BREAKING NEWS: Latin America (Central America & Caribbean)

Curtis, Holness may have to resolve issue through mediation - Barnett

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 09:14:53 -0600

Edmond Campbell/Senior Parliamentary Reporter CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERT Dr Lloyd Barnett has described as “unfortunate and sad” the so-called letter saga in which Speaker of the House of Representatives, Juliet Holness, released a missive on March 25...

Antigua and Barbuda ready for summer of cricket, gov’t launches ‘Be Here’ campaign

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 08:00:32 -0600

Grab your conch shells, horns, and whistles, excitement is building for major cricketing events set to take place in the twin-island paradise of Antigua and Barbuda this summer. In its latest innovative marketing campaign, ‘Be’, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority...

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LIVE: Virtual Special Sitting for The Honourable Mme. Justice Désirée Bernard from 9:30am

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:27:45 -0600

LIVE: Virtual Special Sitting for The Honourable Mme. Justice Désirée Bernard from 9:30am

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Orion Academy emerges winner of 2024 Inter Secondary School Debate Competition

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 06:30:02 -0600

Orion Academy’s debating team, Ejahdi Maxwell and Dymond Daniel, emerged as the winners of the 2024 Inter Secondary School Debate Competition, held at the Truth and Grace Fellowship Church, on Wednesday. The topic was, “The tourism industry is currently the...

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American Airlines to offer daily flights to Dominica from June to August

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 06:00:11 -0600

Tourism Minister Denise Charles-Pemberton has announced that American Airlines will offer daily flights to Dominica from June 5 to August 5, this year. “I am pleased to announce exciting news on air access into Dominica for summer, Christmas, the World...

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‘A STUPID ACT’

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:10:49 -0600

A FORMER Jamaican ambassador says the diplomatic corps is likely to be “disturbed” by the dishonouring of two former prime ministers in a controversial post that appeared on the Instagram page of Alando Terrelonge, state minister in the foreign...

Collymore was due to receive massive financial windfall in event of wife’s death

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:10:32 -0600

Barbados-born businessman Omar Collymore, who is on trial for reportedly masterminding the murder of his wife, was the sole beneficiary on her $21-million life insurance and was also allotted 70 per cent of her second life insurance policy, which...

Swine flu outbreak in lockup

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:10:02 -0600

Tuesday’s unavailability of a prisoner housed at the Kingston Central police lockup to attend the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court for a criminal matter has led to the revelation of an outbreak of Swine Flu at the Corporate Area jail. The...

JPS introducing technology to catch thieves pilfering its infrastructure

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:09:48 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: THIEVES HAVE removed seven of 10 Jamaica Public Service (JPS)-installed street lights in Orange Bay, Western Hanover, once again, leaving the five-kilometre stretch of roadway between the Orange Bay Housing Scheme and Negril in...

Maldon High gets new tank for fish-farming endeavour

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:09:33 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: STUDENTS AT St James-based Maldon High School now have an opportunity to practise fish-farming along with other agricultural lessons following Tuesday’s commissioning of a concrete fish tank for that purpose. The project was aided...

Four lanes, toll for Long Hill bypass

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:09:04 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: THE LONG Hill bypass in St James will be developed into a four-lane dual carriageway, the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) revealed on Tuesday at a meeting with hoteliers in Montego Bay. The meeting was held...

‘Earn ‘N Share’ showcases Glenmuir High’s entrepreneurial, artistic talents

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:05:56 -0600

GLENMUIR HIGH School in Clarendon exhibited an array of entrepreneurial acumen, artistic flair, and innovative prowess during an esteemed event dubbed ‘Earn ‘N Share’. Stakeholders including students, educators, parents, and faculty converged last...

Dominican Rianna Patterson to receive an award for Alzheimer’s in the United States

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:49:58 -0600

The Alzheimer’s Association will present four awards at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) Neuroscience Next in Chicago in April at the University of Chicago to recognise researchers for their varied expertise, noteworthy achievements and innovative contributions to the field...

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Urban agriculture training session: a gateway to sustainable living

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:49:36 -0600

Some Roseau residents are now equipped with innovative techniques and knowledge to do some urban farming after participating in a training session in urban agriculture that was held in Roseau last Saturday. The session, which saw enthusiastic participation from individuals...

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‘Spend time with your children to help improve their reading skills’, says Education Minister

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:15:04 -0600

Education Minister Octavia Alfred has called on parents to read with their children to help improve their reading skills. Her call came while addressing the official opening ceremony of the 14th edition of the DBS Radio, Ministry of Education National...

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT : Jollys National Wellness 5K Run

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:42:27 -0600

Prepare for the 4th Annual National 5K Wellness Run presented by Jollys Pharmacy on Saturday, April 27th, starting at 3:30 PM! Join us as we commence the run at Massacre – Canefield Government School and wrap up triumphantly at Lindo...

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DABA 2024 National Basketball League tips off!

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:08:18 -0600

The 2024 National Basketball League organized by the Dominica Amateur Basketball Association will commence at the Massacre Indoor Sports Complex on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, starting at 7:00 pm. The schedule for the first day includes the Denise Charles...

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Trinidad and Tobago to host Regional Conference on West Indies Cricket

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 09:33:45 -0600

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago are set to host a pivotal Regional Conference on West Indies Cricket. Scheduled for 25 -26 April 2024, the event will take place at the Hyatt...

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Witness confirms sale of $80m policy weeks before murder

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:11:27 -0600

Businesswoman Simone Campbell-Collymore had taken out an $80-million life insurance policy less than three months before she was murdered to add to a similar policy she had valued at $21 million. A life insurance agent, now a branch manager, who...

Williams advocates for greater opportunities for girls in ICT

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:10:16 -0600

“We are championing a movement,” declared Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams on Tuesday as she addressed the CREATHER Girls in Information Communication and Technology (ICT) media launch held at the Immaculate Conception High School (ICHS...

IC submits 5 reports, rulings to House for tabling

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:10:01 -0600

When lawmakers next meet at Gordon House, five investigation reports from the Integrity Commission (IC) will be before the Speaker for tabling. Indicative rulings from the director of corruption prosecutions have also been submitted. Jamaica’s...

Showdown at Calabar

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:09:43 -0600

Trouble is brewing at Calabar High in St Andrew, where at least two stakeholder groups are expressed strong opposition to any attempt by the institution’s board to confirm Acting Principal Sian Wilson in the position. In a four-page letter...

Mourning a hero

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:09:24 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: A pall of grief hung over the south Trelawny community of Litchfield on Tuesday, as loved ones of slain Constable Ricardo Fairclough struggled to cope with his murder. Fairclough, who was assigned to the St Ann Divisional...

NEPA’s new boss urges stakeholders to hold him accountable

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:08:42 -0600

Leonard Francis, the newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), is urging the relevant stakeholders to hold him accountable for his stewardship of the agency which oversees the country’s...

NEPA’s new CEO charts course for environmental protection

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 23:07:31 -0600

Leonard Francis, the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), says the entity will be fostering a culture of collaboration and research to further its mandate of sustainable environmental protection...

New House clerk: We did not know what to do with the reports

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:10:39 -0600

Newly minted Clerk to the Houses of Parliament Colleen Lowe has admitted that her predecessor was on vacation leave when the Financial Services Commission (FSC) audit report was returned by the Auditor General’s Department (AuGD) and when the...

Way cleared for Keith Clarke case to proceed, but defence will appeal

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:10:31 -0600

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewellyn and defence lawyers in the Keith Clarke murder trial yesterday locked horns over the defence’s request to place the hearing on hold pending an appeal. The long-awaited murder trial involving...

Teacher shot in home attack

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:10:06 -0600

A teacher has been hospitalised with chest and upper-left side wounds after gunmen smashed open a window to her St Andrew home and opened fire in the wee hours of Sunday morning. The incident occurred sometime after 3 a.m. in a section of Lawrence...

Curtis says she complied with Speaker’s ruling on reports

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:09:26 -0600

Former clerk to the Houses of Parliament Valrie Curtis said she had carried out her duties diligently and complied with the ruling of the Speaker in how reports from the Auditor General’s Department (AuGD) should be handled. In a letter dated March...

Curtis breaks silence

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 23:09:20 -0600

Former Clerk to the Houses of Parliament Valrie Curtis has said she will accept nothing less than a public withdrawal by House Speaker Juliet Holness of a March 22 letter of reprimand sent to her and copied to 62 lawmakers in the Lower House. On...

To Haitian intellectual, the crisis Haiti faces is one of ‘political criminality’ to make it easier for the US to intervene

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 10:36:18 -0600

Chalmers is a professor at State University of Haiti since 1980 and leads the Rasin Kan Pép la socialist party Leandro Melito Translated by: Ana...

Biden orders $60 million released for Kenya-led mission to help Haiti battle gangs

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 10:34:37 -0600

Miami Herald Nothing has been off limits in the ongoing gang siege of Port-au-Prince: not hospitals, schools, police stations and not even rare books. JOHNNY...

A Haitian Artist Fights Gang Life With Art

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:02:22 -0600

Lesly Pierre Paul’s New Vision Art School turns to the arts as a way to continue local traditions and keep the neighborhood’s children out of...

Haiti Forms Transitional Council To Restore Stability- Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:18:28 -0600

(MENAFN– The Rio Times) In a pivotal stride toward stability, Haitian leaders have reached a consensus on forming a transitional council. This initiative is designed...

Conseil présidentiel : la population a beaucoup d’attentes

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:15:45 -0600

La formation d’un conseil présidentiel après l’annonce de la démission du Premier ministre Ariel Henry a été décidée entre les acteurs politiques nationaux et internationaux...

Chaos en Haïti : malades et patients succombent faute de médicaments et de structures médicales

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:14:07 -0600

La crise sanitaire en Haïti a atteint son paroxysme alors que les malades, abandonnés par un système de santé en déroute, succombent dans l’ombre de...

Arrestation de près de 300 migrants haïtiens aux Bahamas et aux îles Turques et Caïques

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:51:58 -0600

VBI.com Environ 300 ressortissants haïtiens ont été arrêtés le week-end dernier aux Bahamas et dans les îles Turques et Caïques, selon ce que rapportent les...

188 ans d’ existence, la Première Église Baptiste de Port-au-Prince pillée

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:31:12 -0600

LA PLACENTIN La Première Église Baptiste de la rue de la réunion à Port-au-Prince est frappée par le vent du pillage. Des bandits armés emportent...

Haiti’s gangs are saying — with guns — ‘talk to us’ if you want the nation back

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 06:02:25 -0600

Haiti’s gangs are going after political targets now — and as they try to terrorize the country into ceding them a role in a...

‘Rapists, killers, kidnappers’: Haiti furious with gangs as country descends into anarchy

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 11:08:05 -0600

Haitians are increasingly angry at the gangs, who have shot unarmed civilians and left bodies to rot in the street. The people of Haiti are...

The Secret to the Success of the Costa Rican Health System

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:53:45 -0600

Costa Rica stands out among the countries of the world as a model to follow, due to health indicators, life expectancy of the population, low infant mortality rates, among others, and they attribute it to the successful Primary Care (PHC).

For an assertive explanation, it is important to recognize the context and evolution of the Costa Rican Health System. Costa Rica is a social state of law, with a long democratic history, a solid Public Health and the Social Security system (CCSS).

A country recognized as a protector of human rights; Health being a preponderant universal right guaranteed by the political constitution. The foregoing builds the political, legal and institutional framework propitious for the development of PHC in all its breadth.

Senior woman sitting on the gynecological chair during a medical consultation with gynecologist. Concept of womens health during a menopause

The Pandemic, putting the system to test

The pandemic highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the system to comprehensively address the side effects of the COVID pandemic. Unlike other countries, Costa Rica has a historical memory of successful experiences in the field of health and crisis situations. The timely response articulated between the different instances of the health system, political, economic and social, with the direction and leadership of the high political authorities; This being a fundamental factor in making quick, timely and effective decisions.

The multidisciplinary and intersectoral teams, including the population and civil society, gained great relevance at the national level and transcends to regional and local levels where municipalities as local government, assume their role in which community members and civil society. This type of organization is considered in a model based on PHC.

A health model was built in the country that revolutionized traditional health systems because it transcended an establishment or a health professional, or the attention or absence of disease, to a much broader concept, with many dimensions that some describe as the “Social Construction of Health”.

Reaching the entire population

The country has historically had a universal, robust health system with coverage of approximately 95% of the population. This has contributed to life expectancy in the country reaching 79.6 years and ranking among the highest in the world, as indicated by the World Health Organization.

The country has about thirty hospitals and clinics at the regional level and more than a thousand basic comprehensive care teams at the community level with all the necessary equipment and supplies.

This solid and consolidated health system as a benchmark in Costa Rican society has allowed it to have all the tools and preparation and organization measures to care for the population, prioritizing the preservation of life and the protection of health over any other issue, including politics.

It should be noted that the country has a National System for Risk Management and an entire operational and technical structure that is deployed from the declaration of alerts or a state of emergency in the event of an adverse event.

Costa Rica also has care and preparation plans for possible pandemics, based on previous experiences with bird flu, AH1N1 influenza, SARS, and Covid-19, in which the minister himself participates as coordinator and part of the technical teams, of the Health Surveillance Directorate together with the president of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, become references and authorities for the entire population, on the measures to follow to avoid contagion and stop the spread.

All of the above shows us how the health system in Costa Rica is a model to be followed worldwide… congratulations!

Learn how to describe the purpose of the image(opens in a new tab).

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Instagram Calls for More Equal Rights to Show Women and Transsexuals’ Nipples

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:07:29 -0600

Meta, the parent company of the Facebook and Instagram networks, was once again called upon to review its rules on nudity; in particular, the one that prohibits women from showing their breasts so that undermines the ability to express themselves as well as transgender or non-binary people, according to the American group’s watchdog council. “We are asking Meta to investigate this. We say there should be more equality. It is interesting to note that the only nipples that are not sexualized are those of men or those that have undergone surgery”, said Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former prime minister of Denmark and a member of Meta’s supervisory board, during a conference in line on Instagram last Thursday.

READ MORE

Meta, TikTok, And Snapchat are Sued for Affecting the Mental Health of Young People

The social media giant’s “supreme court” recently ruled that Meta should not have removed photos posted by a couple that showed their breasts, with their nipples covered, with a caption mentioning transgender health and explaining that a of the two people would soon undergo surgery for a sex reassignment (removal of the breasts). The couple was raising funds to get the intervention financed. “The removal of these images is not consistent with Meta’s values or its human rights responsibilities”, the oversight board said last Tuesday. “The company’s adult nudity policy more strongly restricts the expression of women, transgender people, and non-binary people on its platforms”, the board added.

The supervisory board is made up of 20 international members, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and former political leaders. This was created in 2020 at the proposal of boss Mark Zuckerberg and is in charge of evaluating the content moderation policy of the Californian group.

Meta’s guidelines prohibit images containing female nipples, except in certain health contexts, such as lactation or gender reassignment surgeries. “This regulation is based on a binary vision of genders”, says the council.

Learn how to describe the purpose of the image(opens in a new tab).

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“Voces de E!”: Documentary Analyzes the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:22:16 -0600

A new documentary from E! Entertainment exposes the dangers and risks of the current well-being of mental health, before prototypes that society imposes on the digital ecosystem. “Voices of E!” analyzes the increase in the pressure of beauty canons and stereotypes generated by social media, which affects the mental health of women. For the documentary, women leaders of social media underwent a social experiment to show the dangers.

They were Luisa Fernanda W, blogger, YouTuber and urban singer from Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia; Circle Tatis, an Afro-descendant woman and activist from Cartagena who promotes self-esteem; and Nikki Figueroa, who is Salvadoran, creator of popular digital content on TikTok and Instagram, and a lover of exercise and healthy living.

The participants posted photographs and submitted to the comments and criticisms of their followers, which were analyzed by psychologist Fabiola Cuevas, an anxiety expert, and other guests from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Starting January 26th, 2023, “Voces de E!” will be available on the EonlineLatino YouTube channel.

The Wall Street Journal published a Facebook study on how social media affects women’s self-perception. The company had been studying Instagram for the last 3 years, and how it affects young users and especially women and adolescents.

According to the researchers, “32% of teens said that when they felt bad about their bodies; Instagram made them feel worse”. Facebook, likewise, found that 14% of men said that Instagram made them feel worse about themselves.

In order to counter the negative effects of both media, the company had banned cosmetic surgery filters that showed unreal images of people. Also, it adopted the ability to hide the number of likes on posts.

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If Eating Healthy Reduces Mortality, Why Don’t TheyMake Us Do It?

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 14:48:44 -0600

The magazine of the American Heart Association published an article a few days ago in which it estimated the benefits of complying with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in salt consumption. In Australia alone, where the study was conducted, reducing sodium intake with salt by 30% by 2025 would prevent 1,700 premature deaths each year and 7,000 diagnoses of heart disease, kidney disease, and stomach cancer. Another 2021 analysis, published in the journal Circulation, estimated that meeting the goals of the US Salt and Sugar Reduction Initiative, which calls for a 20% drop in packaged foods and a 40% drop in beverages sweetened, would mean a reduction of 490,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 750,000 cases of diabetes over several decades.

The benefits of reducing sugar, salt, fat and ultra-processed foods in general would be clear and many social transformations show what can be achieved with determined public policies. The improvement of roads and vehicles, together with awareness campaigns and the promotion of the use of safety measures such as seat belts, made it possible to reduce road mortality in Spain by 80% in 30 years. If the harms of a poor diet are just as clear, would it be possible to achieve the goals predicted by the studies by forcing people to eat well?

Manuel Franco, epidemiologist at the University of Alcalá and professor at Johns Hopkins University (USA), points out that these types of changes in the reduction of salt or sugar have to be population-based. “It must occur in the environment, so that I do not have to make the decision to choose between a food with a lot of salt and one with little every time I go to eat, because that will not work. People, and especially those with fewer resources, have little time to cook and choose healthy food, so there needs to be policies that make the decision already taken”, he explains.

The success of these population measurements was studied by Franco together with several collaborators in a drastic historical experience. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US tightened the embargo against Cuba and that combination of misfortunes caused an intense economic crisis on the island known as the Special Period. Cubans went from consuming 3,000 calories a day to around 2,200 and the scarcity of fuel forced them to walk everywhere or use their bicycles. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, Franco showed that the radical change in lifestyle, which the islanders remember as a miserable period, produced benefits for their health. The combination of diet and exercise led to a widespread loss of ten pounds per person across the country that improved many important indicators of health. Analysis of the health of Cubans between 1980 and 2010 showed that this weight loss would cut deaths from diabetes by half, those caused by coronary disease by a third, and would reduce the number of strokes.

Despite the positive results of that involuntary experiment, it is unlikely that any society would support a government that would subject it to a special period, no matter how much it promised improvements to health, nor that any government would dare to raise such a project. In addition, according to nutritionist Juan Revenga, “there is a very powerful industry around these products that harm our health, on which many jobs depend, and that exists because the products are bought and they are bought because we like them”.

In recent years, driven by a social and political awareness of the impact of diet on health, some measures have been taken that have reduced the consumption of elements such as salt or sugar that, along with fat, make them so attractive processed foods. The Spanish Association of Refreshing Drinks (ANFABRA) has promised a cumulative reduction of 53% in the sugar content of its products between 2020 and 2025. Last year the Government placed a limit on the amount of salt in bread, which is estimated to , will reduce the average consumption of this ingredient by Spaniards by 20%, which is slightly more than nine grams per day. Even with the reduction, the amount would remain above the two to five grams per day recommended by the WHO.

Regarding sugar, in 2021, the Government increased the VAT on sugary and sweetened beverages from 10% to 21%. An analysis of the effects of the measure by ESADE’s Center for Economic Policies showed that, although it did not have an impact on medium- and high-income households, it meant a reduction in the consumption of 11 liters of sugary drinks per household, by 13%, between the third of households with the lowest economic level, and 10.5% less in the consumption of snacks. The value of taxes to change behavior has also shown its usefulness with tobacco, with examples such as Colombia, where after tripling the rate for each pack there was a 34% drop in consumption.

Beatriz Blasco Marzal, general director of Anfabra, considers that self-regulation “has shown that progress can be made” without staying at “partial measures”, as he qualifies taxes on soft drinks. Blasco assures that in his sector, which accounts for 2.1% of the caloric intake of Spaniards, they are “committed to reducing the consumption of sugar in the population”, and recalls that drinks with little or no sugar are already 60% of your business. In addition, she mentions other measures taken by the industry on its own initiative that, at least in part, recognize that their products are not completely healthy. “We have the commitment not to direct advertising of our products to children under 13 years old, not to sell any type of soft drink in primary education centers and only low-calorie or no-calorie drinks in secondary schools”, she says.

Ramón Ortega, professor of Bioethics, Anthropology of Health and Human Communication, has explored other techniques to condition the behavior of groups of people regarding food without restricting their freedom, classified as libertarian paternalism. “Paternalism is very present in our lives. One case is the seat belt, which they force us to use for our own good, but without leaving us the freedom to choose, or the prohibition of certain substances such as heroin”, explains Ortega. Libertarian paternalism would fall somewhere in the middle, which would consist of exploiting the cognitive biases of the population in order to increase the probability that people make a decision that is considered beneficial to them without directly forcing them.

“An example is what was done in the Google dining rooms. There, to reduce the consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks available in their vending machines, they placed them in a less visible place than the water”, says Ortega. “With this measure, they managed to increase water consumption by 47%”, he adds. Other examples of these pushes for our good, described by Ortega in a recent article in The Conversation, are offering meat and fish with salad by default in school canteens, but also giving the possibility of ordering chips, or, as he did in Argentina, remove the salt shakers from restaurant tables and let the customer ask for it if they want.

The Nebrija University researcher acknowledges that these pushes “are done from a certain manipulation, without seeking rational acceptance of a measure”. However, he sees it as an alternative to more restrictive public health measures when the health of the community is seen as a higher goal than the autonomy of the individual. In addition, remember that the food industry also uses these cognitive biases to guide our behavior, “such as when basic foods such as meat or fish are placed at the back of the supermarket to make us pass before other products such as sweets or chips”.

When the possibility of removing temptations in the form of unhealthy foods from citizens is raised, appeal is frequently made to the freedom of choice of consumers and companies to offer their products. However, freedom is already conditioned. The large amounts of sugar, salt, and fat in processed foods, often in combinations not found in nature, produce powerful effects on our brains that make a meal without much salt taste like nothing afterward or water we find it bland compared to sugar-flavored drinks. Some researchers like Ashley Gearhardt, from the University of Michigan (USA) and addictive of some foods.

Gearhardt suggests that certain products, such as pizza, French fries or hamburgers, share some characteristics with addictive substances that make it difficult to control their intake, even though we know that they are not good for us. Among other things, the food industry has modified foods found in nature so that they absorb more quickly and generate a more intense sensation of pleasure, similar to what happens with the coca leaf when it is processed to produce cocaine. Hebebrand, who disagrees on the term food addiction, believes that excessive consumption of certain products is due to their omnipresence in places like supermarkets and the wide variety, which maintains consumer interest in these unhealthy products.

Manuel Franco believes that once again enjoying foods with less salt and sugar and less processed will be a long road: “We are not all going to become flexitarians overnight, nor are we going to suddenly enjoy bread without salt or we are going to be able to dedicate 3 hours a day to shopping and cooking, because that would require a brutal change in the economy and society”. In addition, the industry, which in some cases has manipulated science as it did that of tobacco to cover up its harmful effects, “is not only very powerful but also feeds us”, continues Franco. “We can live without tobacco, but not without the food industry, so we have to live together while we promote changes”, he acknowledges. Revenga, who even questions the value of measures such as reducing salt in processed foods, “because they can give the feeling that it is safe to consume a product that is still unhealthy”, believes that one of the important steps to change at a social level is “That they begin to teach in school what our mothers knew so well: to buy and to cook, which no one knows anymore”.

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Best Types of Diets to Lose Weight, according to Science

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 14:01:06 -0600

Losing weight is one of the purposes that is repeated the most with the entry of each new year. It is also the least fulfilled. The lack of physical activity and the inadequate diet do not allow us to fulfill that purpose year after year. In many cases we start January with great motivation, but it fades in subsequent months. What is the most effective diet that we should follow to lose weight?

2022 is over, so we too are going to start at the end: the most effective fat loss diet is the one that allows you to create a sustainable energy deficit. In broad strokes, it does not matter if that is achieved with a ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, calorie restriction, or any type of diet.

5 basic keys that every diet to lose weight must comply with

A new 3-month study with more than 350 participants has once again shown this. Researchers compared 5 diet approaches with strong scientific evidence to see which one was best for losing fat.

What was his conclusion? We have already exposed it, and as they say in my town: the chickens that enter, through which they leave. However, there are many nuances that come into play when it comes to losing weight, the most important being physical and mental health.

Every first of January, one of the resolutions of the New Year is repeated: losing weight. In fact, obesity is one of the main current global health problems. The number of overweight and obese people has tripled in recent decades.

Knowing that a sedentary lifestyle and diet are 2 of the main factors that cause obesity, much has been studied about them. However, if the number of obese and overweight people is increasing, something is wrong.

Changing eating habits is a mandatory step to lose weight, but there are many ways to do it, some few correct, and many others that we should avoid. The Mediterranean diet and intermittent fasting are 2 strategies to lose weight and improve health that have a great scientific background that supports them.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is a beneficial nutritional model for health due to its reduction both in weight and in obesity-related comorbidities. As we have already said at the beginning of the article, any diet needs to create an energy deficit to lose weight, so no matter how good the diet is, if that does not happen, we will not lose weight.

This Mediterranean diet carried out properly has been successful in losing weight in obese people. The main factors for this are 2: adherence to treatment by including healthy and appetizing foods; satiety by feeding ourselves with natural products that fill us up and ward off hunger.

Our body “has a thermostat” that is regulated by food intake. We are capable of eating a chocolate palm tree with more than 1,000 calories in less than 3 minutes, but a Mediterranean dish of vegetables and fish will take us much longer and much less calories.

Scheduled breaks in the diet

Another of the strategies that has been very well received is the interruption of the diet after several weeks. Up until now she used to introduce herself to a cheat meal every few days, or once a week. A cheat day has also been used in which we ate freely, without stuffing ourselves with ultra-processed foods, of course.

What if we rest from the diet for a full week? It is also effective if we look at the long term. Weight loss should be considered a very long-term endurance test, and these types of tests do not sit well with you if you are running at full speed.

On many occasions we start the year and make a very abrupt restriction in the diet. That can be sustainable for a few weeks, but then we start to fail and give up. To avoid those thoughts of defeat, diet rest weeks can be established in which we will “relax” a little more.

Diet break does not mean having croissants for breakfast, pizza and hamburger for dinner. This break, which can be a full week, will help us eat more, but within a healthy approach such as the Mediterranean diet.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is another of the strategies that has been published the most in the last decade. Establishing a fasting window in which we do not eat calories is beneficial for human health and weight loss.

There are different ways to carry them out, being the fasting time the main factor that differs between them. The most used by the general population are fasts within the same day, that is, we fast for a number of hours that usually ranges from 14 hours to 20 hours, and we eat the rest of the time until completing the 24 hours that a day has.

Full-day fasts in which we do not eat food are also used, followed by other days eating ad libitum (at will). It can be done for 1 day a week, 2 days a week (known as 5:2), or the more aggressive one that would be alternating a day of fasting with one of eating at will (known as alternate day fasting). What there should always be, as we already know, is a sustained energy restriction throughout the week and months. If that exists, weight loss will occur.

Mediterranean diet versus intermittent fasting to lose weight

Recent research has compared the effects of the Mediterranean diet with continuous energy restriction and three different types of intermittent fasting on weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet with constant daily energy restriction

A more aggressive Mediterranean diet group for one week with one week diet breaks:

An 18-hour intermittent fasting diet, known as the 18/6 fast

A 16-hour intermittent fasting diet, known as the 8/16 fast

A 5:2 day fasting type diet is that with 2 very low calorie days and 5 maintenance days.

Which of them got the best results?

The conclusion is clear: the effects of 5 different types of diet examined in our study on anthropometric measurements are similar to each other. What is clear is that the Mediterranean diet is the one that offers the best foods.

Lose weight in a healthy way: This is how losing weight very quickly impacts your body

Intermittent fasting usually focuses on a feeding window and a fasting window, but in those hours when we can eat it is more lax than the Mediterranean diet. This strategy can work very well on dates like Christmas, when we know that we are going to have copious dinners, so we can restrict food for the rest of the day.

The calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet was the best stop. Weight loss is more controlled, includes quality foods and adds protein throughout the day, aspects that intermittent fasting may not achieve.

Therefore, if you are looking to lose weight, a Mediterranean diet with most foods coming from vegetables, fruits, plants, nuts and whole grains is interesting. Dairy products, eggs, meat and fish are eaten in moderate amounts. Finally, red meat is occasionally eaten. The most important thing about any diet is that it creates adherence, fits into your lifestyle, and makes you eat fewer calories than you expend. If this occurs, weight loss will appear gradually, without abrupt weight gains or drops.

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Kiska: The Loneliest Orca in the World

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 12:45:13 -0600

Did you know that Kiska is the only orca living in captivity in Canada? For 11 years in a row, she has lived alone in the MarineLand amusement park in Ontario, in the south of Canada, without any contact with other marine animals. In the video that accompanies this news it is possible to see the lonely life of Kiska. The aerial images made with a drone were disseminated on the social media of Phil Dremers, former head of trainers at the aquarium where the orca lives. The defender of the release of aquatic animals in captivity has limited himself to saying in the publication: “A new video was taken on January 14th, 2023, about MarineLand and its last surviving orca, Kiska. Her conditions continue to deteriorate, while she floats in solitude”, says the activist on his Twitter account.

The harsh consequences of the years locked in a pool became known in 2021, after broadcasting some videos made by tourists who recorded the orca’s head butting against the aquarium in which she lives. In the last 40 years, the orca caught in the Icelandic sea has had more than 20 mates and mates of its kind. All died or were transferred due to lack of adaptation to the environment. Kiska was a mother 5 times, but all of her pups died shortly after giving birth or at relatively early ages.

At Resonance, we aspire to live in harmony with the natural world as a reflection of our gratitude for life. We are co-creating an inspired and integrative community, committed to working, living and learning together. We resonate with that deep longing to belong to the hive and the desire to live the highest version of ourselves in service.

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Project in Costa Rica Seeks to Provide Legal Certainty to Those Who Decide Teleworking from Abroad

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 16:55:13 -0600

Telecommuting is an option that many employers adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially to prevent the spread of the virus.The modality has been maintained in many companies totally, or, under the hybrid option, a few days at home and others in offices.

However, current legislation in Costa Rica does not provide clarity on the scope of teleworking, according to the Social Christian faction, which presented bill 23,529, “Law to explicitly detail teleworking abroad avoiding subjective interpretations.”

Greater legal certainty

“We intend to detail the application of teleworking in the international arena, so that both workers and officials can have greater legal certainty at the moment in which they both request to carry out teleworking outside the country, or the employer for the functions of the position asks the employee to carry them out abroad” explained the deputy Alejandro Pacheco.

What is proposed by the Social Christians could be applied whenever there is an agreement in advance by the employer and the employee. In the case of workers who wish to apply this law, they must themselves provide the corresponding technological instruments, equipment and programs.

Additional securities

Also, teleworkers would have to recieve work risk insurance and others that are required to carry out their duties abroad. In the event that the company or public institution is the one that makes the decision to send its collaborator to work abroad, it must assume all the obligations.

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Costa Rica Was Host Country of Cancer International Summit

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 11:25:00 -0600

Costa Rica was the host country of the International Cancer Summit, an event that recently brought together prestigious specialists in oncology from The University of Chicago School of Medicine and the national medical community.

The activity, which worked hand in hand with the Costa Rican Chamber of Health, had the objective of facilitating a scientific debate in search of fostering collaboration and disseminating knowledge about advances and best practices in different disciplines of oncology to ultimately improve the lives of patients. “For The University of Chicago, School of Medicine, it is an honor to hold this International Cancer Summit in Costa Rica, and we are grateful to work with the Costa Rican Chamber of Health for the Summit. Costa Rica is a country that has a great health system, highly trained doctors, impressive professional talent, and universities that train great professionals”, said Dr. Joseph Barcie, from the International Department of The University of Chicago, Medicine.

Within the thematic agenda of the Summit, disciplines such as:

• Neurological Oncology Surgery

• Abdominal Surgical Oncology

• Advances in Robotic Surgery

• Colon and Rectal Surgery

“This space, which was designed for medical specialists and academic leaders, is a starting point with which we seek to promote the practices of The University of Chicago, Medicine and successful bilateral knowledge exchange, be shared among doctors”, added Dr. Barcie. “Today we know that all pathologies must be treated individually, studying each case, with a multifactorial approach, because from there assertiveness is worked on, resources and knowledge are used and this is something that doctors in Costa Rica is very clear about it and that is why we want to continue sharing knowledge between doctors from both countries”, he explained.

“My hope is that these doctors who participated form friendships, and can form alliances and know that doctors in Costa Rica can count on the support of professionals from the University of Chicago, Medicine”, concluded Dr. Barcie. This event was aimed at the medical community from the public sector, private sector, academic oncology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, and general surgery.

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Envisión Festival: 12 Years Connecting Cultures

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 09:30:00 -0600

More than a decade has passed, in which the Envisión Festival has been taking place in Costa Rica, mainly in Uvita de Osa, and the impact it has generated in the society that lives the experience is incredible.

There will be 8 days of international music, yoga and movement classes, surfing, workshops, sunset celebrations on the beach, sacred spaces and ceremonies, world arts and crafts market, wellness and skin spa, plus incredible local food, the citizens connect, vibrate in favor of art, bio-construction, and very importantly, through spirituality. Do you want to know the exact days of the event? From February 27th to March 6th, 2023, the good vibes will take over

From southern Costa Rica

Envisión is a celebration that is characterized by awakening human potential, where different cultures interact with each other, are inspired and project towards a better planet, sustainable of course, that is why the interest in its surroundings where it takes place, pure nature. All the people who wish can be present at the Envisión Festival, yes, bring your best disposition to enjoy and learn from each of the activities.

2023 will be the key year to live the Envisión Festival intensely

The Envisión festival is considered the most ecological in the world and the most important in Central America, where people can witness recreations in the jungle of Uvita, appreciating the environment that surrounds them, living opportunities to enjoy more of Costa Rica, with off-site excursions like surf lessons and horseback riding.

Do you wonder how to get to the Festival?

If you are a tourist and want to attend the event, then flying into San José International Airport and from there are shuttle buses that go directly to the festival site. You can also rent a car at the airport, follow the signs to Jaco and then head south along the coast to Uvita, the place is located exactly 2 km north of the town.

More than 50 national and international artists

More than 50 national and international artists will be offering the best of their talent to festival attendees. Among the international musicians are Bonoho, Clozee, Dessert Dwellers, Opiuo, The California Honeydrops, Rodrigo Gallardo, Tokimonsta, Rising Appalachia, among others. And national talent will also be present with Magpie Jay, Ojo de Buey, Sonámbulo, Santos & Zurdo, Bunny Wabbit, Funka, Fernando Melo, María Wabe, Ces Castro, Guadalupe Urbina and many more.

85% of the foreign people who attend Envisión generate a great economic impact in the Uvita community.

It is worth noting that Envision employees committed to planting more than 80,000 trees. More than 30 tons of garbage has been collected from the beaches. And during the pandemic, they offered the Ciudad Cortes hospital a $18,000 medical team, in addition to multiple benefits that have been donated to Uvita.

**From The Costa Rica News, we are proud to announce the return of Envisión Festival**

After a terrible pandemic, we are sure that this 2023 edition will not be the exception to change the thinking of many, it will awaken human potential and the desire for a sustainable community and Pura Vida!

Remember that the Envision Festival is an awakening of the soul, a focus emphasized on the pillars of movement, spirituality, music, art, health, sustainability and education, it is much more than just a music festival…

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Scientists Say They Edited the Genes of Mice to ‘Double’ Their Lifespan

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 06:22:00 -0600

Researchers from the American company Rejuvenate Bio have just pre-published a study in which they claim to have extended the life expectancy of elderly mice and reversed age-related changes thanks to gene therapy that consists of introducing 3 genes of the known as Yamanaka or OSK factors, particularly active in embryonic cells. The results, which have not yet been reviewed by other experts (certified by a peer review) could demonstrate that this type of therapeutic interventions will benefit the increasingly aging population around the world.

Against aging

Aging is a complex process best characterized as the chronic dysregulation of cellular processes leading to impaired function of tissues and organs. While aging cannot currently be prevented, its impact on lifespan and health in the elderly can potentially be minimized through interventions that aim to return these cellular processes to optimal functioning.

It was administered systemically in 124-week-old mice (the equivalent of 77 human years), managing to double life expectancy, by increasing 7% in absolute value. In addition, they observed a significant improvement in fragility scores, indicating that lifespan could be improved and increased. Furthermore, in human keratinocytes expressing exogenous OSK, they observed significant epigenetic markers of age reversal, suggesting potential re-regulation of gene networks to a younger and potentially healthier state.

Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to adverse health outcomes that clinicians can capture using a frailty index (FI), where people are scored based on a subset of age-related health deficits. High composite scores reflect a frail state and increased susceptibility to poor health outcomes.

A similar index in mice can be used to assess aging and the effects of aging interventions. The researchers observed a significant reduction in IF from 7.5 points for the doxycycline-treated control mice to 6 points for the TRE-OSK mice, suggesting that increased lifespan was correlated with better overall health of those mice.

A discovery that will not have immediate effect

Taken together, the mouse and keratinocyte data suggest that AAV-mediated gene therapy delivered by OSK increases lifespan in mice with improved health parameters and reverses biomarkers of aging in human cells. “The result is very striking and seems to endorse the rejuvenating potential of this strategy. Despite this, the real application of this discovery is very distant and should only be taken as one more step in research in this line”, Manuel Collado, director of the Laboratory of Cellular Senescence, Cancer and Aging at the Institute of Sanitary Research of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS).

In his opinion, “it must also be taken into account that the work was carried out by a biotechnology company with obvious financial interests in this area of research and we know that this frequently conditions the validity of the results. In this case, moreover, given the enormous competition that has thrown several companies into the race that pursue this same promise of rejuvenation. It seems that the speed of trying to show themselves as the first to achieve it has not allowed for sufficiently thorough experimentation and analysis”.

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If Eating Healthy Reduces Mortality, Why Don’t TheyMake Us Do It?

Best Types of Diets to Lose Weight, according to Science

5 basic keys that every diet to lose weight must comply with

Mediterranean diet

Scheduled breaks in the diet

Intermittent fasting

Mediterranean diet versus intermittent fasting to lose weight

The Mediterranean diet with constant daily energy restriction

Which of them got the best results?

Lose weight in a healthy way: This is how losing weight very quickly impacts your body

Kiska: The Loneliest Orca in the World

Project in Costa Rica Seeks to Provide Legal Certainty to Those Who Decide Teleworking from Abroad

Greater legal certainty

Additional securities

Costa Rica Was Host Country of Cancer International Summit

Within the thematic agenda of the Summit, disciplines such as:

Envisión Festival: 12 Years Connecting Cultures

From southern Costa Rica

2023 will be the key year to live the Envisión Festival intensely

Do you wonder how to get to the Festival?

More than 50 national and international artists

85% of the foreign people who attend Envisión generate a great economic impact in the Uvita community.

From The Costa Rica News, we are proud to announce the return of Envisión Festival

Scientists Say They Edited the Genes of Mice to ‘Double’ Their Lifespan

Against aging

A discovery that will not have immediate effect

**From The Costa Rica News, we are proud to announce the return of Envisión Festival**