In the news

Moving by e-movers: What it means for the future

            It’s impossible not to notice them – e-bikes, e-skateboards, e-scooters, e-one-wheeled something or other. Has anyone seen e-roller skates yet? Yes, they’re here.

            Among military-age Americans barely one-fourth can pass recruiting physical standards. What kind of physical shape will the younger e-travel generation be in? What are the implications for the nation’s health, healthcare facilities and economy as these youngsters enter middle age?

            Diabesity, the combination of type two diabetes and obesity, is already costing the United State healthcare system more than one-half trillion dollars a year. Diet is a major factor in its development but so is the lack of exercise. Among children aged six to eleven years, 20.7 percent are obese as of 2020. Type two (formerly adult onset) diabetes is now being diagnosed with increasing frequency among sub-teens, and its complications, such as kidney disease, are emerging in twenty-somethings.

            There is a hidden hazard that is soon to emerge: osteoporosis. The human skeleton becomes fully developed between the ages of about five and twenty-five – the bone-building window. The childhood play activities that we knew as children, climbing jungle gyms, riding bikes, pushing scooters, skating that actually involved using our leg muscles, contributed to normal skeletal development. Even before the current change in children’s activities, orthopedists observed a striking increase in bone weakness among pre-adolescent and early adolescent children. Between 1970 and 2000, forearm fractures increased by more than thirty percent. A similar study from the years 2014-2016 revealed that the incidence had more than doubled.

            Can you guess where this is going? Are we likely to reverse the e-transport trend?

Lifestyle

Tinned fish, anyone?

            “Tinned fish” sounds like something you’d find in a London grocery store, but American nutritionists are encouraging everyone on this side of the pond to take advantage of their concentrated nutrients. Sardines are rated highest but salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel and anchovies are also healthy choices.

            Unfortunately, most people turn their noses up at them. That’s too bad, because they are rich in the very nutrients that many of us lack, starting with omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in most fish, including shellfish as well as leafy green vegetables. They are necessary for a vigorous immune system, strong bones, healthy heart function and especially for brain and eye development in children.

            About half the senior population lacks adequate levels of vitamin D, a necessary nutrient for a strong skeleton and immune function. Tinned fish are a good source of vitamin D.

            Speaking of bones, these tinned fish species are excellent sources of calcium, protein and vitamin K2.

            The smallest of these fish have minimal levels of mercury but pregnant women should limit their intake of tuna to about one or two servings a month. Olive oil is the best packing medium for tinned fish. If they are packed in water or sauce, check the labels for their sodium content, and limit anchovies, which tend to have lots.

            Thanks to Google there is no shortage of recipes that feature these nutrient-rich fish. In fact, you’ll find some tasty-looking ones that will add some variety to your diet.