BREAKING NEWS: Latin America (Central America & Caribbean)

Don’t set out to please anyone, departing Christie urges IC staff

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:11:34 -0600

With just over a month remaining before his contract expires, Greg Christie, the executive director of the Integrity Commission (IC), has urged his colleagues to remain steadfast and impartial in their ongoing fight against corruption in Jamaica....

Holness signals reboot for Ja’s global services sector

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:11:05 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has called for a bold transformation and renewed ambition in Jamaica’s business process outsourcing (BPO) and global services sectors, saying it is crucial in preparing for the future. Holness, who...

Accountability bodies yearn for police body cams

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:10:56 -0600

Otarah Byfield-Nugent, CEO of the Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA), has underscored the need for proper infrastructure before law- enforcement officers can effectively utilise body-worn cameras. “It makes no sense to have them wearing...

Verbal clash at StJMC over mayor’s decision to remove political signs

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:10:39 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: Tempers flared at Thursday’s St James Municipal Corporation meeting after Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon shot down attempts by People’s National Party (PNP) councillors to challenge his authority to remove political banners and...

Custos warns against rejoicing when gunmen are killed

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:09:05 -0600

Western Bureau: While many Jamaica have been expressing delight that the security forces appear to be turning the tables on gunmen, resulting in more than 80 persons killed in alleged confrontations with lawmen since the start of the year,...

Sentencing pushed to May 7 in acid attack case

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:09:00 -0600

The sentencing for the St Catherine woman who left another woman with severe burns and blind in one eye following a brutal acid attack in which three persons were injured was, on Wednesday, pushed back to May 7 in the Home Circuit Court. Justice...

Renal distress

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:08:53 -0600

Dialysis patients at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) are voicing frustration over inadequate resources in its renal unit, which they say is affecting the quality and consistency of their care. One patient, who requested anonymity...

Adventists donate 70 beds to health ministry

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 03:01:18 -0600

Seeking to fulfil its commitment to enhance the healthcare system in Jamaica, AdventHealth and Andrews Memorial Hospital are to formally hand over 70 fully functioning patient beds at an estimated cost of J$27.7 million to the Ministry of Health...

Western Westmoreland MP facing run-off to decide who will represent JLP

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:10:43 -0600

A run-off is set for Sunday between Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson and Councillor Garfield James to determine who is to represent the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the next general election. The challenge...

Mom facing sleepless nights after 13-y-o daughter goes missing

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:10:34 -0600

When Heidi-Ann Williams and her teen daughter struck up a conversation while they made dinner at the family’s Clarendon home last Sunday, there was no sign of the looming heartache. Zaynah Shaw, 13, a grade-eight student at Glenmuir High School,...

New IC chair on a mission to achieve corruption-free Jamaica

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:10:14 -0600

Newly appointed Chairman of the Integrity Commission (IC), retired Justice Carol Lawrence-Beswick, has signalled that as head of the anti-corruption body she will dedicate herself to advancing the mission of a corruption-free Jamaica. Responding to...

Police investigator shows court photos of blood spatter inside Deane’s cell

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:09:40 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: Forensic investigator Detective Constable Rickardo Evans yesterday concluded his evidence-in-chief in the Mario Deane trial, which is ongoing in the Westmoreland Circuit Court, by showing the court photographs he took of the cell...

Power trip

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:09:16 -0600

In a strong rebuke of police misconduct, a Supreme Court judge has ordered the Government to pay $3.7 million to a man who was falsely imprisoned after a cop accused him of disrespect in Manchester in 2012. Justice Judith Pusey ruled that Special...

Man loses ownership of property to ex-wife after 14-year neglect

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 23:06:59 -0600

A man who migrated overseas and ceased contributing to the joint property he shared with his ex-wife, following their separation, has officially lost his stake in a Manchester property after a legal battle. Justice Althea Jarrett, after hearing the...

Rough waters

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:11:11 -0600

Long-standing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor John Myers on Tuesday criticised the People’s National Party (PNP) caucus’ resolution calling for potable water in Kingston and St Andrew. Myers claimed that the resolution was politically...

From one student to 25

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:10:48 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: When constables Nadia McKenzie and Jerome Stephens decided to help a student from Wakefield Primary School in Trelawny, they could not have envisaged that this small effort would blossom into a vibrant homework club. “We just saw...

PROPPED UP FOR POLLS

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:10:30 -0600

With financing from a key international funding agency recently coming to a halt, Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) says it is banking on corporate Jamaica to support its plans to monitor the general election due this year....

Trustee: $78m available for payout in SSL fraud claims

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:09:30 -0600

Trustee Caydion Campbell has warned victims of the alleged multibillion-dollar fraud at Stocks...

Investigator found cell wet, blood-like substance in drain pipe, court told

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:09:25 -0600

WESTERN BUREAU: The crime scene investigator who examined the Barnett Street Police Station cell where Mario Deane was beaten in August 2014 told the Westmoreland Circuit Court on Tuesday that he saw water on the floor and a blood-like substance in...

Glimmer of hope for Sunbeam

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 23:07:04 -0600

The Court of Appeal has overturned an order from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) for the removal of male wards from Sunbeam Children’s Home, following allegations of physical abuse at the facility. In March 2024, the CPFSA,...

Élections le 15 novembre 2025, référendum en mai

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:15:56 -0600

Le président du Conseil Présidentiel de Transition (CPT), Leslie Voltaire, a confirmé lors d’une interview à TV5 Monde que les élections générales en Haïti se...

Une famille entière brûlée vive à l’intérieur d’une maison

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:46:10 -0600

Dans la commune de Kenscoff, la désolation est à son comble. Depuis plusieurs jours, des résidents de plusieurs localités comptent des morts, sous le regard...

États-Unis : le gouvernement américain décide d’annuler les TPS pour plus de 600 000 bénéficiaires

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:44:09 -0600

Ce lundi 27 janvier 2025, des bandits armés ont envahi la commune de Kensco

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:17:11 -0600

Ce lundi 27 janvier 2025, des bandits armés ont envahi la commune de Kenscof, semant la panique parmi les habitants. Les autorités locales appellent les...

Des bandits armés sèment la terreur à Kencoff

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:33:07 -0600

Des bandits armés ont attaqué la commune de Kenscoff très tôt, lundi 27 janvier 2025. Des maisons en feu, de nombreuses rafales d’armes automatiques retentissent...

Haiti’s presidential council president heads to Italy, France _ Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:50:31 -0600

Leslie Voltaire, the current president of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, boarded a plane for Italy on Friday, where he told VOA he would be meeting...

Trump administration memo tells USAID to put ‘America First’ in reviewing foreign aid

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 18:54:09 -0600

The Trump administration urged US Agency for International Development (USAID) workers to join the effort to transform how Washington allocates aid around the world in...

OFFICIAL STATEMENTBY JACK GUY LAFONTANTFormer Prime Minister of Haiti*

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 16:32:44 -0600

Subject: Advocacy for the adoption of English as an official language of Haiti Port-au-Prince, January 26, 2025 Haiti has always been a symbol of resilience...

Un présumé bandit lynché par des membres de la population

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:50:05 -0600

À l’ Artibonite, la justice populaire se poursuit. En effet, le nommé “ Sepasa” présumé membre du gang gran-grif a été lynché jeudi 23 janvier,...

US freezes almost all aid except for Israel, Egypt arms: memo

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 01:00:25 -0600

The United States, the world’s biggest donor, froze virtually all foreign aid on Friday, making exceptions only for emergency food, and military funding for Israel...

Caribbean Digital Transformation Project provides training to boost national cyber security

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:20:55 -0600

The Caribbean Digital Transformation Project’s Project Implementation Unit, operating under the Ministry of Public Works, Public Utilities, and Digital Economy, organized the CSIRTAMERICA Week in Dominica from September 24 to 27, 2024. According to a statement by the government, this...

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FACTUALLY SPEAKING (E5): Crime and Punishment with Dr Francis Severin

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:39:04 -0600

FACTUALLY SPEAKING (E5): Crime and Punishment with Dr Francis Severin

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UWP, PM Skerrit clash over CBI lawsuit

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:28:10 -0600

The United Workers Party (UWP) and prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit have clashed over a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program lawsuit which has been filed by the opposition party. Skerrit is accusing the UWP of attempting to stop the program, which...

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Independence Art Exhibition wraps up first showing at Government Headquarters, moving to Old Mill Center (with gallery)

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:45:11 -0600

A two-day Independence Art Exhibition, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports, and Community Development and the Cultural Division, recently showcased a collection of local art pieces at the Government Headquarters. The exhibition was open to the...

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Dominica ranks second in CBI Index 2024

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:00:44 -0600

Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program has secured the second spot in the eighth edition of the 2024 CBI Index. The CBI Index is a rating system developed to assess the performance and attractiveness of CBI programs across 12 jurisdictions...

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PM pledges fulfillment of all promises to Thea LaFond, asks public to be positive

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:29:54 -0600

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit issued a warning to the Dominican public at a press conference earlier this week, to not taint the recent success of the nation’s first Olympic gold medalist Thea Lafond-Gadson with negative conjectures about the government. “It...

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PM expresses confidence that visa-free travel to UK will eventually be reinstated

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 07:52:57 -0600

At a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he is confident that the Visa Waiver agreement to grant Dominicans access to the United Kingdom (UK) will eventually be reinstated. In July 2023, the British Home Office stated...

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BUSINESS BYTE: Convenience Just Got Closer – NBD Launches New ATM at its Canefield Branch!

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 07:05:51 -0600

The National Bank of Dominica Ltd. (NBD) is thrilled to announce the installation of one of its newest Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at its Canefield Branch on Tuesday, October 01, 2024. This highly anticipated installation marks a significant milestone in...

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Police week kicked off with appeal to officers to deepen community engagement

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:20:29 -0600

Minister for Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience and Social Security Dr Irving McIntyre while representing the prime minister at the official opening ceremony of ‘Police Week’ 2024, encouraged police officers to continue to serve and protect with fairness, integrity, and...

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ANNOUNCEMENT: DOWASCO continued service interruption in Giraudel, Eggleston, Beau Bois, Reigate and Upper Castle Comfort

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 16:40:29 -0600

DOWASCO apologizes to customers in GIRAUDEL, EGGLESTON, BEAU BOIS, REIGATE and UPPER CASTLE COMFORT as the interruption of their water supply will continue into tomorrow Wednesday, October 2, until 5:00pm. This interruption is necessary to continue maintenance work at the...

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

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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

OFFICIAL STATEMENTBY JACK GUY LAFONTANTFormer Prime Minister of Haiti*

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