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21 hours ago
How many years can we expect to enjoy our retirement in good health? According to calculations by Statista’s Anna Fleck, Europeans could expect to have around 12 healthy years after their retirement, as of 2022 (EU-27: 11.7 years), with the average effective age of exit from the labour market 63. Pensioners living in Norway, Slovenia and Luxembourg are estimated to have 15 to 16 healthy years after retirement, while the Maltese, Belgians, French and Swedes were also above the European average (14 to 15 years). Indicators such as the average exit age from the labor market also influence the number of expected “good years” after retirement. For example, Luxembourg and Slovenia have the lowest effective average exit age from the labour market (around 60). Those living in the Baltic States, Portugal and Romania are at the other end of the spectrum, with a healthy life expectancy of less than 10 years. It drops to under seven years in Estonia and five years in Romania. These national averages are the result of a combination of a late average retirement age (65 or over) and poor health indicators within the population. It is important to note that these are averages across countries, […]
3 days ago
A Republican-led oversight subcommittee has concluded that the COVID-19 virus likely originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, following a two-year investigation into the pandemic. The House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released a 520-page report on Dec. 2, detailing the findings of the subcommittee’s investigation. The report found that the U.S. National Institutes of Health funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), and that EcoHealth Alliance Inc. used U.S. taxpayer dollars to facilitate this research at the lab. It also found that the Chinese communist regime, agencies within the U.S. government, and some members of the international scientific community sought to cover up facts concerning the origins of the pandemic. The committee said that COVID-19 possesses biological characteristics not found in nature and that data indicates that all COVID-19 cases stemmed from a single introduction into humans, unlike previous pandemics, where there were more spillover events. “By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced,” the oversight subcommittee said in a statement. The report said that the Wuhan Institute of Virology has a history of conducting “gain-of-function” research under low biosafety precautions. Click here to read more.
4 days ago
One of the reasons governments are moving to restrict teenagers’ access to social media is the fear of its harm to mental health. As Statista’s Anna Fleck reports, the topic has been reignited by the release of a new book titled The Anxious Generation, by New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who links the rise in mental health illness directly to the proliferation of social networks and smartphones. While Haidt writes that social media and smartphones are not the only causes of the mental health epidemic seen in several countries, he points to how such technologies are hindering children’s healthy development by reducing their time spent playing with friends in real life, eating into time for sleeping, as well as corroding their self esteem. Even children who do not use social media are struggling, he argues, due to the changes brought about to social life. Critics say, however, that correlation is not the same as causation and that the data does not show a complete picture. As the following chart shows, the share of U.S. 12-17 year olds having experienced a depressive episode in the past year has risen from 7.9 percent in 2006 to 18.1 percent in 2023. You will find more infographics at Statista While […]
4 days ago
Kuwait has emerged as the country with the highest obesity rates in the Arab world and ranks tenth globally, with 45.3 per cent of its population classified as obese, according to Dr. Mohammad Al Qasimi, a dermatologist and obesity expert. Speaking in light of a recent report from the World Obesity Federation, Dr. Al Qasimi warned that obesity in Kuwait is reaching critical levels, driven by unhealthy diets, fast food consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle. The problem extends to children, with 2023 data revealing that obesity among Kuwaiti schoolchildren aged 9 to 13 affects 34.4 to 40.6 percent of boys and 26.6 to 28.3 percent of girls. Dr. Al Qasimi emphasized that obesity is not merely a lifestyle issue but a chronic disease impacting nearly half the population of Kuwait. It disrupts the hormonal and immune systems, leading to metabolic complications like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. He highlighted the dysfunction of leptin, a hormone regulating appetite and metabolism, as a key factor. In obese individuals, leptin resistance prevents the body from sensing fullness, driving overeating and weight gain. The issue is compounded by a lack of awareness about the health risks associated with obesity. “Obesity is no longer just […]
7 days ago
A 29-year-old expat, who sustained severe injuries after a minibus crash in Al Sajaah area in Sharjah, was successfully rescued, Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced on Friday. After the accident, the Asian resident received immediate first aid at the scene before being airlifted to Al Qassimi Hospital for further treatment, ensuring timely medical intervention that played a crucial role in saving his life. The emergency response was due to a request from the National Ambulance, which was promptly coordinated through the Department of the General Directorate of Security Support at the MOI’s operations room.
1 week ago
Quality control and health officials in Abu Dhabi have launched a new nutrition grading system that must be placed on five food items by June 1, in a move to combat alarming obesity rates among Abu Dhabi residents. Products found on supermarket shelves without Nutri-Mark, which grades the nutritional content in a food item, will be withdrawn and concerned parties will be fined. This will also apply to items that are displaying a higher grading than it should. What is Nutri-Mark? Nutri-Mark grades the nutritious value of a certain item from A to E, with A being most healthy. The first phase of the new scheme applies to baked goods, oils, dairies, children’s food and beverages. Manufacturers and local agents of the selected items must conduct scientifically-backed measurements to grade their products accurately and produce Nutri-Mark labels to place on the front packaging. “Then, we will be conducting supermarket surveillance and taking samples of (Nutri-Mark labelled) products. After June 1, if we find on-shelf products without Nutri-Mark, they will be withdrawn and retailers will be fined,” said Abdulla Al Muaini, Executive Director of the Central Testing Lab at Abu Dhabi Quality & Conformity Council (ADQCC). ADVERTISING Meanwhile, if a tested […]
1 week ago
Health organizations are currently divided on whether male circumcision is beneficial or not. Some research suggests it can lower the rates of urinary tract infections and improve overall penile health, but the procedure can also lead to infection and can be seen as unnecessary. And as Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao details below, culturally as well, regions of the world are starkly divided on the practice and we visualize this by mapping out the rates by country. Data for this map is sourced from the “Estimation of Country-Specific and Global Prevalence of Male Circumcision”, a paper published on BioMedCentral in 2016. It is the latest complete data available on this topic. A Regional Breakdown of Circumcision RatesMale circumcision is more common in countries where Islam and Judaism emphasize it as a religious practice. Consequently, in North Africa and the Middle East, 99% of men aged 15 and older are circumcised. Country ISO Code Male CircumcisionRate (Men Aged 15+) 🇦🇫 Afghanistan AFG 99.8% 🇦🇱 Albania ALB 47.7% 🇩🇿 Algeria DZA 97.9% 🇦🇴 Angola AGO 57.5% 🇦🇷 Argentina ARG 2.9% 🇦🇲 Armenia ARM 0.1% 🇦🇺 Australia AUS 58.0% 🇦🇹 Austria AUT 5.8% 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan AZE 98.5% 🇧🇭 Bahrain BHR 81.2% 🇧🇩 Bangladesh BGD […]
2 weeks ago
A new must-watch documentary by two-time Peabody Award-winning and four-time Emmy nominated director Jenner Furst, a self-described progressive who has broken with the Democratic party, ties it all together. In early 2020, Furst was contacted to direct a puff piece on former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony Fauci. The project was scrapped, however three years later, Furst began investigating what actually happened and created “Thank You, Dr. Fauci” – a project which has received virtually no press coverage, and even Rotten Tomatoes critics won’t touch. If you’re thinking ‘you had me at Fauci’ and just want to watch it, a free preview of “Thank You, Dr. Fauci” is available, and the film can be rented directly on the film’s website, or by using Vimeo On-Demand or Gathr. People can also use Gathr to Book Private Screenings and Partner on TVOD Sales. If you’re like Elon Musk and you believe that ‘Prosecute / Fauci’ should be your pronouns, this is what you need to watch to understand why we should prosecute Fauci. Heavily Censored While it’s difficult enough to find “Thank You, Dr. Fauci” thanks to search engine shadowbans and downrankings, perhaps the most notable form of censorship is the ongoing media blackout of the film according to Furst – whose previous work has been heavily reviewed, critically acclaimed, […]
2 weeks ago
With an aging global population, age-related healthcare industries are expanding rapidly, leading to a shortage of nearly four million medical professionals, according to recent WHO estimates. As a result, countries are vying to attract doctors trained in foreign countries, hoping to bolster their physician workforces. This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Pallavi Rao, visualizes the share of foreign-trained doctors in European countries specifically, according to the latest available data from OECD.org. Ranked: European Countries Relying on Doctors Trained Abroad Wealthier EU economies find themselves relying heavily on foreign-trained health professionals. For example in Norway, Switzerland, and Ireland, around 40% of all doctors complete their training abroad. Rank Country ISO Code Share of Doctors Trained Abroad Rank Country ISO Code Share of Doctors Trained Abroad 1 🇳🇴 Norway NOR 42% 2 🇮🇪 Ireland IRL 41% 3 🇨🇭 Switzerland CHE 38% 4 🇬🇧 UK GBR 32% 5 🇸🇪 Sweden SWE 30% 6 🇫🇮 Finland FIN 20% 7 🇸🇮 Slovenia SVN 16% 8 🇩🇪 Germany DEU 14% 9 🇧🇪 Belgium BEL 13% 10 🇫🇷 France FRA 12% 11 🇵🇹 Portugal PRT 12% 12 🇩🇰 Denmark DNK 10% 13 🇭🇺 Hungary HUN 8% 14 🇨🇿 Czechia CZE 8% 15 🇦🇹 Austria AUT 7% 16 🇱🇻 […]
2 weeks ago
The shirt on your back, the carpet beneath your feet, and the takeout container from last night’s dinner share a troubling secret: They’re slowly breaking down into invisible particles that are turning up everywhere from Mount Everest’s peak to your bloodstream. These microscopic plastic fragments, ranging in size from invisible to no larger than the width of a pencil eraser, have silently invaded human bodies in ways scientists are only beginning to understand—and the implications are unsettling, according to a September scientific review. “Microplastics pose a significant health risk, as they can persist in the environment and carry harmful chemicals,” Dr. Paul Savage, a toxin expert and founder and CEO of MDLifespan, told The Epoch Times. “A person might consume the equivalent of a credit card in plastic each week through food alone,” he said. “Once ingested, these particles can degrade into nanoplastics small enough to interfere with cellular DNA, potentially leading to genetic damage and chronic health issues.” Each year, between 10 and 40 million tonnes of microplastics are released into the environment. If current trends persist, this amount is projected to double by 2040. Even if all new emissions are stopped today, existing microplastic levels would continue to rise as older […]
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