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Chinese Study Recommends Region-Specific Diets, Amid Rising Obesity Risks

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Monday, November 11, 2024

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese scientists have recommended a region-specific diet they say is crucial to improving eating habits in the country amid a rise in obesity and lifestyle diseases, and as a means to conserve natural and environmental resources.China in October published its first set of guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, with more than half of China's adults already overweight and obese, and the rate expected to keep rising. The government has said that healthier diets are important to treat and prevent obesity.A group of scientists from the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, in China's affluent southern Guangdong province, said its study adheres to a "Planetary Health Diet" and advocates a reduced consumption of dairy products and red meat.Published in the Nature Food journal in August and reported in state media last week, the study recommended that in China's north, which is characterised by a high intake of dairy products but low consumption of vegetables, people need to eat more fruits and whole grains.In the southwest, which has a harsher environment and severe water scarcity, the region could focus on a high intake of legumes and vegetables rather than its existing very high consumption of red meat, the study said.In the east, known for its "affluent agricultural culture and developed aquaculture", a higher intake of whole grains, seafood and vegetables was recommended for its residents.China's health commission did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.The recommended diets work for the prevention of "obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases," said Liu Yan, one of the authors of the study, adding that they help reduce premature mortality and disability, and ensure nutritional requirements for residents.Not only China but also other developing nations facing similar health and environmental challenges could benefit from the roadmap for the diet, the scientists said in the study.Brent Loken, global food lead scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, said the study provided a promising way forward for developing countries, including India and Kenya."Adopting these planetary health diet variants could serve as a viable strategy for dietary shifts in China to achieve both human health and environmental sustainability goals... with lessons translatable to other countries around the world," he said.(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese scientists have recommended a region-specific diet they say is crucial to improving eating habits in the country amid...

China in October published its first set of guidelines to standardise the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, with more than half of China's adults already overweight and obese, and the rate expected to keep rising. The government has said that healthier diets are important to treat and prevent obesity.

A group of scientists from the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, in China's affluent southern Guangdong province, said its study adheres to a "Planetary Health Diet" and advocates a reduced consumption of dairy products and red meat.

Published in the Nature Food journal in August and reported in state media last week, the study recommended that in China's north, which is characterised by a high intake of dairy products but low consumption of vegetables, people need to eat more fruits and whole grains.

In the southwest, which has a harsher environment and severe water scarcity, the region could focus on a high intake of legumes and vegetables rather than its existing very high consumption of red meat, the study said.

In the east, known for its "affluent agricultural culture and developed aquaculture", a higher intake of whole grains, seafood and vegetables was recommended for its residents.

China's health commission did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The recommended diets work for the prevention of "obesity and cardio-metabolic diseases," said Liu Yan, one of the authors of the study, adding that they help reduce premature mortality and disability, and ensure nutritional requirements for residents.

Not only China but also other developing nations facing similar health and environmental challenges could benefit from the roadmap for the diet, the scientists said in the study.

Brent Loken, global food lead scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, said the study provided a promising way forward for developing countries, including India and Kenya.

"Adopting these planetary health diet variants could serve as a viable strategy for dietary shifts in China to achieve both human health and environmental sustainability goals... with lessons translatable to other countries around the world," he said.

(Reporting by Farah Master; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

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Sweden abolishes tax on plastic bags despite warnings usage could rise

Levy that reduced usage by more than three-quarters in four years fell victim to rightwing culture wars, say criticsA tax that has reduced plastic bag consumption in Sweden by more than three-quarters in four years is being abolished on Friday, despite warnings that the move could lead to usage rising back towards previous levels.Since the introduction of the 3 kroner (£0.21) tax in May 2020, plastic bag usage in the country has slumped. In 2019, before the levy was introduced, people in Sweden used an average of 74 plastic bags (15-50 micrometres thick) per person each year each. In 2023 that number had dropped to 17. Continue reading...

A tax that has reduced plastic bag consumption in Sweden by more than three-quarters in four years is being abolished on Friday, despite warnings that the move could lead to usage rising back towards previous levels.Since the introduction of the 3 kroner (£0.21) tax in May 2020, plastic bag usage in the country has slumped. In 2019, before the levy was introduced, people in Sweden used an average of 74 plastic bags (15-50 micrometres thick) per person each year each. In 2023 that number had dropped to 17.The law was introduced after the EU’s 2015 plastic bag directive required member states to dramatically cut usage.Among those to criticise the end of the tax in Sweden was the government’s own environmental protection agency, which warned the levy was still needed to consolidate new behaviours.“We don’t think the government should lower the tax already,” said Åsa Stenmarck, a spokesperson for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. “We think they could have evaluated this properly before making a decision.”Last year, Sweden’s centre-right coalition government, backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, announced the tax would be abolished. It said the country’s plastic bag consumption was already below the EU target, which meant the levy was “not deemed necessary for its purpose”.Stenmarck said: “We don’t know what will happen now. The consumption target of 40 bags per person still exists from 2025 onwards and if we don’t reach it, we will be fined by the EU.”Now the responsibility fell to industry, which Stenmarck said she hoped would not start marketing plastic bags, and consumers, who she hoped had “largely changed their behaviour and carry their own bags”.Despite Sweden’s involvement in the invention of the plastic bag, which was patented by the Swedish company Celloplast in 1965 and quickly went on to replace cloth and plastic bags in Europe, the country has been a frontrunner on reducing usage.The big supermarkets have long charged for plastic and paper bags, in turn encouraging people to bring their own, while the tax rapidly reduced consumption in other areas of retail.But the levy has fallen victim to rightwing populism and culture wars, said Rolf Lindahl, a climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Sweden.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Headlines EuropeA digest of the morning's main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week dayPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotion“The plastic ban tax has become a part of a very unfortunate populist narrative around climate policies from the rightwing parties and they have used it as an example of environmental overreach from the government,” he said.“We worry that dropping the tax will mean increased plastic use and a return to the norm of always buying new bags at the supermarket.”Joakim Brodahl, from the non-profit organisation Keep Sweden Clean, said the removal of the tax would probably lead to plastic bags costing less to consumers and in turn increasing consumption. “We see that there is a risk that the behaviour can quickly turn back unless, for example, the trade is alert to changes in their sales of plastic bags,” he said.

Culture

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Government

Surrealism Is Turning 100. See the Dreamlike Paintings That Made the Movement So Revolutionary

A blockbuster exhibition in Paris is showcasing 500 artifacts and artworks in honor of the Surrealist Manifesto, which sparked a new artistic style that spread around the world

Green Tea, Leonora Carrington, 1942 © Digital image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York / Scala, Florence / © Adagp, Paris, 2024 In October 1924, French writer André Breton published what’s now known as the Surrealist Manifesto. The seminal text—which argued for a new style of art and literature that would be “free from any control by reason, exempt from aesthetic or moral preoccupation”—helped give rise to a new, avant-garde movement that spread around the world. Now, to mark the manifesto’s 100th anniversary, a new exhibition in Paris is examining Surrealism’s enduring global impact. Titled “Surrealism,” the show incorporates more than 500 artifacts and artworks, including poems, drawings, sculptures and paintings. Pages from Breton’s original handwritten manuscript are also on display, thanks to a loan from the French national library. To bring the historic document to life, the museum worked with the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music to create an artificial intelligence recording of Breton reading it aloud. The Fireside Angel, Max Ernst, 1937 © Vincent Everarts Photographie / © Adagp, Paris, 2024 The show initially opened in Brussels in February, and it’s currently on display at Paris’ Pompidou Center. After it leaves France next year, it will move on to Madrid, Hamburg and Philadelphia. In total, five institutions are hosting the exhibition, but each museum is taking its own unique curatorial approach. “I hope that people will discover that Surrealism is a state of mind and a way of looking at things,” Francisca Vandepitte, who curated the show at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, tells the New York Times’ Nina Siegal. “It’s not something theoretical and very complicated. The main force is something that we all know. It’s irrational, and it’s our dreams, and it’s liberating.” In Paris, the exhibition presents Surrealism as a global movement—not just a European one. Though the movement originated in France, its core principles, including “challenging rationality, embracing the unconscious and exploring alternative realities,” struck a chord with a diverse group of artists from different backgrounds and cultures, writes Artnet’s Sofia Hallström. “It is important to remember that Surrealism was a movement that spread—and this is exceptional for an avant-garde movement—around the world, in Europe, but also the United States, South America, Asia and the Maghreb,” Marie Sarré, who co-curated the Pompidou Center exhibition with the museum’s deputy director Didier Ottinger, tells the Guardian’s Jennifer Rankin. Items on display include works by well-known artists such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte, as well as pieces by lesser-known Surrealists like Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo and Japanese artist Tatsuo Ikeda. The Pompidou Center also shines a light on often-overlooked women in the Surrealist movement, including Dorothea Tanning, Leonora Carrington and Dora Maar. The exhibition, which is laid out in a spiral and split into 13 sections, also explores themes like anticolonialism and environmentalism. Curators hope to attract younger audiences, who may not be familiar with Surrealism but might connect with some of its core beliefs. Surreal Composition, Suzanne van Damme, 1943 © Collection RAW Many younger museumgoers are “disillusioned with the idea of progress and Modernism,” Sarré tells the Art Newspaper’s Dale Berning Sawa. “They’re politically and ecologically engaged, anticolonialist, antinationalist—in a way that chimes with what the Surrealists were doing.” All the while, the Surrealists were also having a great deal of fun, as Jonathan Jones notes in a review for the Guardian. “Of all the Modernist art movements, it was the Surrealists who were best at enjoying their revolution,” he writes. “In the Pompidou’s perfectly judged exhibition, that pleasure shines through as you meet these artists, all dead now, not so much as giants of art history as extremely amusing companions.” “Surrealism” is on view at the Pompidou Center in Paris through January 13, 2025. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Culture

Discovering Puriscal a Hidden Gem of Nature and Culture in Costa Rica

Puriscal, located in the western part of the San José province, is a breathtaking area where life unfolds at a peaceful pace. Known to many Costa Ricans for its culinary heritage, Puriscal is famous for the country’s best chicharrones (pork rinds) and is also notable for its tobacco production. Despite its local reputation, Puriscal holds hidden gems that many Costa Ricans and foreigners alike have yet to discover. The area boasts natural attractions like La Cangreja National Park, serene waterfalls, lush hills, and indigenous reserves. La Cangreja National Park, named after the crab-like shape of its highest peak at 1,305 meters above sea level, offers panoramic views and scenic landscapes. According to indigenous lore, the mountain resembles a crab, with neighboring hills forming the “claws.” The park protects pristine water sources, including the Negro River and Grande Creek, which have carved unique rock formations over time. Visitors can spot over 300 bird species, including macaws, trogons, toucans, and guans, as well as diverse wildlife like agoutis, coatis, peccaries, deer, pumas, and even the striking black-and-green poison dart frogs. Beyond its natural wonders, Puriscal is a gateway to Costa Rica’s ancestral culture. The Quitirrisí Indigenous Reserve, home to about 300 Huetar people, offers a glimpse into the country’s indigenous heritage. For over 50 years, locals here have crafted kitchen and home décor items inspired by their culture and nature. Visitors can watch as artisans use pita and tule fibers, dyed with natural pigments, to weave beautiful bags, hats, rugs, baskets, and other accessories. Puriscal’s charm also lies in its warm and welcoming community. Local businesses are mostly family-run, giving visitors a unique chance to experience Costa Rican hospitality and gain a deeper understanding of the country’s cultural essence. The area, a beloved getaway for Costa Ricans, is becoming an increasingly popular destination for foreign travelers seeking tranquility and a break from urban life. Outside of La Cangreja National Park, private wildlife refuges offer additional trails and immersive ways to experience the local flora and fauna. Locals are dedicated to sharing their knowledge of environmental conservation and sustainable living with visitors. With its stunning views, tranquility, natural beauty, and small-town charm, Puriscal is among the best destinations for those looking to explore the authentic Costa Rica. The post Discovering Puriscal a Hidden Gem of Nature and Culture in Costa Rica appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

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Costa Rica’s Banana Industry: The Hidden Cost of Pesticide Use

Costa Rica’s Caribbean region is often celebrated for its exuberant nature and rich culture. However, the area is also a key hub for banana production. The country ranks among the world’s leading commercial banana producers, boasting an average productivity of 2,325 boxes per hectare, equivalent to about 42 metric tons. Yet, as revealed by the British newspaper The Guardian, this production comes at a significant human and environmental cost. “At dawn and dusk, the skies over Matina, the capital of Limón province on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, are filled with aircraft spraying a viscous rain of agrochemicals onto banana plantations,” the article notes. Costa Rica is one of the world’s largest users of pesticides, averaging 34.45 kg of active ingredient per hectare annually, according to the UN. Despite bans in the European Union, Costa Rica continues to use hazardous chemicals. The pesticides chlorothalonil and mancozeb, both believed to be potentially carcinogenic, as well as chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic agent, have been found in the blood of women and children living near plantations, where planes regularly spray these substances. Residents in these areas report side effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, dermatitis, and burning eyes, according to the newspaper. The smell of the chemicals is sometimes so overwhelming that nearby schools must be evacuated, as children fall ill. Both students and teachers have been hospitalized after inhaling these toxic substances. The article emphasizes that such incidents are “far from exceptional.” At a plantation owned by the US company Dole, the air is “pungent,” fields are scorched, and the ground is littered with what looks like “charred pineapples” due to the use of paraquat, a chemical that dries and burns plants. Dole, however, denies these claims, stating it stopped using paraquat in 2008. Despite community efforts to denounce these practices to the authorities, no action has been taken. The government has also overlooked workers’ rights, wages, and working conditions. In addition to the health risks, the environment is suffering. Water and soil contamination is widespread, and local ecosystems are being destroyed. The article points out that the large-scale use of these chemicals persists because consumers demand perfect fruit, and mass production is required to meet global demand. It also places responsibility on the EU for allowing the export of these banned substances. However, there are alternatives. The Guardian highlights the Bribri community’s organic banana plantation, which operates without pesticides—demonstrating that it’s possible to produce fruit without harming people or the environment. The post Costa Rica’s Banana Industry: The Hidden Cost of Pesticide Use appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

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Tools for making imagination blossom at MIT.nano

New STUDIO.nano supports artistic research and encounters within MIT.nano’s facilities.

The MIT community and visitors have a new reason to drop by MIT.nano: six artworks by Brazilian artist and sculptor Denise Milan. Located in the open-air stairway connecting the first- and second-floor galleries within the nanoscience and engineering facility, the works center around the stone as a microcosm of nature. From Milan’s “Mist of the Earth” series, evocative of mandalas, the project asks viewers to reflect on the environmental changes that result from human-made development.Milan is the inaugural artist in “Encounters,” a series presented by STUDIO.nano, a new initiative from MIT.nano that encourages the exploration of platforms and pathways at the intersection of technology, science, and art. Encounters welcomes proposals from artists, scientists, engineers, and designers from outside of the MIT community looking to collaborate with MIT.nano researchers, facilities, ongoing projects, and unique spaces.“Life is in the art of the encounter,” remarked Milan, quoting Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes, during a reception at MIT.nano. “And for an artist to be in a place like this, MIT.nano, what could be better? I love the curiosity of scientists. They are very much like artists ... art and science are both tools for making imagination blossom.” What followed was a freewheeling conversation between attendees that spanned topics ranging from the cyclical nature of birth, death, and survival in the cosmos to musings on the elemental sources of creativity and the similarities in artistic and scientific practice to a brief lesson on time crystals by Nobel Prize laureate Frank Wilczek, the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at MIT.Milan was joined in her conversation by MIT.nano Director Vladimir Bulović, the Fariborz Maseeh Professor of Emerging Technologies; Ardalan SadeghiKivi MArch ’22, who moderated the discussion; Samantha Farrell, manager of STUDIO.nano programming; and Naomi Moniz, professor emeritus at Georgetown University, who connected Milan and her work with MIT.nano.“In addition to the technical community, we [at MIT.nano] have been approached by countless artists and thinkers in the humanities who, to our delight, are eager to learn about the wonders of the nanoscale and how to use the tools of MIT.nano to explore and expand their own artistic practice,” said Bulović.These interactions have spurred collaborative projects across disciplines, art exhibitions, and even MIT classes. For the past four years MIT.nano has hosted 4.373/4.374 (Creating Art, Thinking Science), an undergraduate and graduate class offered by the Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT) Program. To date, the class has brought 35 students into MIT.nano’s labs and resulted in 40 distinct projects and 60 pieces of art, many of which are on display in MIT.nano’s galleries.With the launch of STUDIO.nano, MIT.nano will look to expand its exhibition programs, including supporting additional digital media and augmented/virtual reality projects; providing tools and spaces for development of new classes envisioned by MIT academic departments; and introducing programming such as lectures related to the studio's activities.Milan’s work will be a permanent installation at MIT.nano, where she hopes it will encourage individuals to pursue their creative inspiration, regardless of discipline. “To exist or to disappear?” Milan asked. “If it’s us, an idea, or a dream — the question is how much of an assignment you have with your own imagination.”

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Cultivating the Wild focuses on six Southerners committed to reclaiming the nature of the South through art, science, and culture. Their inspiration is William Bartram, 18th century naturalist and America’s first environmentalist. From 1773 to 1777, a plant-collecting trip took Bartram from the Carolina coast west to the Mississippi. Far more than a botanical catalog, Bartram’s 1791 book Travels provides a captivating window into the past and continues to fire the imagination of readers over 200 years later. Despite the passage of time, Bartram’s words speak to current issues of critical importance. The film responds to an America hungry to re-connect with the natural world around us, an America increasingly focused on sustaining this planet we call home. Often called “the South’s Thoreau,” Bartram’s reverence for all aspects of nature lies at the heart of these modern environmental movements and in the people we meet in Cultivating the Wild.

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GoGreenNation news

Chinese Study Recommends Region-Specific Diets, Amid Rising Obesity Risks

Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

Related News

Sweden abolishes tax on plastic bags despite warnings usage could rise

Surrealism Is Turning 100. See the Dreamlike Paintings That Made the Movement So Revolutionary

Discovering Puriscal a Hidden Gem of Nature and Culture in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Banana Industry: The Hidden Cost of Pesticide Use

Tools for making imagination blossom at MIT.nano

Suggested Viewing

On the Way to the Dreams

1-0

Microsculpture

Cultivating the Wild: William Bartram's Travels

Yo Gleans

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a sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Cookies help us run our site more efficiently.

Chinese Study Recommends Region-Specific Diets, Amid Rising Obesity Risks

Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

Related News

Sweden abolishes tax on plastic bags despite warnings usage could rise

Surrealism Is Turning 100. See the Dreamlike Paintings That Made the Movement So Revolutionary

Discovering Puriscal a Hidden Gem of Nature and Culture in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Banana Industry: The Hidden Cost of Pesticide Use

Tools for making imagination blossom at MIT.nano

Suggested Viewing

On the Way to the Dreams

1-0

Microsculpture

Cultivating the Wild: William Bartram's Travels

Yo Gleans

Join us to forgea sustainable future

sign up for our mailing list to stay informed on the latest films and environmental headlines.

Join us to forge
a sustainable future