Proverbial Talk

Health Hazards Of Obesity

By: Kevin Pederson

Obesity, a worldwide phenomenon, today has surged to become one of the most deadly enemies of mankind, afflicting mostly the rich and the affluent. Obese in simple terms means excess body weight, usually in the absence of an underlying disease, except in a small number of cases where the condition originates from hormonal disturbances.

The terms overweight and obese are used synonymously by the commoner; however, there is some difference at the clinical level. A person can be considered overweight if his body weight is 10-19 per cent more than the normal or ideal body weight. However, when the body weight of a person is 20 per cent or more than his ideal body weight, he is considered obese. As we have seen previously, the ideal body weight for a person depends on his height, sex, age and body frame.

Thus, obesity is a condition of excess body weight and is usually the result of excess accumulation of fat in the body. When energy intake is persistently greater than energy expenditure, the result is gradual accumulation of fat deposits in the adipose tissue depots. Obesity does not happen in a day or a week. It is a gradual process taking place at snails pace when the individual constantly maintains a positive energy balance. A positive energy balance is usually the result of excessive energy intake.

High calorie and high fat foods pamper our taste buds to an extent that most individuals find it difficult to refrain from them in spite of being aware of their nutrient composition. The ignorant certainly cannot be blamed.

The other major culprit is modern urban life mechanisation and dependence on different tools has made life easy and increasingly sedentary. This has lead to the lowering of activity levels, of daily energy expenditure and thus of our total daily caloric needs. Increased calorie intake due to consumption of processed foods and decreased activity levels have together taken a toll, increasing the prevalence of obesity. Sometimes, of course obesity may also be the result of an interplay of hormones.

Obesity jeopardizes an individuals health in more ways than one. It imperils both body and mind of an obese individual. An obese individuals distorted body shape and appearance can be a source both of humiliation and discomfort. Many obese people complain of pain in the joints and may develop arthritis (osteoarthritis) because they have overburdened their knees and joints with their excess body weight. This is the most obvious health hazard that obesity invokes.

Obesity has been associated with a wide range of health problems. It contributes to increasing levels of lipids (fat) and cholesterol in the blood (hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia respectively), leading to narrowing of blood vessels due to deposition of fatty materials in coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). This in turn causes the blood pressure levels to soar (hypertension) and increases the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and strokes.

Obesity increases the risk of diabetes because it
increases insulin resistance leading to glucose intolerance. Weight reduction helps many diabetic patients in controlling their diabetes. Obesity can also lead to pregnancy related and surgical complications.
Obese individuals are also more likely to develop cancer. Certain cancers such as cancers of the gall bladder, endometrium, ovary, breasts and cervix in women, and cancers of the colon and prostate in men have been associated with excess body weight.

Health and Wellness Products for a Healthy Lifestyle

By: Stephen Todd

Health and wellness products are aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle by catering to the physical, as well as mental and emotional aspects of health.

Health and wellness products are used to take care of the body and mind by managing stress, aiding healthy eating habits, as well as maintaining a safe environment.

When someone speaks of wellness, they are referring to what is called “alternative medicine,” which deals with the state of being healthy and health-conscious.

Well Being

When determining the well being of a person, many factors are taken into consideration. Some of these factors include nutrition, disease prevention, environmental influences, as well as public health issues.

There are health and wellness products on the market that explore and achieve this sense of well-being which alternative medicine offers.

Health and wellness products are based upon the idea and practice that the body as a whole should be taken care of after the basic living necessities are in order. This concept of wellness was developed into a popular concern during the late 19th century. This came at a time when the public began to place emphasis on self-improvement.

Many early health and wellness products were considered simple items like toothpaste, mouthwash and certain cereals, which were marketed as such at that time.

Blood pressure machines, cholesterol tests and glucose meters can also be considered a health and wellness product because they monitor some of the body’s overall state of health. Other health and wellness products include vitamins or items which avoid certain food elements that have been proven to lower a person’s well being.

Preventive Health Care

There are some people who wish to follow a variety of preventive health care methods, including homeopathy, as well as herbal medicine, which provides an array of different health and wellness product options. These practices are considered alternative because there is no concrete scientific evidence to prove whether these methods are effective.

Jewelry

Some health and wellness products can come in the form of jewelry, such as Balance Bracelets, which are supposed to decrease pain, as well as increase energy.

To ease joint pain, some will turn to the use of copper bracelets, rings and anklets for treating the discomfort caused by arthritis and tendonitis.

Another health and wellness product utilizes magnetic therapy, which can be found in the form of bracelets, rings, necklaces, bangles, as well as magnetic wraps.

Healing Energy

Plenty of health and wellness products can be found on the Internet that embraces the concept of Reiki healing energy. There are items include transformational beeswax ear candles, which are made up of herbs, flower essences and crystals.

11 Ways to Get What You Want - Be a Clever Customer!

By Martin Haworth

We all want great service, whether we are buying our weekly groceries from a store, or want a billing hitch resolved at our local utilities provider. Whether it’s getting our car fixed, or a great meal in a restaurant. So we can holler and complain about how poor customer service and satisfaction has become - or we can do something about it ourselves, when we have those one-to-one opportunities with a real person.

1. Be positive and confident
Busy sales staff are under pressure and they like to deal with people who are clear and know what they want - then they can get on with their next customer! So perk up, do your homework and have everything ready and clear.
2. Smile - a little!
By adopting a positive demeanour, making eye contact and being friendly, you will be one in twenty who is. Don’t try it too much, or that will irritate too, but just nice, friendly and a little smiley will work wonders!
3. Don’t Use Their Name
This will vary culturally. In the UK, sales people don’t like to be called by their name at all. So be careful - if you know it fits wherever you live and shop, then fine - but observe and notice what is going to work and stick to it.
4. Ask for help
Use the words ‘I wonder if you can help me’ and then be clear about what you want. This links in with their emotions - (’someone needs me’!) - which is very powerful relationship-building for you
5. Match!
As you give clear information about what you need from them, make positive and supportive movements and sounds that encourage them onwards. This builds rapport and makes a relationship much more likely to happen. Because people like to help, the feedback indicates that is what they are doing and…they will like you - one more step forwards in getting what you want.
6. Ask Something Else
When they are answering your questions, ask them, once or twice, a little more about what they have told you. This shows that you have been listening and value their information. This powerfully builds the bond even more between you!
7. Open and Closed
By asking some open (what, how, why, where, when, which) and some closed questions (those which only need a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’), you will vary the pressure they feel under. Being able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as well as giving you lots of information, means that they get a few breaks and don’t feel quite so ‘interrogated’.
8. Say Thank You
At the end of their answers, whether you have reached a satisfactory conclusion or not, thank them for their help - make them feel valued.
9. Invest
It’s great to invest time in spending a little time in ‘chat’ mode with your sales person. If they have time - you have to judge from their manner, whether they are in the mood to spend time with you. It varies from person to person, time of day and location. But it’s worth being aware of.
10. Part Well
At the very end of the transaction, make sure that you add a smiley ‘thank you’ to the mix. Selling stuff all day is tough in itself, without all the extra clutter that sales people have to do for their organisation. So by ‘making their day’ you will be creating a relationship which will be valuable to you for years to come.
11. And For Exceptional Cases
Make sure that you are aware of their name, and write and tell their boss - better, their head office. This may or may not do you any financial benefit, but hey, it sure will make you feel great that you have ‘made someone’s day’ by telling the rest of their organisation about them!

The Change In Our Climate

By Jakob Culver

With the current perturbing weather fluctuations, intensive research is going on to find out the reasons of why is this climate changing? Below are listed some of the important factors that govern the changing climate.

Understanding Climate Change
I
n today’s word list of scientists a new word has recently been added “global climate change” as it is now very much evident that if we maneuver with the environment it will increase the temperature in many locations on the planet, but will also cool a few places climate modification isn’t really a term of use anymore. The cumulative effect is however, the world is definitely warming.

The main cause of this change is “greenhouse effect” wherein the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane capture the incoming heat and trap it inside which has direct effect on the earth’s climate. Though this sounds like a simple definition, there are a couple of key things to realize.

Why climate changes?

The climate change is both a normal occurrence and one created by man. Greenhouse gases are a natural part of the biosphere and would exist if man did not. These gases are a critical component to the existence of life on this planet, so much so that if greenhouse gases didn’t exist, the temperature on planet earth would average zero degrees! Naturally occurring gases, however, keep the temperature at a much more livable 59 degrees.

What’s the alarm?

The main concern for all the environmentalists all over the world is the increasing volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases act as thermal blankets for the atmosphere. The more gas in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the less heat escapes. Over the last 80 years, we have been ejecting huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the sky. At the same time, we have been reducing green belt around the planet, that helps in maintaining a perfect balance by sucking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

So al this is resulting to the increased heating of our world.

What are the after effects?

As we all know that the water level is rising at an alarming rate as glaciers are melting all over the world. Glacier National Park, for instance, is going to have to be renamed since it has already lost 65 percent of all of its glaciers!