Poor Diets Worse Than Smoking, Drinking, Or Having Unprotected Sex

RH Weekly News Roundup – 30 September 2016

Young Women Make a Difference (Even in Northern Nigeria)

Can you believe it? A 25-year-old is the head of Argungu city. That’s a female 25-year-old. Wait, we’ll take it even further. That’s a 25-year-old, unmarried female. Wow! That’s a first on so many fronts. Hindatu Umar is the youngest person to hold the position. She’s also the first woman, and the first unmarried person in Argungu to have such power.

As we well know, young women in Kebbi State often hide in the shadows of their husbands, fathers, and brothers. But, this lady is stepping up, despite criticisms that she won’t be able to handle the pressure. We salute this radiant young woman’s resolution to succeed.

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There’s An App for That!

These days, anyone with a Smartphone has apps that tell them the weather or deliver the news. There are shopping apps and banking apps. And, yes, there are apps aimed specifically at making you happier and healthier.

There’s a Swedish app aimed at treating urinary incontinence and free apps that track the quality of your sleep. And now, you can track your menstrual cycle using Maya. More than that, this app aims to help you understand your mood swings and overall health. While we know that it will be tough to get into the hands of the most vulnerable women, we appreciate the steps taken to empower women on their own reproductive health.

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Most Nigerian Women Awaiting Trial Have This in Common

According to the Nigerian Prison Service, the prison system houses more than 56,000 inmates. But, that’s hardly the shocker. Over 80 percent of the inmates haven’t even been sentenced. Indeed, they haven’t even had their trial yet. Almost 39,000 Nigerians are still awaiting their day in court.

While most of these inmates are men, 1169 (of the total prison population) are women. And, although the National Prison Service reports ten babies with their mothers, that figure is disputed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). According to the NHRC, 90 percent of the women awaiting trial are nursing, pregnant, or both. There is clearly a need to speed the judicial system – and a likely a more pressing need for the children of incarcerated mothers.

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Time to Get Your Groove On

Dr. Joshua Bolarinwa of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) says listening to music will have positive effects on your health. It’s a big stress reliever! Although stress contributes directly to only a few diseases, it can aggravate just about any condition a person may have.

Dr. Bolarinwa is hardly the only one to suggest music is a cornerstone of good health. Research published in The Vienna Medical Weekly Journal claims that listening to music can alleviate chronic back pain, increase memory functions, and improve workouts. Time to break out your favorite tunes; whether you boogie down or make meal prep more harmonious is up to you.

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Pharmacists Care (But You Still Need to Be Careful)

Word Pharmacists Day takes place annually on 25 September. This year’s theme was “Pharmacists care for you.” And, that’s certainly true – when everything operates as it should. The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria claims that many Nigerians don’t turn to pharmacists, but purchase medications from the easiest or closest sources.

But, even when you do seek assistance from pharmacists, it’s important to continue monitoring your health. Reports reveal that there are substandard or ineffective medicines circulating through the Nigerian market. While tests specifically show that roughly ten percent of anti-malarial tablets are substandard, statistics aren’t available for Nigerian medications as a whole. The takeaway lesson? You shouldn’t self-diagnose or pick up your drugs from the corner shop. But, you should also trust your body and head to a hospital or clinic if the medication doesn’t appear to be working as directed. 

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Poor Diets Worse than Smoking, Drinking, or Having Unprotected Sex

Whoa! Hold on before you reach for that bottle. A good diet cannot prevent you from contracting a sexually transmitted disease or developing lung cancer. It’s a generalisation based on huge numbers. And it just means that poor diets are bigger killers than other contributing health concerns. But, it does mean we need to spend more time as a world considering our food.

Some experts believe that roughly 3.3 billion people worldwide are obese or overweight. And, an estimated three billion people suffer from some form of malnutrition. That means 6.3 billion of the world’s (estimated) 7.5 billion humans aren’t getting what they need… or too much of it. Isn’t it time you took at look at your nutrition? Our Healthy Eating pages will get you on track and help you stay in the healthy range.

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Multiple Sclerosis Not Preventable through Exercise 

Regular exercise will improve your overall health, help you with weight maintenance, maintain health blood flow, stimulate your mind, and perhaps even stave off ovarian cancer. But, it doesn’t appear that exercise can prevent Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is a degenerative disease that affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. As it progresses, it can affect muscular coordination, speech, vision, and leave sufferers with extreme fatigue. Researchers are unaware of the origin, though there are some treatments that allow MS patients to live relatively normally. Medical testing is the only way to diagnose MS. And, although it was hoped that exercise would prevent MS, research still shows that physical activity improves the condition.