Switched-On :: Blog

photo courtesy Reuters

A woman in New Jersey is striving to become the world’s heaviest – meaning she will be intentionally putting on weight until she gets the “title.” Now, we all know people who are striving to be skinny because that’s the society’s “norm” and there are studies showing the benefits of not being overweight. However, this woman chooses to go against this and go for being overweight instead. Is this a proper choice? There are already many people bashing her about her decision. Although I have nothing against people who decide to stay slightly overweight instead of going for the stick-skinny, rather, I think that’s perfectly fine. But the action in the article mentioned, I think the way she is purposefully sacrificing her health despite knowing the issues that may come along the weight and food intake seems to be a bit unneeded. Also, she has children – as a role model as opposed to the stick-skinny models, is it still a good idea?

- Vivian

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. That may sound weird or seem like it requires a trip to a special doctor, but in reality it’s not so crazy. Mental health to most people sounds like it requires pills or large, cushioned white rooms but it’s actually something to think about. No, not the going insane part. Mental health means being in a stable, productive state of mind. It doesn’t have to do with burning things or hearing voices. It does have to do with taking care of one’s mental state. Things that can disrupt or rattle one’s mind can be mundane things like stress, fear, insecurity, or even confidence. Everyone has some problem with one of these feelings, and if left unchecked it can cause some serious damage. So take care of your mind, learn to relax, and maybe seek some assistance in dealing with some of these problems. Mental health doesn’t mean crazy, just overwhelming feelings that need to be resolved.

- Ruben

It’s nice to think that things aren’t our fault. The wind knocked over the vase – not me! I didn’t spill scalding oatmeal on you, you ran into me! I eat alright; my genes are why I’m fat! Well, unfortunately the third excuse is probably not accurate. In a recent study, the authors looks into genetics and obesity. There’s a gene called FTO, which some people have, predisposes them to be obese. However, in a study of 752 teens, researchers found that despite having this predisposition, teens who exercised more could mitigate the effects of it. This increased accountability may make some people upset. After all, it shifts the blame onto the person, rather than some uncontrollable factor. But really, this is great news. It shows that people are able to overcome something ingrained in their bodies, and become healthier. While it may mean an hour on an exercise bike, the extra years in lifespan and smaller waist size will more than make up for it.

- Will

Today is World Health Day! The World Health Organization (WHO) is an agency of the United Nations that concentrates on all things having to do with international public health. Being the authority on health for most of the planet means spreading awareness on specific issues that are affecting people throughout the world. That is precisely the reason why World Health Day was created. Every year there is a different theme that reflects a major concern for the World Health Organization, and this year’s health theme is making cities healthier. It is even accompanied by a weeklong campaign called 1000 Cities, 1000 Lives. The goals of this campaign are to get cities to have some sort of event to promote health, and collect stories of individuals who have impacted health in their cities. Their website even has a map that allows you to locate participating cities and join in on the activities. For those out there without a city-implemented event, that just means that it is up to you to be healthier, even if it is just for a day. Round up family and friends to join in and enjoy a great spring afternoon outside. If the weather sucks then eat healthier, drop an unhealthy vice for a day, or make a doctor’s appointment. Anything health related will do, just do something especially for those in big cities.

- Ruben