus, mencoba untuk sampai ke bagian tengah, yang tidak ada air. Efek ini mirip dengan meletuskan balon dengan peniti.
Saat molekul sabun menembus ke dalam lapisan virus, sabun akan membelah virus, melepaskan isinya ke dalam air sabun di sekitarnya. Dampaknya, partikel virus ikut tersapu oleh air.
Oleskan sabun secukupnya untuk menutupi tangan yang basah
Gosok bagian tangan di bagian punggung tangan, sela-sela jari, celah kuku, dan juga telapak tangan selama 20 detik
Bilas dengan air mengalir secara bersih
Keringkan tangan dengan memakai kain bersih atau handuk bersih.
Sabun dan air lebih efektif daripada hand sanitizer dalam menghilangkan jenis kuman tertentu seperti norovirus (virus yang dapat menyebabkan peradangan akut pada lambung dan usus), Cryptosporidium (parasit yang hidup di sistem pencernaan manusia dan hewan), dan Clostridioides difficile (patogen usus penyebab diare), serta bahan kimia.
Penggunaan air dan sabun lebih tepat untuk membersihkan tangan yang kotor atau berminyak seperti setelah makan, berkebun, atau melakukan kegiatan lain.
Mencuci tangan menggunakan sabun dengan air mengalir dapat mengurangi jumlah semua jenis kuman, pestisida, dan logam di tangan.
Penggunaan hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer bekerja dengan cara membunuh kuman tertentu di tangan.
Namun hand sanitizer tidak selalu dapat menggantikan peran air dan sabun dalam membunuh kuman di tangan. Misalnya, hand sanitizer tidak dapat menghilangkan bahan kimia berbahaya, seperti logam berat dan pestisida.
Organisasi Kesehatan Dunia merekomendasikan penggunaan hand sanitizer untuk menghilangkan virus corona jika tidak ada sabun. Hand sanitizer biasanya mengandung etanol, isopropanol, n-propanol atau kombinasi dari ketiga jenis alkohol.
Semua hand sanitizer efektif melawan virus yang terlapisi lipid seperti virus corona jika kandungan alkoholnya mencapai 62%-96%. Kandungan ini dapat dilihat di label kemasan produknya. Rata-rata produk hand sanitizer di pasaran saat ini mengandung alkohol sebanyak itu.
Hal yang perlu diwaspadai adalah alkohol pada hand sanitizer bersifat mudah terbakar dan mudah menguap.
Pada awal Mei 2020, American Association of Poison Control Center melaporkan ada 9.504 kasus paparan alkohol-bahan dasar hand sanitizer-pada anak-anak di bawah usia 12 tahun. Dari kasus ini, sejumlah kecil alkohol dapat menyebabkan keracunan alkohol pada anak-anak yang menyebabkan kebingungan, muntah dan kantuk, serta henti napas dan kematian.
Hand sanizer berbahaya jika diminum atau terminum. Misalnya, Juni tahun lalu CNN memberitakan tiga orang tewas dan satu orang mengalami kebutaan karena keracunan methanol setelah minum hand sanitizer di New Mexico AS.
Jadi kuncinya adalah mengetahui kapan Anda harus membersihkan tangan dan metode mana yang digunakan. Itulah yang akan memberi Anda kesempatan terbaik untuk mencegah penyakit karena virus.
Biaya awal yang dikeluarkan untuk membeli itu tidak ada apa-apanya. Raffi Ahmad membeli Rans Cilegon itu dia sudah mengundang sponsor, yang datang dalam hitungan bulan ke depan balik modal itu. Siapa yang tidak mau sponsor klub yang pemiliknya punya follower 51 juta?.“
Baru-baru ini, artis Raffi Ahmad beserta rekan bisnisnya membeli klub bola daerah untuk pertama kalinya. Dia mengubah klub asal Kota Cilegon, Banten dari Cilegon United menjadi RANS Cilegon FC dan berencana mengucurkan Rp 300 miliar untuk mengembangkan klub tersebut.
Selain itu ada juga putra Presiden Joko Widodo, Kaesang Pangarep dan Menteri BUMN Erick Thohir yang membeli klub Persis Solo. Erick tidak asing dengan investasi di industri olah raga, karena sebelumnya pernah menjadi pemilik Inter Milan dan beberapa klub lainnya.
Bagi sebagian orang mungkin mengherankan melihat tiba-tiba banyak investor baru di industri sepak bola Indonesia. Padahal, dalam beberapa tahun terakhir industri bola selalu disorot karena manajemennya yang buruk, supporter yang brutal sampai ke mafia sepak bola. Namun ternyata potensi industri sepak bola nasional sangat besar dalam jangka panjang.
Untuk itu pada episode ini, kami berbicara dengan Mohamad Dian Revindo dan Fithra Faisal Hastiadi, keduanya adalah peneliti ekonomi di Universitas Indonesia, tentang fenomena “investor sepak bola”, dari keuntungan yang bisa didapatkan mereka hingga tantangan pada masa depan.
Dengarkan obrolan lengkapnya di podcast SuarAkademia, Kami akan hadir rutin memandu Sahabat TCID untuk memahami berbagai isu yang sedang hangat, bersama akademisi dan para editor kami.
The 2021 China Obesity Prevention and Control Conference (10-12 April, 2021) held in Xi’an, Shaanxi China launched the China Obesity Prevention and Control Initiative jointly proposed by the newly set up Obesity Prevention and Control Section of the Chinese Nutrition Society and the Xi’an Jiaotong University Global Health Institute. The initiative called for 10 actions to be undertaken by the whole society including government, health care facilities, schools, work places, media, industry, research institutes, families and individuals.
Hosted by the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbour (iHarbour), the conference was co-organised by the Chinese Nutrition Society, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Nutrition and Health, the Global Health Institute and the School of Public Health of Xi’an Jiaotong University, and the Health Sub-Alliance of the University Alliance of the Silk Road.
The 10 proposed actions are:
Mobilise the whole society
Promote multi-departmental and cross-sectoral actions
Correct the obesogenic environment
Advocate healthy lifestyles
Focus on prevention of childhood obesity
Standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity
Strengthen professional in-field training
Improve policy establishing and evaluation system
Conduct interdisciplinary research, and
Strengthen international exchanges and cooperation.
These proposed actions to manage obesity and related chronic diseases form a part of the Healthy China 2030 Initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Obesity Prevention and Control Section of the Chinese Nutrition Society will play an active role in bridging the government, academia and industry, to serving the well-being of Chinese people, and contributing to global health by sharing Chinese experience and wisdom in obesity prevention and control.
The conference was attended by 400 delegates including experts and scholars in public health, nutrition and clinical medicine, also leaders and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), National Health Commission, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Nutrition Society, universities and hospitals. The WHO Chief Representative Officer in China Dr. Gauden Galea, the officials from National Health Commission Mr. Jianxin Tian, the president of the Chinese Nutrition Society Prof. Yuexin Yang and some 40 scholars and experts from government, academia and industry shared their ideas and views in lectures, debates and panel discussions.
Type 2 Diabetes could be put into remission, says opthalmologist Dr. James Muecke AM. Almost as soon as he was named Australian of the Year 2020, Dr. Muecke started advocating for the implementation of a tax on sugary drinks in an effort to save more eyes. Dr. Muecke speaks to AsiaFitnessToday.com about his proposed change to Australia’s dietary guidelines, he expresses why there’s a need for government to impose a sugar tax and talks about his work in raising awareness about diabetes – a lifestyle disease that could lead to the loss of sight.
Dr. James Muecke with his team in Vietnam. Photo credit: Sight For All foundation
He began his career in Kenya, then returned to South Australia to become an eye surgeon and blindness prevention pioneer, starting both Vision Myanmar at the South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology in 2000, and Sight For All, an organisation which uses Australian and New Zealand eye specialists to train overseas doctors, a social impact organisation “aiming to create a world where everyone can see”.
Has sugar blinded our reasoning?
A few months ago, we featured a story about a patient of Dr. Muecke’s who woke up one morning Blinded by Sugar. Neil Hansel is sadly a victim of the debilitating disease which has not only taken his eyesight, but also his limbs.
In his address at the National Press Club in Canberra last year, Dr. James Muecke gave an immensely moving account about having had to remove a patient’s eye. He wanted to be an eye surgeon to give the gift of sight and not to take it away from someone, especially when someone has been needlessly blinded by an avoidable, man-made Type 2 Diabetes he said.
Sugar toxicity can be solved
Humans were for the first time in history “overfed and undernourished” with sugar and refined carbohydrates, he affirmed. We met with Dr. Muecke in person at a studio in Sydney this March 2021, one square year after the Australian border closures and he summed up our conversation to this, “When the mother is pregnant with the baby and if she’s consuming a diet high in sugar, that sugar crosses the placental barrier to the foetus but insulin doesn’t cross, so you’re already metabolically priming the child for health problems in the future. So gestational diabetes is a big big problem so people should be aware of that, that it be picked up early in pregnancy and wind right back on your consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates,”.
Dr. Muecke spoke to us at length about a strategy he came up with, which he calls the 5As of sugar toxicity.
Addiction
Alleviation
Accessibility
Addition
Advertising
It’s so hard to kick the habit. If you’ve ever tried to detox from sugar, it’s quite an unpleasant process. And even if you’re able to succesfully do it, everywhere you go, all the foods you eat, you’re just bombarded with sugar, so it makes it very difficult. So having a tax on sugary drinks, we know that it’s been shown to reduce purchase and consumption in 17 countries with Mexico being one of them.
Let’s say in Australia, we put a 20% levy on sugary drinks, that would raise about A$600million which could then be used to fund health awareness initiatives and about 77% of Australians agree with this in principle,” added Muecke, giving light into his call for a sugar tax.
Back home in Adelaide, Dr. Muecke continues his advocacy work in awareness building and has called for a crackdown on sugar in drinks and processed foods, also a change in Australia’s dietary guidelines.
He spoke about how diabetes, one of leading causes of blindness among Australian adults could be sent into remission. Diabetes is a metabolic disease, caused by the over-consumption of sugar, refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods which are cheap and accessible. He mentioned the dangers of seed oils, and that we should be aware of the types of oils we’re consuming daily.
Australia’s dietary guidelines was last updated in 2013 and in a Facebook post, Muecke suggests a certain biasness that 80% of the recommended foods were plant-based. He came up with this proposed diamond (see diagram below), shifting sugar and heavily processed & grain fed meats to the opposite tips of the healthy eating diamond.
A 7News report quoted Dr. Muecke saying, there were three successful ways to place type-two diabetes in remission – low calorie diets, low carbohydrate diets or bariatric surgery. Of these, he said the low-carbohydrate diet was the easiest solution.
AsiaFitnessToday.com also attended a webinar in November 2020, organised by the Australian Society of Opthalmologists. In that webinar, Dr. Muecke shared an imagery about glucose metabolism likening it to a packed train at peak hour. When too much glucose is ingested, insulin level rises and tries to push glucose into the blood stream, but it’s rejected. It’s then stored as glycogen instead in the liver, giving rise to fatty liver. Fructose – when taken up by the liver, almost a third of it is converted to fat so fructose is far more toxic than glucose!
Dynamic duo
Dr. James Muecke was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012, then in 2015 he was EY’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Australia, and in 2019 received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Adelaide. It was the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, that Dr. Muecke was named Australian of the Year for 2020 and appropriately so, considering he is not going to be silent anymore and will be carrying the torch to highlight the fact that non-communicable lifestyle diseases like diabetes can be put into remission, and one of the ways to achieve that is to intervene with awareness first, followed by a change in lifestyle and importantly, diet. Partnering Dr. Muecke in advocacy and stewardship of the non-profit work is spouse Mena Muecke OAM, who also plays a vital role in the marketing and publicity of Sight For All and is a co-founder of the Vision 1000 social investment initiative. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2018. The Mueckes run private consultancy, www.Medthink.com.au.
In this 7th episode of Season 1 of The Kurang Manis (Sugar, Less) Podcast, we also speak with Dr YokeLi Ling, based in Kuala Lumpur who is passionately advocating Sleep and Airway Centric Dentistry and Oral Myofunctional Therapy. Dr. Ling shares more details in the 8th episode of the podcast (click here) with co-hosts Nikki Yeo and Jasmine Low.
Mia Palencia
Our tradition continues where we introduce music from this region and we’ve chosen a song titled SUPERMAN by Tassie-based Mia Palencia who launched her career in Malaysia at the age of 14 as the other half of Sabahan jazz duo Double Take. The song reflects the advocacy work that’s being undertaken by Dr. James Muecke AM – Australia’s SUPERMAN. Mia composed, produced and performed the opening night theme song for the Southeast Asian Games 2017, and continues her PhD research in Songwriting at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Tasmania and released her 7th album with her Australian jazz quartet, In Good Company. Visit www.miapalencia.com.
We welcome messages from our listeners, and invite you to send us a voice message if you have comments or feedback for our guests.
Feel free to share and repost these visuals via your social media pages or messages. Thank you.
Now streaming – Dr. James Muecke AM, Australian of the Year 2020 wants to put diabetes in remission. Listen to the podcast on AsiaFitnessToday.com or wherever you get your podcast: “The Kurang Manis (Sugar, Less) Podcast”
Now streaming – Dr. James Muecke AM, Australian of the Year 2020 wants to put diabetes in remission. Listen to the podcast on AsiaFitnessToday.com or wherever you get your podcast: “The Kurang Manis (Sugar, Less) Podcast”
Now streaming – Dr. James Muecke AM, Australian of the Year 2020 wants to put diabetes in remission. Listen to the podcast on AsiaFitnessToday.com or wherever you get your podcast: “The Kurang Manis (Sugar, Less) Podcast”
AFTNN — Reporter Sabrina Salas Matanane of Health Check, a program by KUAM News Extra in Guam presents the Guam Diabetes Control Coalition (GDCC) webinar with opening remarks from Dr. Keith Horinouchi, Chairperson of the GDCC.
The Diabetes Alert Day virtual conference on March 23rd also featured a presentation by keynote speaker Dr. Ann Pobutsky, PhD Territorial Epidemiologist / Department of Public Health and Social Services. Her research background includes chronic disease epimediology, social epimediology and community health needs assessment.
Dr. Pobutsky shared that data shows that Type 2 Diabetes or Insulin Resistance was in direct correlation with COVID-19 mortality, where the vast majority of COVID-19 cases on Guam (65.3%) were among those under age 45. The opposite is true of COVID-19 related deaths where 88% of the cases were among those older than 45 years. She highlights the following findings:
Three fourths of the COVID-19 related deaths were among those aged 55 years and above.
Diabetes was more common at older ages.
People with diabetes are also likely to have cardiovascular disease co-morbidities since diabetes interferes with the circulatory system.
There is a consistent pattern among Guam COVID-19 deaths from March 2020 to February 2021, whereby those with diagnosis of diabetes constitute about one-half of cases (49.6% – 56.3%).
What’s needed to move forward?
Establishment of a Diabetes Registry although this may not be feasible.
Continued health education on diabetes prevention, and management of diabetes mainly dietary changes to stem obesity.
Change the physical environment to make exercise more accessible.
More details of Dr. Pobutsky’s presentation can be seen in the video below.
The good thing that’s come out of working from home is that people are cooking more at home, planting their own bananas, green beans and sharing with others, bicycles are out of stock, people are walking outdoors with their kids and it’s an amazing change, commented Honorable Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Maga ‘hagan Guahan.
“Diabetes as we all know cause major problems like being blind, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, lower limb amputations and other ailments. The tragedy of all this is that diabetes can be prevented. A healthy diet, physical activity, avoiding tobacco, these actions can delay or even prevent Type 2 Diabetes. As a nurse, I know full well what diabetes can do to a person, and the toll it can take on a family if treatment is prolonged,”.
Honorable Lourdes Leon Guerrero, Maga ‘hagan Guahan.
The GDCC coalition has a mission to educate the community on healthy lifestyles, expansion of aquaculture and agriculture industries with a focus on children’s nutrition with local foods. They will be working closely with Guam Department of Education and establishing a school healthcare initiative with school health councillors. Outreach programs will identify families who are at high risk and under utilising health care and inviting them to the community health centres to benefit from the programs, said Honorable Joshua Tenorio, Segundo na Maga’lahen Guahan – Lt. Governor of Guam.
A message was read from the Office of the Speaker of the 36th Legislature and Chairperson for the Committee on Health, Land, Justice and Culture, Senator Therese M. Terlaje who shared these key points, “…we have been hearing that Guam’s diabetes rates have been at epidemic proportions for many years now and as far back as 2010, the Pacific Islands health officers association has declared a regional state of health emergency due to the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the United States Affiliated Pacific Islands USAPI which included American Samoa, Guam, The Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, The Republic of Palau and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Island…”
Her address was followed by a message from Arthur San Agustin, Director / Department of Public Health and Social Services, who shared a message from a personal angle as both his parents had diabetes and passed away from complications of diabetes – “It really is a lifestyle change”.
The full ADA Diabetes Alert Day Presentation sponsored by the Guam Diabetes Control Coalition is featured in full below:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS is one of the most common gastro-intestinal disorders, affecting 10% -15% of the population worldwide. But what is IBS?
IBS is a common disorder that affects the large intestine and involves a disturbance in the intestinal or bowel motor function and sensation. While the cause for IBS is not completely found, genetic disposition, infection especially in the intestine and traumatic life experiences that cause chronic stress are factors may play a role.
People with IBS have symptoms ranging from bloating to abdominal pain It is usually triggered by diet, stress, changes in gut bacteria and poor sleep. The symptoms change over time. Sometimes it reduces or disappears and there may be periods where it flares up. Bowel movement will also vary accordingly.
The effect of diet on IBS varies from person to person. The food consumed might worsen the IBS in some people. Certain foods are known to stimulate gut reactions in general, and in those with IBS eating too much of these might worsen symptoms. That is why a research team in Monash University Australia developed the Low-FODMAP diet to help reduce symptoms of IBS.
In Australia, the Low-FODMAP diet has been accepted as the primary strategy for managing IBS in patients. The Australian team found that a short-chain of carbohydrates called FODMAP (Fermentable Oligo-saccharides, Di-saccharides, Mono-saccharides And Polyols) caused problems for people with IBS.
These carbohydrates are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and they quickly get fermented by the bacteria that is in the gut. These bacteria produce gas which is a major contributor to IBS symptoms.
By reducing FODMAP in the diet of patients with IBS, studies found that there was improvement in gut health and a reduction in symptoms of IBS. The low FODMAP diet is flexible and can be tailored to meet an individual’s lifestyle and preferences. Following the low FODMAP approach does not cure IBS, but allows successful drug-free management of symptoms through diet in many patients.
Monash University also has a Low FODMAP Diet app which provides users with easy access to recommended foods that should be eaten and those which should be avoided at every meal. The app is directly from the research team who developed FODMAP. The app also has an easy guide on which foods have high and low FODMAPs as well over 80 low-FODMAP recipes.
It is important to know that the application of a low-FODMAP diet requires expert guidance from a dietician or a nutritionist trained in IBS. Low-FODMAP diets involve restricting FODMAPs for 6 to 8 weeks and then slowly introducing small amounts of Low-FODMAPs.
This diet is not a lifetime diet and the progress will be monitored by a dietician who will advise you on when and which foods need to be slowly introduced back into your diet. The Low-FODMAP diet is a process and not just a list of foods, therefore expert guidance is required throughout your journey.
This article has been researched, compiled and written by the team at Asia Fitness Today; Sneha Ramesh – Intern, Monash University (Sunway campus), Syuhada Adam – Editorial consultant, Nikki Yeo & Jasmine Low – Director/Producer.
Asia Fitness Today has embarked on MISSION 2030 — to halve NCD rates in the Asia Pacific region by 2030. If we could ask if you could please share this article on social media or with someone you know and care about so we can perpetuate this ripples of awareness in the community. It begins with a whisper, a drop in the ocean and slowly, change can happen. It begins with us. Learn more: www.move8.org.
#RunForChildren in 2021 is a 42-minute virtual run to raise awareness and advocate for the 42 rights of children.
The World Vision Virtual #RunforChildren is back! Author and World Vision Ambassador Marilee Pierce Dunker is daughter to American missionary Dr Robert Pierce who founded World Vision in 1950 when he returned to America after travelling to China and Korea. There, he encountered people living without food, clothing, shelter or medicine. Team AsiaFitnessToday.com spoke to Marilee Dunker in Kuala Lumpur in May 2019 at the launch.
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), children have 42 rights. These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and develop their full potential. They apply equally to every child, regardless of ethnicity, gender or religion. Learn more here.
Proceeds from the World Vision annual #RunForChildren are channelled to child protection efforts in Malaysia and overseas to support children’s safety, to call out violence when it occurs, and to work with survivors to heal and recover so children can experience a safe and secure childhood that will advance their sense of well-being.
When you sign up for #RunForChildren, you’ll be running for the child on your bib – to ensure that their rights are protected! Your participation helps give children a safe and secure childhood 👧👦🧡 It Takes You & I
Click here to visit the World Vision Malaysia page to join.
18 March 2021, Geneva, Switzerland via AFTNN— Every second person in the world is believed to hold ageist attitudes – leading to poorer physical and mental health and reduced quality of life for older persons, costing societies billions of dollars each year, according to a new United Nations report on ageism.
The report released today by WHO, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), calls for urgent action to combat ageism and better measurement and reporting to expose ageism for what it is – an insidious scourge on society.
The response to control the COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled just how widespread ageism is – older and younger people have been stereotyped in public discourse and on social media. In some contexts, age has been used as the sole criterion for access to medical care, lifesaving therapies and for physical isolation.
“As countries seek to recover and rebuild from the pandemic, we cannot let age-based stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination limit opportunities to secure the health, well-being and dignity of people everywhere,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This report outlines the nature and scale of the problem but also offers solutions in the form of evidence-based interventions to end ageism at all stages.”
Findings from the report
Ageism seeps into many institutions and sectors of society including those providing health and social care, in the workplace, media and the legal system. Healthcare rationing based solely on age is widespread. A systematic review in 2020 showed that in 85 per cent of 149 studies, age determined who received certain medical procedures or treatments.
Both older and younger adults are often disadvantaged in the workplace and access to specialised training and education decline significantly with age. Ageism against younger people manifests across many areas such as employment, health, housing and politics where younger people’s voices are often denied or dismissed.
“Ageism towards younger and older people is prevalent, unrecognised, unchallenged and has far-reaching consequences for our economies and societies,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “Together, we can prevent this. Join the movement and combat ageism.”
Ageism has serious and wide-ranging consequences for people’s health and well-being. Among older people, ageism is associated with poorer physical and mental health, increased social isolation and loneliness, greater financial insecurity, decreased quality of life and premature death. An estimated 6.3 million cases of depression globally are estimated to be attributable to ageism. It intersects and exacerbates other forms of bias and disadvantage including those related to sex, race and disability leading to a negative impact on people’s health and well-being.
“The pandemic has put into stark relief the vulnerabilities of older people, especially those most marginalised, who often face overlapping discrimination and barriers – because they are poor, live with disabilities, are women living alone, or belong to minority groups,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund. “Let’s make this crisis a turning point in the way we see, treat and respond to older people, so that together we can build the world of health, well-being and dignity for all ages that we all want.”
Ageism costs our societies billions of dollars. In the United States of America (USA), a 2020 study showed ageism in the form of negative age stereotypes and self-perceptions led to excess annual costs of US$63 billion for the eight most expensive health conditions. This amounts to US$1 in every US$7 spent on these conditions for all Americans over the age of 60 for one year.
Estimates in Australia suggest that if 5 per cent more people aged 55 or older were employed, there would be a positive impact of AUD$48 billion on the national economy annually. There are currently limited data and information on the economic costs of ageism and more research is needed to better understand its economic impact, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
“Ageism harms everyone – old and young. But often, it is so widespread and accepted – in our attitudes and in policies, laws and institutions – that we do not even recognise its detrimental effect on our dignity and rights said Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. “We need to fight ageism head-on, as a deep-rooted human rights violation.”
Combatting ageism
The report notes that policies and laws that address ageism, educational activities that enhance empathy and dispel misconceptions, and intergenerational activities that reduce prejudice all help decrease ageism.
All countries and stakeholders are encouraged to use evidence-based strategies, improve data collection and research and work together to build a movement to change how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing, and to advance progress on the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), rooted in the United Nations Charter and guided by the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, upholds the development pillar of the United Nations. UN DESA brings the global community together to work towards common solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The Department helps countries translate their global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres. It is a leading analytical voice for promoting inclusion, reducing inequalities and eradicating poverty, and a champion for tearing down the barriers that keep people in poverty.
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Australia’s Dr. Hunter Fujak believes that the Australian Football League (AFL) is practically unassailable in its position at the centre of Australian football culture. Despite AFL’s supremacy, Code Wars does not attempt to say which football code is the ‘best’ or ‘worst’, but it looks at the uniqueness of the Australian sporting landscape and considers issues such as:
Why the Melbourne and Sydney sporting cultures are so different.
Why Wagga Wagga has produced so many elite athletes of multiple sports.
Will the AFL ultimately crush its competitors.
Whether concussion will one day wipe out contact football altogether.
Impacts of globalisation and technology on soccer
Unique sporting market in Australia
City and regional comparisons for Victoria and across Australia
How grassroots engagement is key to future success
Growth in women’s support of Rugby League
The top down approach of Rugby Union
Broadcasting rights and streaming war
Fujak says the book is for those whose interest in football and sport extends beyond what goes on on-the-field, and what shapes that which goes on off-the-field.
Based on data from Fujak’s PhD dissertation, Code Wars translates academic scholarly research into something tangible – and no doubt highly debatable – for the real world. Dr Hunter Fujak is a Lecturer in Sports Management at Deakin University in Melbourne. His PhD was awarded by UTS in Sydney and explored consumer behaviour in sport.
Code Wars is published by Fair Play Publishing and is available in direct from the publisher or from bookstores at A$34.99 or digitally as an ebook.
