Environment

Enviromental Health

Below are some more articles, written by me and others, on the subject of environment and health.  We can contribute to escaping/removing/avoiding the trend towards poor nutrition and a sedentary life - yep, you and me can make a difference! 

It is amazing, the crap that the human body tolerates and still survives. It has a systematic approach to shut down as it nears death, that still enables recovery if a solution is found.  Read on...


Healthy Nutrition:
By Kate Marr

Our bodies need the correct nutrients to function optimally.
It is our body's natural state to be healthy, and this is what our body constantly strives to do with whatever inputs we give it. If we give it nutritional food inputs it's job is made easier and it is likely to function at higher levels. If we give it food lacking in nutrients, it's job will be made significantly harder. If our body is working overtime to try to maintain health with poor nutrients, something will have to suffer, and in the end it will be our health. A balanced diet is the best way to provide our bodies with what they need.

Big Fat Lies:  The weight of a nation.  An active solution?
By Dr. Grant Schofield
Division of Sport and Recreation
Auckland University of Technology

Around the western world there is strong evidence that overweight and obesity are increasing rapidly at the population level.  Coupled with this increase in weight are downstream health problems including cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of many other lifestyle health problems.   We hear a lot about the problems we have with our nutrition. Healthy eating seems to be a thing of the past, and high density high calorie foods are ready and cheaply available.  The implication form many in the "blame McDonalds" mentality is that removing fast foods would somehow be a solution to our lifestyle health woes.

Yes, we can always eat better - but the research evidence shows a different story however.  When we look at the relative changes in slothful (sedentary) and gluttonous (excess caloric consumption) behaviours over the last 50 years at the population level we see that it is increased physical inactivity which has been the major change. 

The notion of moving more needs to be elevated as a national health and education priority. This is especially evident when we look at the economic burden of preventable disease.

"Blobbo Sapiens" Design for humans not vehicles
By Steve Gurney

There is a groundswell beginning;

Increasing numbers of concerned and aware public want to arrest the de-evolutionary slide to "blobbo-sapiens"

Movement and exercise is a basic function and requirement of the human body. I am alarmed that often we have lost perspective on this. Technology, social conditioning and perhaps laziness seem to be marching a direction that gives little thought for easily incorporating activity into a natural rhythm of life. Too often people need to make a special effort or activity to go the gymnasium, or to dust off the "Gensu lobotomiser machine" from under the bed for another torture session, or to drag out the jogging shoes, moaning.How about a fresh perspective on this? Designing our environment (town planning) and daily schedules, to incorporate exercise as it is intended with out having to make an extra activity effort.

Are we getting too precious about getting a little sweat on ourselves? How about walking or biking to work? Even part way.

Do we need to overhaul our town planning to give humans TOP priority over vehicles? ( I reckon we've well and truly lost the plot on this one!)

It is said, quite rightly, that to think globally we need to act locally.

What about issues like kids walking to school. Too often now, there is a major traffic jam outside schools as dozens of parents drop their kids to the school gate. What happened to the days when kids walked or biked to school? Think back to the stories of our grandparents, where some walked 10 miles to school and 10 miles home, every day. Certainly did them no harm, (and perhaps this is one of the reasons why these wise members of our society have none of the arrogance we see in some of today's youth?) Today's parents cite excuses like "stranger danger", but I wonder if that is any more of an issue than it used to be, and whether it is can be easily solved by things like education and walking buses. Driving kids cycle-able distances is setting them into excercise-starved patterns for life.

How about a frank look at design of our cities to make walking, biking, skating, wheelchair, and general human powered locomotion a priority over motorised vehicles.

Think about your next vehicle trip. Does it need to be in a car, could it be a walk or a bike instead? Truthfully? It often requires a wee adjustment of mindset. Eg. To drive it will take 10 minutes. To bike it will take 20 minutes. For an investment of 10 minutes, I've got 20 minutes of valuable exercise, and saved fuel and pollution. Everyone is a winner!

I'm interested in forming an Email group of people interested in taking this concept further. I need ideas on the next step. Could it be we form a club/committee? Would it be better that we make some sort of submission to council/gov't? Let me know if you're keen to put a bit of effort into this, and what your ideas for progress are.Email me at
steve@gurneygears.com