International Risk

East ‘Meats’ West: Diabetes on Rise in China

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The Chinese people are eating more food per serving, have more money to buy and eat food — particularly junk food — when they’re not hungry, and engage in less physical activity, Xiaohui said.

He said that many people still eat a traditional Chinese meal, but along with rice and veggies will be more meat, and portions will be bigger as well. In addition, fast-food restaurants such as Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s are enjoying success at the price of a growing obesity epidemic among children and teens, he said.

via Medical News: East ‘Meats’ West: Diabetes on Rise in China – in Meeting Coverage, AACE from MedPage Today.

Traditional ethnic diets are preferable for your particular ethnicity.  You want fries with that?

Fugu or Not to Fugu?

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Tetrodotoxin poisoning

  • Numbness around the mouth followed by paralysis and death by respiratory failure – the victim remaining conscious throughout
  • First recorded case found in the logs of Captain Cook in 1774, after crew members ate the fish
  • Tetrodotoxin is named after the Tetraodontiformes order of fish, which includes blowfish
  • It is also found in blue-ringed octopuses, some toads, newts and other animals

via BBC News – Dicing death: The fish more poisonous than cyanide.

I refuse to eat sushi in Oklahoma.  I doubt I’ll ever eat Fugu.

Lassa Fever in Nigeria – CDC

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The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health has reported an increased number of cases of Lassa fever. Nineteen of the country’s 36 states have reported cases since the beginning of 2012. As of April 13, 2012, there were reports of 818 suspected cases, including 84 deaths. At this time, 131 cases have been confirmed by laboratory testing. Seven deaths have also been reported among health care workers.

via Lassa Fever in Nigeria – Travelers’ Health – CDC.

Avoid contact with rats, especially rat urine and feces. Put food away in rodent-proof containers.

  • Keep the home clean and rodent proof.
  • Trap rats in and around homes.
  • Do not eat rats.

Latin America: Where the world’s jobs are

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Latin America: Where the world’s jobs are – CSMonitor.com.

So far, 200 entrepreneurs from 30 different countries have traveled to Chile to try to get their ideas off the ground through Start-Up Chile. The program aims to fund 1,000 entrepreneurs by 2014, and not only benefits the grantees – 80 percent of whom are foreigners – but is a boon to Chile, too, says spokeswoman Brenna Loury.

Interesting little article that offers minimal facts to back up the author’s assertion in the title.  How does 200 entrepreneurs equal “where the world’s jobs are”?

Life Underwriting Manager – Singapore

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This was posted to a LinkedIn group.

We are looking for a Life Underwriting Manager with at least 7-10 years of experience.

The position is based in Singapore and this will be a fantastic opportunity to work for a very established insurer. Interested candidates please email your details and updated CV to m.chen@huxley.com or call +65 6572 4500 for a discussion.

The War to Our South – 8/27/11

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BBC News – Mexico drugs crisis: Monterrey shocked by casino attack

The attack was a bold move by the gangs. It happened in broad daylight, was aimed at civilians and took place in the heart of the city.

BTW, the last travel warning for Mexico from the US State Department is dated 4/22/11 or approximately 5,000 corpses ago.  One of the world’s largest life reinsurance company’s manual still maintains a Standard rating for Mexico.

Well, OK then.

Globalization of Diabetes

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Globalization of Diabetes

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a global public health crisis that threatens the economies of all nations, particularly developing countries. Fueled by rapid urbanization, nutrition transition, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, the epidemic has grown in parallel with the worldwide rise in obesity. Asia’s large population and rapid economic development have made it an epicenter of the epidemic. Asian populations tend to develop diabetes at younger ages and lower BMI levels than Caucasians. Several factors contribute to accelerated diabetes epidemic in Asians, including the “normal-weight metabolically obese” phenotype; high prevalence of smoking and heavy alcohol use; high intake of refined carbohydrates (e.g., white rice); and dramatically decreased physical activity levels. Poor nutrition in utero and in early life combined with overnutrition in later life may also play a role in Asia’s diabetes epidemic. Recent advances in genome-wide association studies have contributed substantially to our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology, but currently identified genetic loci are insufficient to explain ethnic differences in diabetes risk. Nonetheless, interactions between Westernized diet and lifestyle and genetic background may accelerate the growth of diabetes in the context of rapid nutrition transition. Epidemiologic studies and randomized clinical trials show that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through diet and lifestyle modifications. Translating these findings into practice, however, requires fundamental changes in public policies, the food and built environments, and health systems. To curb the escalating diabetes epidemic, primary prevention through promotion of a healthy diet and lifestyle should be a global public policy priority.

© 2011 by the American Diabetes Association.  Reproduced on this blog under a Creative Commons license.  Source attribution is provided via link.