Category: Think and respond

What can you do about climate change?

Climate change is largely driven by emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Where do these gases come from? Read more here – https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions.

Image shows pie chart of greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector in 2017. Transportation is 29%, electricity is 28%, industry is 22%, commerical & residential is 12%, and agriculture is 9%.
From EPA. gov

The largest proportion of emissions come from cars, trucks, buses, planes and so on. Over 90% of these vehicles use petroleum-based fuels. Changes to these trends like more hybrid and electric vehicles, and more efficient public transportation, can help lower emissions.

The second largest section is electricity use. Most of the electricity in the United States is produced by burning fossil fuels. Renewable sources include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and hydro energy, although they only provide about 17% of all energy generation in the US. Read more here – https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=electricity_in_the_united_states. It is vital that citizens make a switch to these renewable sources when they can, but also that they lobby for reforms that lead to more renewable energy generation.

Image showing electricity generation from different sources. Trends show that coal has been declining, natural gas increasing and renewable sources increasing some, while nuclear has stayed about the same.
From US Energy Administration

A few other changes in our personal behavior can help reduce emissions. One, switching to a more plant-based diet can help reduce demand for meat production and shrink that section of the farming industry, which is a much bigger polluter and emitter. This can help with your health, as well as decrease the over-fishing of the oceans, which threatens the ocean food web. Also, this can help with deforestation, since many forests are removed to make way for cattle.

Getting more energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs can help reduce your household’s emissions. Setting your thermostat for slightly higher temperatures in the summers and lower in the winters can help with household energy consumption. But most importantly of all, it is important for us to support policy makers who understand and want to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Can you think of any other ideas?

What makes a good doctor?

We all have to seek professional healthcare sometime. But how do we find a healthcare provider we really like and trust?

Think about a good experience you’ve had at the doctor’s office, urgent care, or hospital. What stood out to you as a good quality for your healthcare provider?

Think of a bad experience. What did you find frustrating? What would you change, if you could?

Find some more ideas here – https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/08/739039046/how-to-pick-a-doctor-or-break-up-with-one

Obesity trends in the U.S.

Obesity and overweight in the United States have been on the rise for many years. Remember, this is measured using BMI, which is a population measure. Be cautious when interpreting this number in your personal life. It is not always an accurate indicator of your body composition or your health.

Image of 3 maps of the US from 1990, 2000, 2010, showing obesity trends among US adults. The trend is that percentages of people classified as obese has increased in each state.
CDC.gov

What are some reasons that people in the US have become more obese? What has changed in the past 20+ years? What are some individual and societal factors contributing to these trends?

How can we move more?

Many people in the United States are not getting the recommended amount of physical activity. Studies show that even small amounts of physical activity can increase people’s health. So why is it so hard to move more?

There are individual reasons and barriers to getting more exercise or physical activity. Schedules tend to be busy, people may not know how to exercise correctly and be intimidated, or your motivation may slack when there are other things to do. What other barriers stand in your way?

There are also structural reasons why exercising may not easy for people – no gyms or affordable places to exercise in the neighborhood, poor infrastructure with no parks or playgrounds, no bike lanes, and other environmental factors can impact our ability to exercise. Read more here – https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2015/05/opportunities-abound-moving-around.

One way we can overcome our obstacles is by first understanding what they are, and then thinking of ways to overcome them. Comment below with ideas of how to increase your physical activity throughout the day that are realistic to your situation.

Here are some ideas to increasing your physical activity – listen here https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676129459/get-started-exercising. And some more ideas to make exercise into a habit, based on research – https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676142159/build-an-exercise-habit-that-sticks.

Image of BMCC community at the 5K walk/run event
BMCC 5K walk/run event

Organic? GMO? Local?

You may have heard people talk about organic food or GMO’s and wondered whether you should change your habits. To make sense of all the labels and controversies, we will define these terms.

Organically produced food has a legal meaning according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In general, that means fruits and vegetables that have been produced without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and meats, seafood and dairy produced with organic feed and without the use of hormones. In order to display the USDA certified organic logo, the company has to undergo a review by the USDA to ensure compliance with the rules.

Explanation of USDA organic labels - can only display the seal if 95-100% of ingredients are certified organic, no GMOS, ingredients comply with national list of allowed and prohibited substances.
From USDA.gov

For consumers, it is usually clear that organically produced food is more expensive. But is it better for our health? Organic foods do contain fewer pesticide residues when tested, but studies have found different results when it comes to nutrition – some studies have found no differences in nutrient levels, while others have found higher amounts of antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids – https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880. This question is yet to be resolved.

The acronym GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Farmers have genetically modified many crops by the process of artificial selection for hundreds of years. However, science has now allowed faster genetic modification by allowing genes to be inserted or deleted in the lab. The purpose for this is usually to provide more yield, resist pests and common plant diseases and thus require less pesticide use, and boost nutritional value. A law passed in 2016 has made it mandatory to label products produced with GMO crops – in the US most corn, soybean and cotton crops are GMOs (many others may also be produced using GM seeds). All foods produced in this way have to pass Food and Drug Administration clearance in order to be sold. Research has not shown there to be any health issues from eating GMO foods – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html.

While GMO foods are widely considered to be safe, some controversies have arisen based on how the companies that own patents for GM seeds have chosen to enforce their intellectual property – through suing small farmers. Another concern about GMOs is that insertion of other genes into crops may cause allergies – this has yet to be seen in humans or animals.

Local food is generally food that has been produced or grown in close proximity to where people live, but definitions vary. The 2008 Farm Act defined it as being grown within 400 miles of your location, but many people consider 100 miles to make more sense. Local food is often sold in farmer’s markets, through community supported agriculture, or in small local stands and may be produced on urban farms. Some argue that because local food has to travel fewer miles during distribution, that this reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and methane), can help slow climate change. While it’s true that emissions are reduced be eating more locally, a greater impact on climate change would be to switch to a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet. https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/09/04/how-green-is-local-food/

What about the word “natural”? Surely foods that are natural are going to be better for our health! In legal terms, the word natural does not have any definition, so any type of food, including highly processed junk food, can be labeled natural.

What have you heard about these types of food?

How can you eat healthier?

Over the years, dietary recommendations have changed and some people may find the rapid changes confusing.

The United States Department of Agriculture has created a simple guide to healthier eating called MyPlate – read more here https://www.choosemyplate.gov/start-simple-myplate.

My Plate graphic showing that half your plate should be fruits and vegetables, about a quarter should be grains, and another quarter proteins. There is also a place for dairy.
MyPlate.gov

The dietary guidelines are updated every year. The key recommendations about healthy eating patterns can be found here – https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/chapter-1/key-recommendations/.

Another way to eat healthy is illustrated with the Healthy Eating Plate from Harvard University’s School of Public Health – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/.

Image of a plate with half fruits and vegetables (more vegetables than fruit), whole grains are about a quarter and healthy proteins are another quarter. In this image, there is also water, and healthy plant-based oils.

There are benefits to choosing a diet that is full of plant-based foods. In fact, vegetarian diets have been linked to better health – https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2012/07/digging-vegetarian-diet.

Better nutrition is linked to better health. Listen to a podcast with six simple rules for better eating here – https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676170139/6-food-rules-that-could-help-you-live-longer.

  • Eat more nuts and seeds
  • Eat more fruits and vegetables
  • Eat more healthy Omega-3 fats
  • Eat less processed meats – these have been linked to colorectal cancer
  • Eat less sodium – too much can lead to high blood pressure
  • Eat less added sugar – these are empty calories

Eating right is one part of maintaining and improving your physical health – https://www.nih.gov/health-information/physical-wellness-toolkit.

When you are shopping for food, you can make wiser choices by looking at the nutritional label. These labels contain information on the serving size, and the amount of calories and nutrients per serving. It is important to pay attention to the serving size of the food – many people will eat more than one serving at a time, this is called portion size. Portion control is important for sticking to your dietary goals. You may see one of the labels below – some have switched to a newer format.

Nutrition label showing information on calories, fats, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and select vitamins and minerals (older format)
Older format of nutrition label
Newer format of dietary label containing information on calories, fats, sodium, carbohydrates, proteins and select vitamins and minerals.
Newer format of nutrition label

It is also important to read ingredients lists of the foods. This can give you a clue about whether the product contains some beneficial items like whole grains, or some harmful products like trans fats (these are often labeled as partially hydrogenated fats).

In general, try to have a diet that is adequate and moderate, balanced and nutrient-dense. Stay away from empty calories. As the writer Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

What are your favorite ways to improve your diet? Write a comment below.

How do we improve our psychological health?

Psychological or mental health is thought to encompass intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual well-being. These four dimensions of health are highly interrelated, and also have an effect on our physical health.

To review – intellectual health deals with how we think, make decisions, and problem solve. Emotional health is about understanding, expressing and/or controlling your emotions. Social health is concerned with our relationships with others. Spiritual health is about finding your purpose in life and acting in a way that is consistent with your beliefs and values.

What are some things you like to do to improve these dimensions of your health?

Here are some ideas to improve your mental wellness.

What are sources of stress?

Every year, the American Psychological Association conducts a survey about stress in the United States. Some of the more common stressors are money, family responsibilities, health-related concerns, and work. To see more sources of stress, and see some generational differences and trends on stress level, see https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2021/infographics-march.

A modern type of stress comes from overuse and over-reliance on technology. This has been termed technostress and it can have serious harmful effects. For more on how to deal with this, see
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201708/dealing-technostress .

An important step in considering how to manage your stress level is to first figure out what are your stressors. Think about the top 5 stressors in your life. Are there any changes you can make to help manage your stress when responding to these stressors?

Stress reduction

There are many reasons to feel stress, whether good or bad. The stress process often has a harmful effect on our bodies. But there are many things we can do to manage our stress.

What are your favorite ways to manage your stress? What do you like to do, eat, read, create to unwind and take a breather during your day?

Try a short meditation here:

Mortality in 1900 vs. 2010

Mortality in 1900 vs. 2010

Over the last 100 years, there have been many advances in public health and medicine. Read about it here https://www.ncdemography.org/2014/06/16/mortality-and-cause-of-death-1900-v-2010/.

Bar graph of top 10 causes of death in the USA in 1900 and 2010. In 1900, people died most from pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections. In 2010, most common causes of death were heart disease and cancer.

Consider this question: How have the causes of death changed in the last 100 years?

Consider this question: Why have the causes of death changed in the last 100 years?

Even more recently, we have had a resurgence of infectious diseases and COVID-19 has become the third leading cause of death in the US. What health behaviors can mitigate the spread of infectious illnesses? What policies can help to prevent deaths?