Obesity in Chile!

Hello everybody! Today my post is about obesity, the health problem of this millennium.

Well, Chile has been in a transition process related with nutrition; because thirty or fourty years ago the main health issue was poor nutrition. However, actually the problem is obesity in all age ranges. The pattern of obesity in Chile corresponds to develop country, as United States of America; for example the 18% of chilean children and the 16% of american children are obese. Now this percentages are not better in adult population, because the 22% of chilean adult are obese, the 38% of adult and 52% of chilean pregnant women have overweight (data from: Encuesta Nacional de Salud, 2003). This situation is really alarming, because in the world more than one thousand million are obese and of this three hundred million have overweight (data from: OMS).
Causes of Obesity in Chile: In the last decades increased monetary income, this allowed that people accede easily to food in quantity and the kind; for example: The chilean population consume more soda, junk food (hot dog, burgers, chips, pizza, etc.), more fatty meats, etc. and less fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, water, etc. Furthemore more of 90% of chilean people is sedentary. In Chile was implemented "Global Strategy Against Obesity", it search encourage healthy diet and to promote physical activity and monitor the mandatory nutrition labeling of food.

In my personal view I think that the change to healthy lifestyles is difficult, but is not imposible!!

I hope that you enjoy my post, because is a topic very important especially as a future health professionals!

See you in class, regards

The use of technologies in subjects at University

Technology development suffered big changes in the last time, it suppose help to people for their lifes are more easy; because actually all things are based in efficiency (less time, less people but more production). This situation happen in students of different universities, where need study a lot of subjects in each semester to past the year, and follow increasing in levels until finish the career. Teachers send their classes to mails or digital platform, so the students need have access to internet for doing works in groups, acquire classes and obtain notes.

Students used a lot of technology during this year; mainly The Internet, it has a good and bad part. The positive aspect is that students can obtain more recent researchs, discuss between the group of works but while they are in their houses, have a better comunication with teachers (for example: they send an email if the academic is not available, and wait to an answer), to access to information of other careers, other faculties, other universities and of any place. Specifically with the innovation in Obstetrics and Puericulture career, because this semester incorporated a subject called "Módulo Integrado Interdisciplinario Multiprofesional", this subject is like to attend a real patient but in digital way and is evaluated as group and personal work. Students need review their digital platform on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; but the virtual patient write to ask questions, to report the actual health situation or inform about new information related with health. Furthermore the health professional that attend the virtual patient, talk with spokesman of group of work too.
The negative aspect is that all students have not access to internet in their houses, so they need stay in Universities wait to the last news of virtual patient; because obviously the participation is evaluate to teachers. Also the time available to do this subject is limit, but patient write in any moment so it required more time and harms other subjects.

Finally, is possible to say the Technology in students`life is a very important tool, it allows to acquire new knowledge, save information during a lot time, to increase communication networks, etc. However access to Internet must be possible to all students, and of this way development in education is equal for all.

Myths about the BRAIN!

Hello everybody!

After presentation about "Myths and Truth about the Brain", I obtained a lot of information related with brain, their functions and research; for example: Cerebral cortex has 2mm of tickness, research about brain are very expensive and in Chile medical consults increase for psychiatrists. Furthermore, Brain needs 25% of oxygen entered to work and keep it in optimal conditions. So today my post is about two myths that surprised me.

First: "The Human Brain is very defferent from the Brain of other animals"; it is similar in all species but the difference is the amount of connections between brain`s parts (between bouth hemispheres, surface and deep regions, neurons, etc.). Also the size of brain is not relevant, because a small brain may has a lot connections and, a big brain may has few connections.

Second: "Every Brain function is localized in a specific place of the Brain"; it is a myth because when you doing an action, for example see a movie, all connections has participation in that you can see, hear, understand, etc; so is a combination of places that are activated. In PET images, RED areas presents a lot activity and BLUE areas presents less activity in different moment (thinking, listening, looking, etc.); but is not an specific area, is a combination of areas.

It presentation has impact in my future as midwife, because you can motivate to pregnancy women to estimulate babies brain and, increase the numbers of connections.

I hope you enjoy my post, see you in class!

Stress!!!

Hello verybody! Today my post is about STRESS, it is the disease more prevalent in the last time.

Mean of stress is: "Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Signs of Stress; mental symptoms include: tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, feeling excessively tired and you have trouble sleeping. Physical symptoms include: dry mouth, a pounding heart, difficulting breathing, stomach upset, frequent urination sweating palms and tight muscles (it cause pain and trembling)". (available in this link: http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/stress/STR_whatis.html).

I think that all stress` consequences are umpleasant for people, because it affects the relation with other persons and you can generate dislikes. Furthermore should be considered biological consequences: chronic fatigue, digestive upsets, headaches, back pain, affect inmune cells (it can increase the risk to get more infections and other diseases), increase blood pressure (rise the risk for stroke), lead to diminished sexual desire and an inability to achieve orgasm, etc. But we can not forget that stressful lifestyle can increase probability to incorporate bad habits such as smoking, drinking, overeating and drog abuse. The bad habits topic is important, because I think most people believe that it is the output only for their problems, but really this things can relax for a short time.

I think the BEST solutions to decrease stress are change their lifestyles and search way to solve things that affect you; for example you can do more sports, go out with your friends, go to the cine, eat more healthy such as eat more fruits, vegetables, drink more water, etc.

In my personal experience I think that I felt stress sometimes, especially since that enter to university, but it is more difficult solve because you must do a lot of things such us: study, doing works, prepare workshops and the most important you must try sleep in your free time.

hope you enjoy my post, see you in class!!
Regards!

Article: Obesity crisis 'cannot be solved by exercise alone'

Hello everybody! Today my post is about an article related with exercise and Obesity.

The mainly theme is that Obesity can not reduce only doing exercise, because if the overweight people eat less calories, they can obtain better results.
The reasons to think the exercise is not a good methods are:

First: The people in general have little time to spare, and in obese people the amount of time that they must dedicate for this activity is high.

Second: If obese person have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35, can to achieve a healthy weight (BMI of 22) decreasing their calories intake by one third. If they wanted to achieve the same effects with exercise, would be equivalent to do 5 hours exercise for several weeks; it is very difficult.

Third: Sedentary life is not the problem to rise obesity leves, because exercise has remained the same for at least the past 25 years. For example: since 1985 the typical man in Britain has burned off 1380 calories a day through exercise, so the rise to obesity is more related with population intake high-calorie food.

Finally, the author says that promove physical activity is a good idea, but it is not the solution to decrease obesity rates. He think that the most effective way to weight loss is through healthy eating and diets.

I am not totally agree with the author of this article, because I think that the most effective to weight loss, is combine the exercise with a diet reduce in calories. It not mean obese person only can eat vegetables, fruit and drink water; but they can eat all thing in less quantities. Furthermore the exercise contributes to physical and psychologicaL wellness.

You can find this article in: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/sep/15/obesity-crisis-cannot-solved-exercise

I hope you enjoy my post, see you!

Controversial issue: Levonorgestrel

Hello everybody, today my post is about a controversial theme: the use of emergency contraception.
Fist I want to say something related with activity, I thing the idea that a learned person give us a talk in english about a topic directly related with our career is great.
Now Doctor Valenzuela´s talk was mainly of levonorgestrel and their effects in the ovulatory cycle. It is a complicated topic, because all contraception´s drugs always involves opinions related with the abortion, so there are view points of Churches, Scientists, etc.
According Dr. Valenzuuela,s talk Levonorgestrel acts as a contraceptive method through impede the conception by prohibit union between oocyte and sperm, preventing ovulation happen or impede implantation happen.
In my view point life begins when implantation happen, because the most eggs lost in this stage so it is an important event that define the pregnancy´s viability. So if this pill only has effect before that eggs are viable, it is not abortive.
The Levonorgestrel can use even 72 hours after an unprotected sex to achieve the desired effects.
I as a future midwife must have knowledge about conception and contraception, because I think that the percentage of women that had unprotected sex is high, so is their option request to this method and I must give all the options.

I hope that you enjoy my post, and I think contraception is a theme that must be investigated before recommending to our users.

See you in class, bye

SICKO...imposing documentary film!

Hello everybody!! In this oportunity my post is about a documentary film called SICKO.
First I want to say that the activity related with movie was good, overcoat the idea to listen all time people speak in english. Furthermore the health topic mentioned is so relevance for the future as midwife or as health professional.
But I don´t like that movie didn´t have subtitles in english and at first, I feel a little confused because I don´t know movie´s logic.
I saw the French Health System part, in this country it is based on the principle of solidarity, guarantying financial protection against life´s contingencies for everyone.
The health is free for everybody, it is funded by government (in 65%) and the employers (in 35%). Mainly the funds depends of taxes that are high; then the French Life is very expensive for example food and houses are expensive.
The Chilean Health System is mixed, depends of public and private funds. But the most important difference is that quality is better in the private area, and quality is bad in the public area. If you want associate with private system only need money and steady job, but if you want associate with public system you are classified according to you needs. Now if you want to have free health must be indigent or receive a minimun salary and ONLY in public health centres.
To improve this situation should raise taxes.

I hope that you enjoy my post!

See you in class!