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!