What Does Junk Food Do To The Body! ?

 

Consumption of junk food

Junk food refers to highly processed foods that are typically high in calories, sugars, unhealthy fats, and low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These foods are often convenient, inexpensive, and readily available, making them a popular choice for many people. Common examples of junk food include fast food items like burgers, fries, as well as packaged snacks like chips, candies, and sugary drinks.

Consequences of Consuming Junk Food:

1.      PhysicalHealthEffects:

·         Weight Gain and Obesity: Junk food is often high in calories and unhealthy fats, leading to weight gain and obesity when consumed regularly. Excess weight increases the risk of developing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

·         Nutritional Deficiencies: Junk food is typically low in essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are important for maintaining overall health. Regular consumption of junk food can lead to nutritional deficiencies, weakening the immune system and increasing the risk of infections and other health problems.

·         Digestive Issues: Many junk foods contain additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients that can disrupt digestion and cause gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, gas, and indigestion. The lack of fiber in junk food also contributes to constipation and other digestive issues.

2.      MentalHealthEffects:

·         Mood Swings: The high levels of sugar and unhealthy fats in junk food can cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, leading to mood swings, irritability, and fatigue. These fluctuations can also affect concentration and cognitive function, making it difficult to focus and perform tasks effectively.

·         Depression and Anxiety: Research suggests that a diet high in junk food may increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders. Poor nutrition can impact neurotransmitter levels in the brain, affecting mood regulation and contributing to mental health problems.

·         Addiction: Junk food, particularly foods high in sugar and salt, can trigger the brain's reward system, leading to cravings and addictive behavior. Over time, this can lead to a cycle of overeating and dependence on unhealthy foods, further compromising physical and mental well-being.

3.      CognitiveImpairment:

·         Reduced Brain Function: High intake of junk food has been linked to cognitive impairment and decreased brain function. The lack of essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants in junk food can impair cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making.

·         Increased Risk of Neurological Disorders: Some studies suggest that a diet rich in junk food may increase the risk of developing neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia later in life. The inflammatory and oxidative stress caused by unhealthy food choices may contribute to the progression of these conditions.

4.      BehavioralProblems:

·         Hyperactivity and Poor Attention: Junk food, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, has been associated with hyperactivity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. These additives may disrupt neurotransmitter function in the brain, leading to behavioral problems and difficulty concentrating.

·         Aggression and Irritability: A diet high in junk food has been linked to increased aggression, irritability, and behavioral problems in both children and adults. The excessive consumption of sugary and processed foods can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes, exacerbating mood swings and aggressive behavior.

5.      SocialandEmotionalImpact:

·         Social Isolation: Individuals who frequently consume junk food may experience social isolation and feelings of alienation. Unhealthy eating habits can lead to low self-esteem, body image issues, and reluctance to engage in social activities, impacting overall quality of life and well-being.

·         Guilt and Shame: Many people experience feelings of guilt and shame after indulging in junk food, especially if they are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle or manage their weight. These negative emotions can contribute to disordered eating patterns and a cycle of binge eating and restriction.

6.      Long-TermHealthConsequences:

·         Chronic Diseases: The cumulative effects of consuming junk food over time can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and certain types of cancer. The combination of poor nutrition, inflammation, and oxidative stress contributes to the development and progression of these conditions.

·         Shortened Lifespan: Studies have shown that a diet high in junk food is associated with a shorter lifespan and decreased overall life expectancy. The negative impact on physical health, coupled with the effects on mental well-being, can significantly reduce quality of life and longevity.

 

More than 40% of people suffer from obesity and it is just a number of one problem that junk food caused. The consequences of consuming junk food extend beyond physical health to encompass cognitive function, behavior, and emotional well-being. By recognizing the harmful effects of junk food and making conscious choices to prioritize nutritious foods, individuals can take proactive steps to safeguard their mental and physical health for the long term.

 

To help people with any problems you can join us or donate. We are HEEALS and  we believe that by starting small and working with one community at a time, we can begin to make changes that will spread gradually throughout India, all the while working hard to create and maintain a self-sustaining society. 

 

 

 

 

Email : communications@heeals.org

whats app: +91-7981316660

written by volunteer-coordinator Kenenbaeva Janyl.

GENDER EQUALITY IN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT.

According to the 4^th goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is necessary to ensure the whole population the opportunity to attend primary and secondary studies, guaranteeing equal opportunities for both boys and girls to access to quality technical and vocational education.This means that states will have to respond through political interventions to safeguard both quality improvement and above all complete indiscriminate access for every child, through means that address gender inequality, food insecurity and armed conflict.

In India, important advances have been made regarding the universalization of primary education, succeeding in obtaining an improvement in enrollment rates and completion by girls in primary and secondary school studies. According to the report of UN system in India, Indian population managed to reach the literacy rate among youth aged 15-24, from 83.2% to 91.4%,between 1990 and 2016. Completion rates in primary school were 89.6% by 2016.

What the data show is that the Indian policy framework is fully embracing the fourth objective of Sustainable Development Goals, and it is aimed at achieving universal quality education for all Indians, and is complemented in this effort by targeted schemes on nutritional support, higher education, and teacher training.

Although the Indian government is striving to achieve a full schooling of its population,there are still obstacles that are not easy to deal with and that depend on many factors.In a country where nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, access to educational opportunities is limited. Even today, the gender inequality in schools is a problem that has to face different realities: the economic conditions of the family, cultural attitudes and taking into account the social background of which people are part.

From the 2005 India Human Development Survey data, it emerges that, the school success of the male child is preferred over the daughter, especially if the family lives in rural areas with a lower socio-economic background. This can explain how social level can contribute to a different quantity of learning resources and to the actual devotion to the study, but they also depend on cultural attitudes.

It isn’t difficult to understand that learning outcomes are influenced by the historical cultural aspect that leads to seeing the role of women different from that of men and people who live in rural conditions are very tied to these concepts.

Indeed, as a girl student known at school told us, Roshni, in her family even in small daily gestures, parents worry a lot more about the well-being of her brother, even if older and  has already got a job, but always mother worries about preparing food for him, while for her there is some less consideration.

The social-economic background: poverty and gender inequality preference.

The school quality is an important aspect in order to foster a good quality education but also to have more means available in order to deepen studies. However, Indian girls may experience lower quality school environments than boy.Infect, girls enrolled in private schools are slightly lower than boys and often boys are more likely to conclude a high school education studies.In a rural context, it becomes an important expense to provide children a complete education. Given the expense, and given the limited willingness to advance the studies to their children, it is considered appropriate that they earn the basic education and after working immediately. Low-income families can struggle to fund their children's school and consequently require more effort for household, giving this responsibilities, as well as that of looking after the children, to daughters and family’s women.

Distance to school.

Girls from rural area haven’t many opportunities to progress after primary level, often because they don’t have nearby high-school and to reach the nearer school could be an additional expense,or they aren’t allowed to travel to distant school. There are not allowed for the fear that educating girls can causes excessive independence and people can see girls going to school by doing it alone.Above all, because they risk of experiencing violence and harassment during the journey.

 

Child marriage.

Especially, girls represent an economic value and the education of girls may be converted to household and child rearing tasks. The opportunity cost regarding the role of girls are expressed through girls employment in activities that permit the economic survival of the family. Furthermore, another reason could be that girls have to be prepared for marriage and parents need to save money and limit the amount of funds for daughter education. After marriage, the early pregnancy is one of the reasons for girls have drop out of school.

According to the association Girls not Brides, India has the highest number of child brides in the world. It is estimated that 27% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday. Over the last decades, the rates were about 50%. While fewer Indian girls are marrying before the age of 15, rates of marriage have increased for girls between ages 15 to 18.

Lack of safe and private girls-only toilets

However, one of the many reasons why girls do not go to school and interrupt their studies is due to the lack of adequate and private facilities for girls only. Many facilities are not adequate for personal hygiene, even when girls have to deal with menstrual periods.

As in 2012,UNESCO statistics demonstrated that 40% of all government schools lacked a functioning common toilet, and another 40% lacked a separate toilet for girls.

Analysing facts, it is possible to notice that Indian girls enrolled in school are at lower rates than boy, they enter late and drop out earlier.

Women are undoubtedly the foundation of the basic unit of society: the family. Even in traditional roles they demonstrate great innovation, skill, intelligence, hard work and commitment. They can all be magnificent attributes to be developed and invested in every social context, from the family to the economic, educational and work.The education of women is therefore key.

The role of NGO is important to affirm the women empowerment in every context of their life. As Heeals, that is committed on woman integration, believes that every point of view and way of thinking it is formed in the educational environment.Trying to get easier the obstacles that girls have to face, HEEALS intends to provide students with the awareness of some useful alternatives to continue to attend school and not be obliged to stay at home. Whether it is through the construction of well-equipped separate toilets or the distribution of sanitary napkins, but most important it is the spread of information about how to deal with the management of menstrual hygiene, so students can be free to go to school and taking care of their health.

Elisa Stucchi.

References

Azam, Mehtabul and GeetaKingdon, are Girls the farer sex in India? Revisiting intra-household allocation of education expenditure, Discussion Paper 5706, IZA, 2011.

United Nation Development Programme, India Human development reports 2016.

Democracy Is In Your Hands !

The fact that India is the largest democracy in the world is known worldwide, but these "positive" connotations refer only to the number of inhabitants of the country, nothing else. It is still far from leading international democracies such as Norway, Denmark or Finland, which are more transparent systems that enjoy high levels of quality in education, health or way of transports. The global recognition to these countries would not be understood as decent and integral democratic models to follow without the importance of participatory democracy in their societies.

In these systems, democracy means more than depositing the vote every 4 years for the random candidate of the party in office where, in most cases, it promises things to achieve power and then forgets the problems of the people who voted for him. As Nikita Khrushchev said one time: "Politicians always do the same thing: they promise to build a bridge even if there is no river," and that is one of the problems that India is currently facing. This problem is linked to the lack of citizen participation in State policies. Being a democrat grants a series of basic privileges for any human being such as the right to freedom of expression, religion, health, education... but also establishes obligations as a citizen and a democrat, such as ensuring that policies are carried out necessary to improve their living conditions and therefore that the politician fulfills his work.

Democracy comes from the Greek word "Demos" and "Kratos". The first means "people" and the second "government". The policy should be conceived as a part-time profession of all citizens who want to get involved in it and not profit from it. The great advances of the history came from the hand of the citizen participation in social subjects like the pacific revolution of Gandhi, the “I have to dream” of Martin Luther King or the disobedience attitude of Rosa Parks.

The levels of water sanitation and hygiene in India are still deficient for the majority of the population. The improvements in this sector must be accompanied by the commitment of society in one of the basic services for the development of any human being.

HEEALS encourages the society participation in development and cooperation through his projects and workshops related to human rights and WASH. We believe that progress and water sanitation and hygiene must work together since they both affect the health conditions of the population. By performing these workshop to marginalized and vulnerable groups, we aim to empower them creating awareness of their daily issues of their lives and allowing them to participate in local and national make policies.

- Jorge Latorre

Intern at HEEALS

Menstrual hygiene management workshop

Menstrual hygiene management workshop was organized in Gurgaon & Uttar Pradesh schools and distributed sanitary pads

Click for Picture gallery link

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Income Inequality in India

Income inequality is an issue that is found all over the world, in some places more than in others. In India, the top one percent of earners has been seeing exponential growth since the 1990’s, so much so that they currently hold 73% of the entire country’s wealth. India is a country where it’s easy to see inequality- because of the caste system it’s literally in her historical and cultural roots. However, the fact that these numbers that say 1% of earners hold 73% of the wealth is shocking. This is partially because people tend to compare themselves to their past ELEPHANT and their future goals; or if they’re comparing themselves to others, to those who have similar levels of income.

We don’t usually think about the mega-rich because for most people, we will never work with them (although we’re very likely to work for them), we will never speak with them, and we will never be them. This distancing creates what is called the empathy gulf, a separation of rich and poor because of giant social differences. This often leads to complacency for the very poor- an expectation that nothing will ever change and they have been dealt their lasting sad lot in life. The rich often become detached from the struggles of people living in poverty, partially because they never need to see or interact with these people, and partially because of negative framing. Negative framing can go both ways: it’s the words that we use to describe a certain group of people which end up warping our perception of them. Poverty is often associated with dirtiness, laziness, and lack of intelligence, while being wealthy is typically associated with dedication, high intelligence, and cleanliness. Neither of these stereotypes captures the reality of life on either side of the spectrum, and that can be very dangerous.

When India had a socialist government in the 1960s and ’70s the bottom half of India’s earners saw a faster economic growth than what has been happening since then.  By the 1990s, however, this growth had nearly slowed to a stop and the top 10% of earners saw huge growth while the bottom 90% nearly stayed stagnant. In 2005, the bottom 50% and the top 10% had the same amount of income, but since then the top 10% have been gaining more while the bottom 50% have become worse off.

Now, you might be wondering how these numbers make sense since at the beginning of this post I told you that the top 1% own 73% of the wealth. In the 1990s, the top 0.1% alone grew more than the entire bottom half of the country. Not only that, but we need to remember to make a distinction between wealth and income. Most of the wealthiest people are not CEOs. In fact, it’s incredibly difficult to become break into the top 1% with just a regular job. The majority of these people are making their money off of investments and assets, which coincidentally, are taxed differently than regular income. While an annual income above 10 lakhs is taxed at a rate of 30%, according to BusinessToday assets are only taxed if they have a net worth of greater than 30 lakhs, and even then they are only taxed at one percent! Even with this ridiculously small gap, it’s up to every citizen to be honest and file their taxes correctly. If nobody evaded their taxes – neither the super-rich nor the everyday worker – India would have enough money to give every village a good health clinic, a school, and electricity for every household.

So where does HEEALS fit into this? We work to provide capacity-building workshops for the impoverished, and while there is lots of work to be done today, we aim to see a day where the need is not as great. Maybe there would be less of a need for workshops about things as basic as hand-washing if there was a more equal distribution of resources. If families could afford to keep their kids in schools and live in clean neighbourhoods, there would be a smaller need for the work HEEALS is doing. As it stands now, we are doing our work and raising awareness about the reasons this work is necessary. Income inequality, wealth inequality, and tax evasion are all contributing factors to the terrible state that impoverished communities find themselves in. As anyone can see and can tell you, the government is not doing its job in taking care of its people. Perhaps this is because of the empathy gulf. Perhaps it’s because they don’t have the resources. Perhaps it’s because people are self-absorbed or greedy. Perhaps it’s a mix of many factors, but as individuals we need to do what we can to make a difference. Those of us who are better off in society need to work hard to avoid the pitfalls that allow us to begin to look down upon and care less about people who are not as well off.

So, let’s review. Income inequality is pervasive, wealth inequality is even more so. This hurts poorer people because even though the majority of them are just as capable as the super-rich, if they were given the same resources, upbringing, and inheritance they are perceived as lazier and less intelligent. It also makes wealthier people more and more disconnected from the rest of the population, and the government should be doing more to fight this problem. Individuals also should be doing more to fight this problem in the way that they treat their employees and by avoiding tax fraud for the sake of personal benefit over societal good.

How can you make a difference in such a big issue? Firstly, avoid doing the negative actions discussed in the previous paragraph. If you’re an employee, even if that means you hire a maid, make sure you’re paying your employees a living wage, not just a minimum wage. Finally, be sure to write to your political representatives and encourage them to make good decisions on behalf of your city, province, and country. If you hear of a large company that is not paying their employees properly you can try to start a boycott of the store and if you have any type of influence over companies, use it for good rather than harm. Don’t invest in companies who are participating in immoral practices concerning their taxes or who they employ. Think before you do, and act out of love for others rather than for your wallet.

-Rachel 

Wash & Intern Coordinator 

Sources:

Clear Tax. Retrieved from: https://cleartax.in/s/income-tax

Ghosh, J. (2016, 03, 9). Tax dodging is a crime against developing countries. OxfamIndia. Retrieved from https://www.oxfamindia.org/blog/1515/tax-dodging-crime-against-developing-countries

Hasking, D., Ghose, T. (2013, 12). Taxing your riches. Business Today. Retrieved from https://www.businesstoday.in/moneytoday/expert-view/tapati-ghose-on-wealth-tax-investment-are-you-eligible/story/200940.html

Hassan, R. (2017, 12, 23). India’s rising inequality is taking the shine off its growth story even in the world’s eyes. Scroll.in. Retrieved from https://scroll.in/article/862368/indias-rising-inequality-is-taking-the-shine-off-its-growth-story-even-in-the-worlds-eyes

Shapiro, I. (2002). Why the poor don’t soak the rich. Daedalus, 131(1), pp. 118-128

Staff, Business Today. (2018, 01, 23). Income inequality gets worse; India’s top 1% bag 73% of the country’s wealth, says Oxfam. Business Today. Retrieved from https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/oxfam-india-wealth-report-income-inequality-richests-poor/story/268541.html

Staff, The Wire (2017,12,14). Income Inequality Highest in India Since 1980s, Finds New Report. The Wire. Retrieved from https://thewire.in/economy/income-inequality-highest-india-since-1980s-finds-new-report

World Inequality Database. Retrieved from https://wid.world/country/india/

It’s Not About Size… It’s About Sanitation

In 2012, India was home to six of the 25 largest metropolitan regions in the world. Delhi and Mumbai actually made it to the top 10. Normally this would be worth publicising, except that it isn’t always about size. Not a single Indian city made it into the top 50 of Mercer Consulting’s 2012 global ranking of cities offering the highest quality of life. In fact, Delhi and Mumbai actually made it to Mercer’s list of the 25 dirtiest cities in the world, with the lowest sanitation and health scores. This is the sad reality every urban Indian resident wakes up to each stinking, smoggy morning, and goes back to bed with.

Copyright: All rights reserved by Louhan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanpics/2958133966/sizes/z/in/gallery-karmadude-72157623844824948/

India’s cities have much to offer—a diversity of opportunities, experiences, people, food… They are fascinating places, but the slow rot makes me wonder whether they’re worth staying for. A recent study that used 20 years of data to compare life expectancy in more and less polluted parts of China highlighted that residents in more polluted cities died approximately six years earlier than those in less polluted ones. On a base of 500 million people, that translates to 2.5 billion lost years. A study of this scale and intent in Indian cities would likely lead to very similar results. Work funded by the Blacksmith Institute and the Global Alliance on Health and Pollutionhave also highlighted the heavy toll that unsanitary conditions and environmental toxins take on the brains and bodies of children. Rich or poor, we breathe the same air and even if we’re sipping from bottles of Evian in our Maybachs in Mumbai, we’re no better off. In essence we’re leaving cities in India and large swathes of the developing world to a generation that will live shorter, unhealthier and less productive lives for no fault of their own.

It’s a cultural cop out in South Asia to apportion responsibility for all that goes wrong to some higher power. I doubt one of the many Gods that pepper the collective conscience had anything to do with untreated industrial effluent being dumped in an open sewer, or a very full bag of garbage being tossed out of a tenth storey window. We’re quick to point to corrupt, morally bankrupt governments and municipal administrations as the root of our problems, but the real culprits are likely pointing back at us in the mirror. Every plastic wrapper tossed on the street, every paan spat out on a wall, every plastic water bottle used and discarded add up to an enormous mountain of shit!

photo credit: Sharad Haksar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharadhaksar/3832170847/sizes/z/in/gallery-karmadude-72157623844824948/

In the midst of this gloom, there is always a sliver of hope. A small group of motivated Indians decided they wanted change. Under the banner of The Ugly Indian, with the slogan “Kaam chalu mooh bandh. Stop Talking, Start Doing”, they are cleaning up their neighbourhood one eyesore at a time. I came across them a few years ago when a friend posted pictures of their work on Facebook. Driven by a few motivated individuals who believe that only “we can save us from ourselves”, they turned cleaning up neighbourhoods into a very effective community engagement exercise. Using just a little bit of money to buy paint and potted plants, and armed with brooms, groups of people mobilise to blitz a neighbourhood or intersection and clean it up.

Before
photo credit: http://www.theuglyindian.com

After
photo credit: http://www.theuglyindian.com

Even though they clearly state on their website that they will not “moralize”, this is public shaming at its most effective. The group’s core base of well-intentioned youngsters, through these acts, support each other in stepping out of their comfort zones, their economic privileges, and class and caste clans to make a difference. Though small, this is significant for a part of the world so concerned about status.

Margaret Mead famously said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” In beautifying their neighbourhoods, in making such a strong public comment on the state of their environments, in establishing this new social order and precedent, they are, in Gandhi’s words, being the change that they want to see in the world.

Read more: http://forbesindia.com/blog/economy-policy/its-not-about-size-its-about-sanitation/#ixzz2k1wKc7qX

Jairam Ramesh says toilets more important in India than temples

Toilets are more important in India than temples, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said here on Friday, as he inaugurated a yatra that will travel through states raising awareness about sanitation.

"Sixty-four per cent of Indians defecate in open spaces, which is a global record. It is now reckoned as the main cause of India's malnutrition problem. In the past five years, we have spent more than Rs 45,000 crore on rural sanitation and will spend Rs 1.08 lakh crore in the next five years to make India open-defecation-free country," Ramesh told a gathering of panchayat-level workers, children and officials.

The Nirmal Bharat Yatra will cover 2,000 km through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar, before culminating at Bettiah in Champaran — where Mahatma Gandhi started his freedom struggle in India. The yatra will also try to tackle taboos around menstrual hygiene management.

WASH United, an international water, sanitation and hygiene advocacy organisation, and Quicksand Design Studio, an India-based innovation firm specialising in WASH (water and sanitation hygiene), have teamed up to put together the yatra. Cricketers and film stars are being roped in to get across the message, with Sachin Tendulkar and Vidya Balan as the brand ambassadors.

"We need to turn every village into Hivre Bajar and Ralegan Siddhi, the two Maharashtra villages that have set examples in rural sanitation," Ramesh said, adding that central funding for rural toilets will be raised from Rs 3,500 per family to Rs 10,000.

Thorsten Kiefer, Executive Director of WASH United, and Nirat Bhatnagar, Principal of Quicksand, said the yatra was about "reinventing toilet talk" and hoped to make "toilets and hygiene cool and sexy".

Source:- http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jairam-ramesh--says-toilets-more-important-in-india-than-temples/1012719/