7km Winner 14km Winner
Rowena Marsh 35 mins & 38 secs Luke Horder 62 mins 33 secs
Next fun run is 8th July 2012 Centiennial Park Cafe 8am start.
Choose either 11.5km or 23km ( 3 laps or 6 laps of the park)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
HORDER FITNESS FUN RUN'S
In the lead up to the City 2 Surf, Sydney Half/Full Marathon, Centennial Park Ultra Marathon or simply to improve your running fitness. Horder Fitness will be holding the following fun run events.
Sunday 17th June - 7km or
14km (2 laps or 4 laps)
Sunday 8th July - 11.5km
or 23km (3 laps or 6 laps)
Sunday 29th July - 15km or 30km (4 laps or 8 laps)
Sunday 12th August is the
City 2 Surf - 14km
Sunday 26th August - 18.5km or 37km (5 laps or 10 laps)
Sunday 16th September is
the Sydney Half/Full Marathon - 42km
Sunday 30th September is
the Centennial Park Ultra Marathon - 100km
* The meeting point for the Horder Fitness
fun runs will be at the Centennial Park cafe for a 8am start. The course will
be the inside loop (3.54km), there is no cost, as this is an opportunity to run
with others within a relaxed fun environment. For further information info@horderfitness.com
Thursday, April 12, 2012
An Ethical Perspective on Body Image
It is often thought that body image is a contemporary discourse that raises issues of an ethical nature in Australia today. According to Ogden (2003, p.71) “historical analyses of images of women have reported that the preferred women's body has become consistently smaller over the past century”. In Australia, eating disorders such as ‘obesity’ are predominant issues as the Australian Government has recognised obesity as an epidemic and social problem, declaring it to be a National Research Priority (Olsen et al., 2009). This is perhaps due to the increase in health related concerns relating to ‘body image’ as according to the National Survey of Young Australians conducted by Mission Australia (2007), body image is one of the main issues of concern to young Australians of both genders. In addition to this, “The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) state that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, with a death rate higher than that of major depression” (Australian Medical Association, 2009). However, it is also important to note that the media such as magazines and television and also current weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting raise a series of issues of an ethical nature around the notion of ‘body image’. The purpose of this essay is to therefore explore, from a consequentialist perspective and a non-consequentialist perspective, the way in which the media and current weight loss methods raise ethical issues around the notion of ‘body image’ and the current solutions aimed to combat this. This will be achieved through the examination of a range of phenomena such as the media in the form of magazines and television, current weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting and also various current solutions by the Australian Government and Australian Media aimed at combating the issue of body image in Australia.
The issue of ‘body image’ portrayed in the media, particularly in magazines, is often centered upon the ‘size zero phenomenon’. According to Frost (2001), it is often thought that “the media portrayal of celebrities might be linked to the body dissatisfaction shown by young women with their weight and the alleged rise in eating disorders among young women. This is perhaps due to the fact that the media portrays unrealistic images of what women should look like and this puts pressure on women to aspire to be the same regardless of what it takes (Wykes and Gunter, 2006). This suggests a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that the majority of research to date on body image has focused upon the negative consequences of the media’s portrayal of body image. For example, according to Adios Barbie (as cited in Phillips, 2007), before American television programming was introduced in early 1990's, in Fiji, fat was seen as a social necessity as it meant one was fertile and prosperous, “However within three years, the number of women with eating disorders had increased by an astonishing five times as much of the disordered eating was centred on bulimia, as vomiting was seen as the “faster” way to get rid of the extra weight”. This highlights a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that the media can greatly impact upon women in regards to body image as it can change their cultural and social norms. In addition to this, it can also be said that that a lack of body weight can result in many health problems and deficiencies, which could reflect a consequentialist perspective. For example, according to Edut (2003), it is often believed that having a certain amount of body fat is vital to function optimally in order for women to menstruate so they can be fertile or even produce milk to nourish their baby. This highlights the danger of the media’s unhealthy portrayal of ‘body image’ as it gives insight into the negative effects a lack of body weight in women can cause. Thus, it can be said that the portrayal of body image in the media is a negative one as its influence upon people, particularly women, can led to many health problems and deficiencies.
Moreover, it can also be said that weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting also raise ethical issues around the notion of ‘body image’. It is often thought that “Australians spend up to one million dollars a day on fad diets that have little effect on their weight” (State Government of Victoria, 2012, p.1). This is due to the fact that a lot of people, particularly women, diet, due to “their perception of what counts as the ideal body within their own social and cultural setting” rather than because they are actually overweight or want to be healthy (Cash, 2004, p.1). This suggests a non-consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that perhaps most people only focus on the end result, losing weight and being thin like the models in magazines, rather than other factors such as the effects of weight loss methods. According to the Virtual Medical Centre (2012) and from a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image, it can be said that “fad diets make unrealistic weight loss promises as they claim to produce very rapid weight loss with minimal effort on the part of the dieter”. This suggests that perhaps weight loss methods such as fad diets are unhealthy as they trick the individual into believing that they will lose weight fast, which may have a negative emotional and psychological impact upon the individual if they do not achieve this. In addition to this, it is also important to note that dieting, while studies have shown that it can have positive effects upon people, it can lead to weight loss, therefore this non-consequentialist theory approach can also have many negative effects. For example, excessive dieting can lead to “eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating and to other mental health issues such as depression or anxiety” (State Government of Victoria, 2012, p.1). Moreover, according to the Australian Medical Association (2009, p.1) and a consequentialist theory approach, it can be said that anorexia and bulimia can lead to a variety of specific physical health problems such as “impairment of bone mineral acquisition leading to osteoporosis, fertility problems, kidney dysfunction, cardiac irregularities and stunting of height or growth.” This suggests that eating disorders, which can be the result of excessive dieting, can be detrimental to both an individual’s psychological and mental health. It also highlights the danger of dieting if taken too far and shows how weight loss methods can have negative effects on people. Hence, it can be said that current weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting in terms of their effectiveness, raise ethical issues around the notion of ‘body image’.
Lastly, it is often thought that despite the media’s unhealthy portrayal of ‘body image’ and also the negative effects current weight loss methods can have on people, there has been recent movement towards promoting a healthy ‘body image’ and reducing the occurrence of eating disorders in Australia. This suggests a non-consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as recent focus has shifted from consequences of unhealthy body image to the intention of reducing this through various initiatives. For example, according to ActNow (2008, p.1) “in 2009, the Rudd government pledged $500,000 to The Butterfly Foundation for the institution of a National Eating Disorders Collaboration. This involved specialists, media experts, and leading organisations in mental and public health working together in order develop a national approach to combating eating disorders.” In addition to this, the Positive Body Image Awards is another initiative the Government has taken that could be considered as a non-consequentialist theory approach. It has been established in order to “help build young people’s resilience to negative body image pressures and promote leadership and positive cultural change in the fashion, media and advertising industries” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, p.1). This highlights how the Government is addressing the issue of body image in Australia and taking preventative measures to help prevent eating disorders and also promote a more positive body image. The Australian Government has also created “body image friendly schools”, which reflects a non-consequentialist theory approach, such as the introduction of the Fresh Tastes School Canteen Strategy Toolkit in NSW (NSW Department of Health & NSW Department of Education and Training, 2004) aimed at teaching children to make healthier food choices and also the ‘No Body’s Perfect’ (Unit 1 and 2) section as part of the NSW PDHPE high school curriculum Years 7-10. According to the NSW Department of Education and Training (2011), “This resource provides teachers with a series of teaching and learning activities which they can incorporate into their PDHPE program” in order to teach about acceptance in terms of body image and gender. This also highlights the Government’s efforts in addressing the issue of body image in Australia and their school based approach in order to educate both children and adolescents about body image from a young age. Moreover, it can also be said that Australian Magazines such as Dolly and Girlfriend are also at the forefront of confronting body image issues. According to McCabe (2012), magazines are now taking a non-consequentialist approach to the issue of body image as when their intentions are to “search for a model, they have to be certain ages and they’re very conscious of the thinness because the eating disorder issues are immense.” This suggests that the Australian media today is trying to combat the issue surrounding body image such as eating disorders by promoting a healthier and positive take on body image. State Governments have also been “committed to establishing a media code of conduct on body image and a forum for young people to de-mystify how digital imaging is used to enhance body shapes and sizes” (Australian Education Union, 2012, p.1). Thus, it can be said that the Australian Government and Australian Media efforts regarding body image, through trying to promote a healthy ‘body image’ and reduce the occurrence of eating disorders in Australia have been significant.
ActNow. (2010, December 22). All about eating Disorders. Retrieved from
http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/All_about_eating_disorders.aspx
Australian Education Union. (2012). Body Image. New National Body Image Campaign.
Retrieved from http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Women/BI.html
Australian Medical Association. (2012, April 2009). Body Image and Health -2002.
Revised 2009. Unhealthy Body Image. Retrieved from http://ama.com.au/node/.
4584
Cash, T.F. (2004). Body Image: Past, Present and Future. Department of Psychology,
Old Dominion University Norfolk, 1(1), 1-5. Australia. (2012). Body Image. Positive Body Image Awards. Retrieved from
http://www.youth.gov.au/bodyImage/Awards/Pages/default.aspx
Edut, O. (2003). Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image.
Emeryville, California: Seal Press.
Frost, L. (2001). Young Women And The Body: A Feminist Sociology. Hampshire, London:
Palgrave/MacMillan.
McCabe, H. (2012, March 8). Hope 103.2. News. Body Image No.1 Issue For Young
Women. Retrieved from http://www.hope1032.com.au/News-Detail.asp?
cid=5&navid=5&NewsID=2674
Mission Australia (2007). National survey of young Australians 2007: Key and emerging
issues. Retrieved from http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/document-downloads/doc_details/48-nat...
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2011). PDHPE Years 7-10. No Body Is
Perfect. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
secondary/pdhpe/pdhpe7_10
NSW Department of Health & NSW Department of Education and Training. (2004). Fresh
tastes @ school. NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy. Fresh Tastes Tool Kit.
Developing A Healthy School Canteen. Retrieved from http:
www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/schoolsweb/studentsupport/
studentwellbeing/schoolcanteen/freshtastes_toolkit.pdf
Ogden, J. (2003). The Psychology of Eating from healthy to disordered behaviour. Oxford,
England: Blackwell publishing.
Olsen, A., Dixon, J., Banwell, C., & Baker, P. (2009). Weighing it up: the missing social
inequalities dimension in Australian obesity policy discourse. Health Promotion
Journal of Australia, 20 (3), 167-171.
Phillips, K. (2007, May 8). Ethics in Advertising? The Portrayal of a Biased Body Image in
American Media. Retrieved from
http://voices.yahoo.com/ethics-advertising-331773.html
State Government of Victoria (2012). Better Health Channel. Body image and diets.
Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Body_image_and_diets?op
en
Virtual Medical Centre. (2012, April 3). Health & Lifestyle. The truth about diets: detox,
cleansing and fad diets versus healthy balanced nutrition.
Retrieved from http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/
healthandlifestyle/the-truth-about-diets-detox-cleansing-and-fad-diets-versus-
healthy.balanced-nutrition/427#c2
Wykes, M., & Gunter, B. (2006). The Media and Body Image. London, U.K: SAGE
Publications Ltd.
The issue of ‘body image’ portrayed in the media, particularly in magazines, is often centered upon the ‘size zero phenomenon’. According to Frost (2001), it is often thought that “the media portrayal of celebrities might be linked to the body dissatisfaction shown by young women with their weight and the alleged rise in eating disorders among young women. This is perhaps due to the fact that the media portrays unrealistic images of what women should look like and this puts pressure on women to aspire to be the same regardless of what it takes (Wykes and Gunter, 2006). This suggests a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that the majority of research to date on body image has focused upon the negative consequences of the media’s portrayal of body image. For example, according to Adios Barbie (as cited in Phillips, 2007), before American television programming was introduced in early 1990's, in Fiji, fat was seen as a social necessity as it meant one was fertile and prosperous, “However within three years, the number of women with eating disorders had increased by an astonishing five times as much of the disordered eating was centred on bulimia, as vomiting was seen as the “faster” way to get rid of the extra weight”. This highlights a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that the media can greatly impact upon women in regards to body image as it can change their cultural and social norms. In addition to this, it can also be said that that a lack of body weight can result in many health problems and deficiencies, which could reflect a consequentialist perspective. For example, according to Edut (2003), it is often believed that having a certain amount of body fat is vital to function optimally in order for women to menstruate so they can be fertile or even produce milk to nourish their baby. This highlights the danger of the media’s unhealthy portrayal of ‘body image’ as it gives insight into the negative effects a lack of body weight in women can cause. Thus, it can be said that the portrayal of body image in the media is a negative one as its influence upon people, particularly women, can led to many health problems and deficiencies.
Moreover, it can also be said that weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting also raise ethical issues around the notion of ‘body image’. It is often thought that “Australians spend up to one million dollars a day on fad diets that have little effect on their weight” (State Government of Victoria, 2012, p.1). This is due to the fact that a lot of people, particularly women, diet, due to “their perception of what counts as the ideal body within their own social and cultural setting” rather than because they are actually overweight or want to be healthy (Cash, 2004, p.1). This suggests a non-consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as it can be said that perhaps most people only focus on the end result, losing weight and being thin like the models in magazines, rather than other factors such as the effects of weight loss methods. According to the Virtual Medical Centre (2012) and from a consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image, it can be said that “fad diets make unrealistic weight loss promises as they claim to produce very rapid weight loss with minimal effort on the part of the dieter”. This suggests that perhaps weight loss methods such as fad diets are unhealthy as they trick the individual into believing that they will lose weight fast, which may have a negative emotional and psychological impact upon the individual if they do not achieve this. In addition to this, it is also important to note that dieting, while studies have shown that it can have positive effects upon people, it can lead to weight loss, therefore this non-consequentialist theory approach can also have many negative effects. For example, excessive dieting can lead to “eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating and to other mental health issues such as depression or anxiety” (State Government of Victoria, 2012, p.1). Moreover, according to the Australian Medical Association (2009, p.1) and a consequentialist theory approach, it can be said that anorexia and bulimia can lead to a variety of specific physical health problems such as “impairment of bone mineral acquisition leading to osteoporosis, fertility problems, kidney dysfunction, cardiac irregularities and stunting of height or growth.” This suggests that eating disorders, which can be the result of excessive dieting, can be detrimental to both an individual’s psychological and mental health. It also highlights the danger of dieting if taken too far and shows how weight loss methods can have negative effects on people. Hence, it can be said that current weight loss methods such as fad diets and excessive dieting in terms of their effectiveness, raise ethical issues around the notion of ‘body image’.
Lastly, it is often thought that despite the media’s unhealthy portrayal of ‘body image’ and also the negative effects current weight loss methods can have on people, there has been recent movement towards promoting a healthy ‘body image’ and reducing the occurrence of eating disorders in Australia. This suggests a non-consequentialist theory approach to the issue of body image as recent focus has shifted from consequences of unhealthy body image to the intention of reducing this through various initiatives. For example, according to ActNow (2008, p.1) “in 2009, the Rudd government pledged $500,000 to The Butterfly Foundation for the institution of a National Eating Disorders Collaboration. This involved specialists, media experts, and leading organisations in mental and public health working together in order develop a national approach to combating eating disorders.” In addition to this, the Positive Body Image Awards is another initiative the Government has taken that could be considered as a non-consequentialist theory approach. It has been established in order to “help build young people’s resilience to negative body image pressures and promote leadership and positive cultural change in the fashion, media and advertising industries” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012, p.1). This highlights how the Government is addressing the issue of body image in Australia and taking preventative measures to help prevent eating disorders and also promote a more positive body image. The Australian Government has also created “body image friendly schools”, which reflects a non-consequentialist theory approach, such as the introduction of the Fresh Tastes School Canteen Strategy Toolkit in NSW (NSW Department of Health & NSW Department of Education and Training, 2004) aimed at teaching children to make healthier food choices and also the ‘No Body’s Perfect’ (Unit 1 and 2) section as part of the NSW PDHPE high school curriculum Years 7-10. According to the NSW Department of Education and Training (2011), “This resource provides teachers with a series of teaching and learning activities which they can incorporate into their PDHPE program” in order to teach about acceptance in terms of body image and gender. This also highlights the Government’s efforts in addressing the issue of body image in Australia and their school based approach in order to educate both children and adolescents about body image from a young age. Moreover, it can also be said that Australian Magazines such as Dolly and Girlfriend are also at the forefront of confronting body image issues. According to McCabe (2012), magazines are now taking a non-consequentialist approach to the issue of body image as when their intentions are to “search for a model, they have to be certain ages and they’re very conscious of the thinness because the eating disorder issues are immense.” This suggests that the Australian media today is trying to combat the issue surrounding body image such as eating disorders by promoting a healthier and positive take on body image. State Governments have also been “committed to establishing a media code of conduct on body image and a forum for young people to de-mystify how digital imaging is used to enhance body shapes and sizes” (Australian Education Union, 2012, p.1). Thus, it can be said that the Australian Government and Australian Media efforts regarding body image, through trying to promote a healthy ‘body image’ and reduce the occurrence of eating disorders in Australia have been significant.
ActNow. (2010, December 22). All about eating Disorders. Retrieved from
http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/All_about_eating_disorders.aspx
Australian Education Union. (2012). Body Image. New National Body Image Campaign.
Retrieved from http://www.aeufederal.org.au/Women/BI.html
Australian Medical Association. (2012, April 2009). Body Image and Health -2002.
Revised 2009. Unhealthy Body Image. Retrieved from http://ama.com.au/node/.
4584
Cash, T.F. (2004). Body Image: Past, Present and Future. Department of Psychology,
Old Dominion University Norfolk, 1(1), 1-5. Australia. (2012). Body Image. Positive Body Image Awards. Retrieved from
http://www.youth.gov.au/bodyImage/Awards/Pages/default.aspx
Edut, O. (2003). Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image.
Emeryville, California: Seal Press.
Frost, L. (2001). Young Women And The Body: A Feminist Sociology. Hampshire, London:
Palgrave/MacMillan.
McCabe, H. (2012, March 8). Hope 103.2. News. Body Image No.1 Issue For Young
Women. Retrieved from http://www.hope1032.com.au/News-Detail.asp?
cid=5&navid=5&NewsID=2674
Mission Australia (2007). National survey of young Australians 2007: Key and emerging
issues. Retrieved from http://www.missionaustralia.com.au/document-downloads/doc_details/48-nat...
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2011). PDHPE Years 7-10. No Body Is
Perfect. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/
secondary/pdhpe/pdhpe7_10
NSW Department of Health & NSW Department of Education and Training. (2004). Fresh
tastes @ school. NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy. Fresh Tastes Tool Kit.
Developing A Healthy School Canteen. Retrieved from http:
www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/schoolsweb/studentsupport/
studentwellbeing/schoolcanteen/freshtastes_toolkit.pdf
Ogden, J. (2003). The Psychology of Eating from healthy to disordered behaviour. Oxford,
England: Blackwell publishing.
Olsen, A., Dixon, J., Banwell, C., & Baker, P. (2009). Weighing it up: the missing social
inequalities dimension in Australian obesity policy discourse. Health Promotion
Journal of Australia, 20 (3), 167-171.
Phillips, K. (2007, May 8). Ethics in Advertising? The Portrayal of a Biased Body Image in
American Media. Retrieved from
http://voices.yahoo.com/ethics-advertising-331773.html
State Government of Victoria (2012). Better Health Channel. Body image and diets.
Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Body_image_and_diets?op
en
Virtual Medical Centre. (2012, April 3). Health & Lifestyle. The truth about diets: detox,
cleansing and fad diets versus healthy balanced nutrition.
Retrieved from http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/
healthandlifestyle/the-truth-about-diets-detox-cleansing-and-fad-diets-versus-
healthy.balanced-nutrition/427#c2
Wykes, M., & Gunter, B. (2006). The Media and Body Image. London, U.K: SAGE
Publications Ltd.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Coastrek Challenge
When my young friend Ben, told me that he wanted to participate in the 50 Km Coastrek event, I was full of support and very enthusiastic for him. Ben has been blind since he was young but that hasn't stopped him having a go at things.
Then when he asked me to be his guide, my first instinct was to say "No Way" as I didn't think that I could walk for 50Km, let alone be responsible for someone else. But I didn't.
We talked it through and I thought that if we trained for the 3 months prior to the event on March 2nd, I'd really like to give it a try. I like long walks with friends.
Then when he asked me to be his guide, my first instinct was to say "No Way" as I didn't think that I could walk for 50Km, let alone be responsible for someone else. But I didn't.
We talked it through and I thought that if we trained for the 3 months prior to the event on March 2nd, I'd really like to give it a try. I like long walks with friends.
Coastrek is an event run every year, for teams of 4 people. 50 Kms from Palm Beach to Balmoral, (or 100Km from Palm Beach to Coogee) along the most beautiful coastline and harbour. I am in the team, the Achilles Guides, John, Peter, Katy & me, who are guiding the Achilles Athletes, Ben, Bart, Freya & Nicole, 4 very fit, enthusiastic vision-impared young people who are all members of The Achilles Running Club, Sydney. Ben says," Well we can't see but there is nothing wrong with our legs".
We have been training together, the 2 teams, 1 guide with 1 athlete, for 12 weeks now, over the actual track and around the hills and beach at Coogee, and we are ready to go.
This Friday, 2nd March, we will leave Palm Beach at 6am, at first light. The route takes us from Palm Beach, along the sandy beach, up the rugged hillsides and over the headlands and rocky outcrops and down the other side to walk along yet another sandy beach. All those northern beaches & headlands, wading through water inlets, around the Manly headland then along the harbour foreshore & bush to Balmoral. 50 Km. There is a lot of bush-bashing and rough terrain...very tricky for the vision-impaired to secure a safe footing. The last few hours will be after nightfall. Very tricky for the guides. We think we will arrive at Balmoral at about 10pm and really hope that the massage tables are still operating by the time we arrive, footsore and weary! And hope there is a nice cold beer at the end.
I have to say, it gives me great joy to see the immense pleasure that the 4 athletes have shown at doing something we take for granted, A walk in the great outdoors. They trust our guidance and can relax, stroll and even freely jog for a bit. They don't have to be wary and take tentative steps with the assistance of the white stick. We are their eyes, telling them of upcoming steps, ditches, change of terrain, overhead branches and signposts and most times we get it right!
We have been training together, the 2 teams, 1 guide with 1 athlete, for 12 weeks now, over the actual track and around the hills and beach at Coogee, and we are ready to go.
This Friday, 2nd March, we will leave Palm Beach at 6am, at first light. The route takes us from Palm Beach, along the sandy beach, up the rugged hillsides and over the headlands and rocky outcrops and down the other side to walk along yet another sandy beach. All those northern beaches & headlands, wading through water inlets, around the Manly headland then along the harbour foreshore & bush to Balmoral. 50 Km. There is a lot of bush-bashing and rough terrain...very tricky for the vision-impaired to secure a safe footing. The last few hours will be after nightfall. Very tricky for the guides. We think we will arrive at Balmoral at about 10pm and really hope that the massage tables are still operating by the time we arrive, footsore and weary! And hope there is a nice cold beer at the end.
I have to say, it gives me great joy to see the immense pleasure that the 4 athletes have shown at doing something we take for granted, A walk in the great outdoors. They trust our guidance and can relax, stroll and even freely jog for a bit. They don't have to be wary and take tentative steps with the assistance of the white stick. We are their eyes, telling them of upcoming steps, ditches, change of terrain, overhead branches and signposts and most times we get it right!
See Team Achilles training on this You-Tube clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubx28bjAB7s
Coastrek aims to raise $1,000,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation... to aid the vision impaired.
Check out this address if you would like to sponsor our teams..
Achilles Guides. http://my.artezpacific.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=49720&langPref=en-CA&Referrer=direct%2fnone
Achilles Athletes . http://my.artezpacific.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=49666&langPref=en-CA
Or go to http://www.coastrek.com.au/ and click on the "SPONSOR NOW" button and search for either of our teams.
The Achilles GuidesTeam will have a GPS tracker attached to John's backpack, so we can't escape!.. We can be followed on this web address on Friday.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HEfEW0gEka7bXkjByzZ4fe417BO4MbWG
We are hoping for a cool, calm day with a gentle sea breeze.
Would love you to send messages of support and sponsor us.
Di
Coastrek aims to raise $1,000,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation... to aid the vision impaired.
Check out this address if you would like to sponsor our teams..
Achilles Guides. http://my.artezpacific.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=49720&langPref=en-CA&Referrer=direct%2fnone
Achilles Athletes . http://my.artezpacific.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=49666&langPref=en-CA
Or go to http://www.coastrek.com.au/ and click on the "SPONSOR NOW" button and search for either of our teams.
The Achilles GuidesTeam will have a GPS tracker attached to John's backpack, so we can't escape!.. We can be followed on this web address on Friday.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HEfEW0gEka7bXkjByzZ4fe417BO4MbWG
We are hoping for a cool, calm day with a gentle sea breeze.
Would love you to send messages of support and sponsor us.
Di
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Understanding the magnitude of child mortality
A continuing global health issue that is having catastrophic effects all over the world is child mortality. To understand the magnitude of this health issue the United Nations Summit in 2010, identified Sub- Saharan Africa to have the highest rate of child mortality in the world, where in 2008, one in seven children died before their fifth birthday. This is 17 times higher than the average rate in developed countries such as Australia. To close the gap of this health inequity on a global scale the causes, prevalence and treatment of child mortality that have occurred in a country like Sub-Sahara Africa and compare those findings to a country like Australia where the child mortality rate is very low. Comparing the disparities among these two countries requires statistical and theoretical information to be sourced by leading world health organizations and is based on the whole population of each country including marginalized populations such as Indigenous people.
Identifying the causes of child mortality in Sub-Sahara Africa needs to be broad and take into account social, cultural, economic, political and environmental factors. The World Health Organisation (2008) report with reference to Sub-Saharan Africa, claims that childhood deaths are increasingly associated with “diseases of poverty” such as respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhea. Despite the uptake in vaccinations, preventable diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and yellow fever are still very high which is mainly due to poor levels of nutrition, immunization coverage, clean water and sanitation. This leads to a more economic and political view as to why millions of Sub-Saharan Africa people are still living in dangerous levels of poverty. The World Bank (1991) report on The African Building Initiative stated that Governments of the Sub-Saharan African countries have implemented polices that are inadequately analysed, as insufficient research is conducted by African scholars and other centers of policy research, African data sources are often inadequate and high positioned African officials are sometimes poorly trained and equipped. This could be contributed to the poor education standards endured by many Africans. Caldwell (1979) linked education with better health and nutrition, improved hygiene, higher child survival rates and lower fertility levels but unfortunately for the Africans, the education revolution in the late 1970’s, where Primary school for all Africans became compulsory, lead to overcrowded classrooms, shortage of teachers and inadequate learning institutions (Hernandez et al, 2011).
The statistical information provided by the United Nations Summit (2010) clearly outlines the prevalence of child mortality rates and the disparities between Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. In recent years, there has been little or if any progress made in reducing child mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the high fertility rates and the slow pace of reducing deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa has one fifth of the world’s children under the age of five, which has accounted for over half of their 8.8 million deaths in 2008, where many of those deaths could have been prevented. In contrast, data from The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows in 2005 vaccination coverage for Australian children at age one was 91%, the (ABS) also identifies the major causes of child mortality in Australia to be associated with external causes such as traffic accidents and drowning. The (ABS) stated that in 2010, there were 1,500 deaths of children aged 0-4 years registered in Australia. This is an extremely low amount compared to Sub-Saharan Africa and can be clearly explained. Australia does not have an alarming issue of water and air born diseases, quite the contrary, all Australians directly or indirectly have accessibility to the following: clean drinking water, sufficient housing, immunisation, adequate nutrition, education facilities, transportation, economic subsidies, health information/ resources and various social networks.
Child mortality specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa has become an epidemic and needs a global sustainable response to help treat this health issue. World Health Organisation director Dr Lee Jong-wook said “we have the treatments: the technology is known and affordable. The problem in many countries is getting the staff, medicines, vaccines and information to those who need them on time and in sufficient quantities”. In addition, Fitzgerald and Gowers (1993) identified that addressing one factor alone would not solve the child mortality issue, there research covered the early 1980’s in Gambia, (Africa) where 88% of children were fully immunised with access to clean drinking water very high in the region but despite this, Gambia still had one of the highest child mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. As education is seen to be a link to a better health outcomes, education needs to be a priority in treating child mortality for the future, for example, in 1971, under the Tanzania Prime Minister Nyerere’s Government, a plan was implemented at eradicating illiteracy with four years . This resulted in illiteracy levels dropping from 69% in the late 1960’s to 9.6% in the mid 1980’s (Hernandez et al, 2011). The World Bank (1980) report also provides evidence that educated farmers have been found to achieve higher productivity levels than farmers who have never been to school, and that educated females are less likely to engage in unsafe sex resulting in fertility, than uneducated females. When comparing to Australia, it is clear that Australia has made significant progress in addressing the education requirements for all Australians and has already solved many of the contributing factors to child mortality such as provide a clean and sustainable environment, access to clean drinking water, adequate immunisation coverage, above average sanitation levels, education and employment opportunities and a sense of belonging to Australia.
Research has identified the major causes associated with child mortality and the prevalence in today’s society but to reach the United Nation 2015 Millennium Goal of reducing child mortality by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015 for children under the age of five will require a global collaborated approach where the desired outcome is to implement long term sustainable solutions aimed at increasing: health care staff, medicines, vaccines and information to those most in need. This global approach needs to operate with more developed countries increasing funding and expertise to less developed countries with an understanding that child mortality is not just a problem is Sub-Saharan Africa but is a global problem where all countries need to be held accountable.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010, Deaths, Australia, 2010 cat. no. 3302.0, ABS, Canberra.
Caldwell, J.C. (1979) Education as a factor in mortality decline: an examination of Nigerian data, Populations Studies, 33, pp. 395-413.
Fitzgerald, S. & Gowers, P. (1989) Blueprint for success: the Gambian immunization programme, World Health Forum, 4, pp. 79-82.
Hernandez, J. Westbrook, J. Sabates, R. (2011) The health and education benefits of universal primary education for the next generation: evidence from Tanzania, United Kingdom, University of Sussex.
United Nations Summit, 20-22 September 2010, New York.
World Bank (1980) World Development Report 1980 (New York, Oxford University Press).
World Bank (1991) World Development Report 1991 (New York, Oxford University Press).
Identifying the causes of child mortality in Sub-Sahara Africa needs to be broad and take into account social, cultural, economic, political and environmental factors. The World Health Organisation (2008) report with reference to Sub-Saharan Africa, claims that childhood deaths are increasingly associated with “diseases of poverty” such as respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhea. Despite the uptake in vaccinations, preventable diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio and yellow fever are still very high which is mainly due to poor levels of nutrition, immunization coverage, clean water and sanitation. This leads to a more economic and political view as to why millions of Sub-Saharan Africa people are still living in dangerous levels of poverty. The World Bank (1991) report on The African Building Initiative stated that Governments of the Sub-Saharan African countries have implemented polices that are inadequately analysed, as insufficient research is conducted by African scholars and other centers of policy research, African data sources are often inadequate and high positioned African officials are sometimes poorly trained and equipped. This could be contributed to the poor education standards endured by many Africans. Caldwell (1979) linked education with better health and nutrition, improved hygiene, higher child survival rates and lower fertility levels but unfortunately for the Africans, the education revolution in the late 1970’s, where Primary school for all Africans became compulsory, lead to overcrowded classrooms, shortage of teachers and inadequate learning institutions (Hernandez et al, 2011).
The statistical information provided by the United Nations Summit (2010) clearly outlines the prevalence of child mortality rates and the disparities between Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. In recent years, there has been little or if any progress made in reducing child mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the high fertility rates and the slow pace of reducing deaths. Sub-Saharan Africa has one fifth of the world’s children under the age of five, which has accounted for over half of their 8.8 million deaths in 2008, where many of those deaths could have been prevented. In contrast, data from The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows in 2005 vaccination coverage for Australian children at age one was 91%, the (ABS) also identifies the major causes of child mortality in Australia to be associated with external causes such as traffic accidents and drowning. The (ABS) stated that in 2010, there were 1,500 deaths of children aged 0-4 years registered in Australia. This is an extremely low amount compared to Sub-Saharan Africa and can be clearly explained. Australia does not have an alarming issue of water and air born diseases, quite the contrary, all Australians directly or indirectly have accessibility to the following: clean drinking water, sufficient housing, immunisation, adequate nutrition, education facilities, transportation, economic subsidies, health information/ resources and various social networks.
Child mortality specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa has become an epidemic and needs a global sustainable response to help treat this health issue. World Health Organisation director Dr Lee Jong-wook said “we have the treatments: the technology is known and affordable. The problem in many countries is getting the staff, medicines, vaccines and information to those who need them on time and in sufficient quantities”. In addition, Fitzgerald and Gowers (1993) identified that addressing one factor alone would not solve the child mortality issue, there research covered the early 1980’s in Gambia, (Africa) where 88% of children were fully immunised with access to clean drinking water very high in the region but despite this, Gambia still had one of the highest child mortality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. As education is seen to be a link to a better health outcomes, education needs to be a priority in treating child mortality for the future, for example, in 1971, under the Tanzania Prime Minister Nyerere’s Government, a plan was implemented at eradicating illiteracy with four years . This resulted in illiteracy levels dropping from 69% in the late 1960’s to 9.6% in the mid 1980’s (Hernandez et al, 2011). The World Bank (1980) report also provides evidence that educated farmers have been found to achieve higher productivity levels than farmers who have never been to school, and that educated females are less likely to engage in unsafe sex resulting in fertility, than uneducated females. When comparing to Australia, it is clear that Australia has made significant progress in addressing the education requirements for all Australians and has already solved many of the contributing factors to child mortality such as provide a clean and sustainable environment, access to clean drinking water, adequate immunisation coverage, above average sanitation levels, education and employment opportunities and a sense of belonging to Australia.
Research has identified the major causes associated with child mortality and the prevalence in today’s society but to reach the United Nation 2015 Millennium Goal of reducing child mortality by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015 for children under the age of five will require a global collaborated approach where the desired outcome is to implement long term sustainable solutions aimed at increasing: health care staff, medicines, vaccines and information to those most in need. This global approach needs to operate with more developed countries increasing funding and expertise to less developed countries with an understanding that child mortality is not just a problem is Sub-Saharan Africa but is a global problem where all countries need to be held accountable.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2010, Deaths, Australia, 2010 cat. no. 3302.0, ABS, Canberra.
Caldwell, J.C. (1979) Education as a factor in mortality decline: an examination of Nigerian data, Populations Studies, 33, pp. 395-413.
Fitzgerald, S. & Gowers, P. (1989) Blueprint for success: the Gambian immunization programme, World Health Forum, 4, pp. 79-82.
Hernandez, J. Westbrook, J. Sabates, R. (2011) The health and education benefits of universal primary education for the next generation: evidence from Tanzania, United Kingdom, University of Sussex.
United Nations Summit, 20-22 September 2010, New York.
World Bank (1980) World Development Report 1980 (New York, Oxford University Press).
World Bank (1991) World Development Report 1991 (New York, Oxford University Press).
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Should the Australian Government accept prime responsibility for the poor health of Aboriginals from 1897 up to now?
“Then a bell rang for us to assemble in a line on the veranda outside the dining room door. We stood quietly waiting while plates of porridge were placed on the tables, when the doors opened we were given the order to go in. Sixty or more kids trying hard not to make a sound, because if you did you were in danger of missing out on your meal” (Ruthie, 2003). The dormitory was a place to train the Aboriginals to respect authority. Under the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld) provision 31 (12) Maintaining discipline and good order, upon a reserve gave the authority figures or “white people” the ability to disempower any child is any way they deem necessary. The calling of your name held no affection anymore, just the danger of punishment. Smalls things like being late for meals, talking at the dinner table or playing somewhere out of bounds often resulted in punishment where food could be deprived, a jockeys strap could be used, children’s head would be shaved or locked up in the goal. Ruthie had no choice but to bottle up these emotions at such a young age because crying always ended in punishment. Ruthie could only build up so much emotion before she would finally burst which then would result in punishment and so the vicious cycle continued. Good behavior from Ruthie would give her an “outing” for an afternoon, once a week where she could experience a glimmer of hope for freedom but this privilege would be easily taken from her if she did not obey to all the rules and regulations of the “dormitory”. Another condition of agreement under the “1897 Act” was provision 31 (6) providing the care, custody and education of the children of Aboriginals was outlined to “care” and “protect” Aboriginals. In reality Ruthie’s experiences under the “1897 Act” reflects no “care” or “protection” to the Aboriginals in fact her experiences revealed the contrary where inhumane treatment was given to the Aboriginals. Of course the Government now had custody of the Aboriginals but no formal education was delivered and the education that was delivered was sub-standard. “Fourth grade. I had finally made it. I felt I had wasted the ten years of my schooling, simply being moved from one class room to another year after year but not really learning much or as much as l’d like. There was no chance of further education for us” (Ruthie, 2003). Ruthie and the other “dormitory girls” were educated only to be “domestics”, a source of cheap labor. Any dreams or aspirations of being more than a “domestic” were quickly rubbed out by the authorities. Simply pleasures of fantasies or story telling were forbidden, Ruthie did not a feel like a person who possessed opinions, beliefs and dreams, Ruthie was a “dormitory girl” and the longer she and the other “dormitory girls” stayed the more control the Government had over their lives.
Under the “1897 Act” 31 (1) prescribing the mode of removing aboriginals to a reserve, and from one reserve to another gave the right to forcibly remove Aboriginals against their own will, from their extended family, ties to land and everything cultural. Ruthie states her own experience as the day the Queensland Government denied her of any natural bonding between her and her mother. “My heart ached. I thought we were like an old rag that had been torn in three parts” (Ruthie, 2003). This would become a continuing pattern in Ruthie’s life where out of sheer depression Ruthie would not stand for her own daughter to be a victim of the strict rules and regulations of the dormitory that she endured and would be left with the unthinkable decision to give up her own child. The “system” would now deny her of any natural bonding with her and her first daughter. The relationship Ruthie has today with her first daughter exists as great friends trying to catch up on the past. Only through the undeserving death of Ruthie ‘s friend Marcia was Ruthie able to free herself from her fears and find a spiritual connection in God that would allow her to see her own inner values and separate herself from the sadness, anger and pain of the past. This self healing process some forty years after Marcia’s passing has given Ruthie back “ownership” of her own life and a chance to decide her own destiny. If forcible removal from everything of meaning wasn’t enough, Ruthie was conditioned to obey to the provision (16) under the “1897 Act” where Aboriginals and female half-castes in employment were to be subject to supervision, to have access at all reasonable times, for the purpose of making such inspection and inquiries as deemed necessary. “After so many years of constant supervision, always under the watchful eye of some adult authority, not daring to make a move without permission, we had adjusted to it all” (Ruthie, 2003). Ruthie was accustomed to being told what she could and could not do but now at age fourteen, Ruthie was ordered to become a “domestic “as her only employment. The sociological battles Ruthie would face in the dormitory would be slightly eased with the support of the other “dormitory girls” but now Ruthie is forced into the outside world as a servant where she is left to fend for herself against a paternalism Government. Ruthie’s sheltered life has seen Ruthie try to break free of the “system” that has robbed her of so much of her own life only to fall pregnant where she would again be confronted with the reality of starting back where she first started. This “victim of the cycle” would see Ruthie develop unique bonds that exist only between her and the other “dormitory girls” survivors which has been the driving force in Ruthie writing about her experiences as a “dormitory girl” later on in life. Ruthie’s hope in life is that the “dormitory girls” story will forever live on.
Aboriginal people alive today can tell you of a personal or family experience that reflect the rules and regulations of the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld). Their stories relate to lives spent under the control of the Australian Government where many Aboriginals experienced feelings of powerlessness, dependence, anger and self-destructiveness which has had a profound impact that is still continuing today. Some of these effects include negative effects on health, for example Indigenous Australians are dying at between 10 and 17 years younger than other Australians, heart disease kills Indigenous Australians at between two and three times the rate of death than the non-indigenous population and deaths from diabetes are more than 10 times higher (Calma, 2009). Based on the evidence provided by the Aboriginals who survived the “1897 Act” and the growing need to make steps forward to closing the gap of health inequities and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, then the Australian Government must accept prime responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginal health from 1897 up to now.
As there is now a strong movement to hold the Australian Government responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginals health from 1897 up to now there needs to be Government acknowledgment on this issue before they can claim full responsibility. From the acknowledgement of the Fraser Government with the introduction of land rights, to the Howard Government establishing the formal process of reconciliation and more recently Kevin Rudd in 2008 saying “I’m sorry” there has been very little gains in closing the gap in poor health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians . A reason for this health gap could be that Indigenous people feel they have not been acknowledged and compensated sufficiently for the amount of trauma they have endured (Hollinsworth, 2006). The Australian Government have taken steps in acknowledging and accepting prime responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginal health and have also implemented many initiatives to combat this issue but as the enormity of health inequities continue there clearly needs to be more done. This acceptance approach by the Australian Government in claiming responsibility for Indigenous health is necessary to aid the healing process of many Indigenous people and begin the road map to reconciliation and better health outcomes.
If the Australian Government can accept full responsibility for their actions and the Aboriginal people can reach out for reconciliation then all Australians can unite and strive for a common purpose in closing the gap of health inequities and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The social determinants to Indigenous health outlined by Zubrick et al. (2005) such as grief and loss, child removals, unresolved trauma, cultural dislocation and identity issues could make significant progress in the healing for many Indigenous people. Part of accepting prime responsibility is providing sufficient compensation which would be most effective in Government funding. The Australian Government allocates a large sum of funding each year to tackling these health inequities but as history has shown there needs to be more done. Significantly increasing Government funding can be more effective in physical health improvements, providing adequate housing, nutrition and education for all Indigenous people. The Australian Governments , community organizations and the corporate sector need to implement strategies and targets for reducing the social determinants of health outlined by Zubrick et al. (2005) such as violence, family violence, substance use/abuse and incarceration that Indigenous people face. Tackling the health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians could be the answer to reducing the life expectancy gap.
In conclusion, the attempts made by the Australian Government for claiming responsibility for Indigenous health have been somewhat blurred or have not had their desired effect. There clearly needs to be an upgraded strategic timeline put in place where the Australian Government accept prime responsibility for Indigenous health by providing adequate compensation and recognition for the damages caused. This approach needs to have joint collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders with a governing body evaluating the outcomes. Initiating projects will need now to be delivered delicately and should be implemented, managed and delivered by Indigenous people to have a greater chance of success as many Indigenous people may have ongoing feelings of resentment and anger towards the Australian Government and “white people”. Only then can the Australian Government encourage Indigenous people to claim responsibility for their own health and reach forward as a joint responsibility by all Australians to addressing health inequities in this country.
Reference List
Calma, T. (2009). Indigenous health is a matter of human rights. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/indigenous-health-is-a-matter-of-human-rights
Hegarty, R. (1999). Is that you, Ruthie? St. Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
Hollinsworth, D. (2006). Race and racism in Australia (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.
The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld)
Zubrick, S.R., Dudgeon, P., Gee, G., Glaskin, B., Kelly, K., Paradies, Y. et al (2010). In N. Purdie, P. Dudgeon & R. Walker (Eds.), Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Commonwealth of Australia.
Foley, G. (1993). The Koori History. Retrieved September 15, 1993, from http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html
Under the “1897 Act” 31 (1) prescribing the mode of removing aboriginals to a reserve, and from one reserve to another gave the right to forcibly remove Aboriginals against their own will, from their extended family, ties to land and everything cultural. Ruthie states her own experience as the day the Queensland Government denied her of any natural bonding between her and her mother. “My heart ached. I thought we were like an old rag that had been torn in three parts” (Ruthie, 2003). This would become a continuing pattern in Ruthie’s life where out of sheer depression Ruthie would not stand for her own daughter to be a victim of the strict rules and regulations of the dormitory that she endured and would be left with the unthinkable decision to give up her own child. The “system” would now deny her of any natural bonding with her and her first daughter. The relationship Ruthie has today with her first daughter exists as great friends trying to catch up on the past. Only through the undeserving death of Ruthie ‘s friend Marcia was Ruthie able to free herself from her fears and find a spiritual connection in God that would allow her to see her own inner values and separate herself from the sadness, anger and pain of the past. This self healing process some forty years after Marcia’s passing has given Ruthie back “ownership” of her own life and a chance to decide her own destiny. If forcible removal from everything of meaning wasn’t enough, Ruthie was conditioned to obey to the provision (16) under the “1897 Act” where Aboriginals and female half-castes in employment were to be subject to supervision, to have access at all reasonable times, for the purpose of making such inspection and inquiries as deemed necessary. “After so many years of constant supervision, always under the watchful eye of some adult authority, not daring to make a move without permission, we had adjusted to it all” (Ruthie, 2003). Ruthie was accustomed to being told what she could and could not do but now at age fourteen, Ruthie was ordered to become a “domestic “as her only employment. The sociological battles Ruthie would face in the dormitory would be slightly eased with the support of the other “dormitory girls” but now Ruthie is forced into the outside world as a servant where she is left to fend for herself against a paternalism Government. Ruthie’s sheltered life has seen Ruthie try to break free of the “system” that has robbed her of so much of her own life only to fall pregnant where she would again be confronted with the reality of starting back where she first started. This “victim of the cycle” would see Ruthie develop unique bonds that exist only between her and the other “dormitory girls” survivors which has been the driving force in Ruthie writing about her experiences as a “dormitory girl” later on in life. Ruthie’s hope in life is that the “dormitory girls” story will forever live on.
Aboriginal people alive today can tell you of a personal or family experience that reflect the rules and regulations of the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld). Their stories relate to lives spent under the control of the Australian Government where many Aboriginals experienced feelings of powerlessness, dependence, anger and self-destructiveness which has had a profound impact that is still continuing today. Some of these effects include negative effects on health, for example Indigenous Australians are dying at between 10 and 17 years younger than other Australians, heart disease kills Indigenous Australians at between two and three times the rate of death than the non-indigenous population and deaths from diabetes are more than 10 times higher (Calma, 2009). Based on the evidence provided by the Aboriginals who survived the “1897 Act” and the growing need to make steps forward to closing the gap of health inequities and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, then the Australian Government must accept prime responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginal health from 1897 up to now.
As there is now a strong movement to hold the Australian Government responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginals health from 1897 up to now there needs to be Government acknowledgment on this issue before they can claim full responsibility. From the acknowledgement of the Fraser Government with the introduction of land rights, to the Howard Government establishing the formal process of reconciliation and more recently Kevin Rudd in 2008 saying “I’m sorry” there has been very little gains in closing the gap in poor health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians . A reason for this health gap could be that Indigenous people feel they have not been acknowledged and compensated sufficiently for the amount of trauma they have endured (Hollinsworth, 2006). The Australian Government have taken steps in acknowledging and accepting prime responsibility for the poor state of Aboriginal health and have also implemented many initiatives to combat this issue but as the enormity of health inequities continue there clearly needs to be more done. This acceptance approach by the Australian Government in claiming responsibility for Indigenous health is necessary to aid the healing process of many Indigenous people and begin the road map to reconciliation and better health outcomes.
If the Australian Government can accept full responsibility for their actions and the Aboriginal people can reach out for reconciliation then all Australians can unite and strive for a common purpose in closing the gap of health inequities and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The social determinants to Indigenous health outlined by Zubrick et al. (2005) such as grief and loss, child removals, unresolved trauma, cultural dislocation and identity issues could make significant progress in the healing for many Indigenous people. Part of accepting prime responsibility is providing sufficient compensation which would be most effective in Government funding. The Australian Government allocates a large sum of funding each year to tackling these health inequities but as history has shown there needs to be more done. Significantly increasing Government funding can be more effective in physical health improvements, providing adequate housing, nutrition and education for all Indigenous people. The Australian Governments , community organizations and the corporate sector need to implement strategies and targets for reducing the social determinants of health outlined by Zubrick et al. (2005) such as violence, family violence, substance use/abuse and incarceration that Indigenous people face. Tackling the health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians could be the answer to reducing the life expectancy gap.
In conclusion, the attempts made by the Australian Government for claiming responsibility for Indigenous health have been somewhat blurred or have not had their desired effect. There clearly needs to be an upgraded strategic timeline put in place where the Australian Government accept prime responsibility for Indigenous health by providing adequate compensation and recognition for the damages caused. This approach needs to have joint collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders with a governing body evaluating the outcomes. Initiating projects will need now to be delivered delicately and should be implemented, managed and delivered by Indigenous people to have a greater chance of success as many Indigenous people may have ongoing feelings of resentment and anger towards the Australian Government and “white people”. Only then can the Australian Government encourage Indigenous people to claim responsibility for their own health and reach forward as a joint responsibility by all Australians to addressing health inequities in this country.
Reference List
Calma, T. (2009). Indigenous health is a matter of human rights. Retrieved October 27, 2009, from http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/indigenous-health-is-a-matter-of-human-rights
Hegarty, R. (1999). Is that you, Ruthie? St. Lucia: University of Queensland Press.
Hollinsworth, D. (2006). Race and racism in Australia (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.
The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld)
Zubrick, S.R., Dudgeon, P., Gee, G., Glaskin, B., Kelly, K., Paradies, Y. et al (2010). In N. Purdie, P. Dudgeon & R. Walker (Eds.), Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. Commonwealth of Australia.
Foley, G. (1993). The Koori History. Retrieved September 15, 1993, from http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/indexb.html
Monday, May 2, 2011
Is physical activity for the elderly a waste of time?
Physical activity for the elderly is not a waste of time and that there are many benefits to why the elderly people should be more physically active such as reducing the risk of falls, manage and prevent disease and to improve quality of life. As elderly people are commonly defined as 65 years and over then these benefits become even more significant. Supporting evidence can be seen in the National Physical Activity Guidelines, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (2003), which outlines recommendations to being physically active, to help slow the aging process and allow people to remain independent for longer.
A common problem for elderly people is the risk of falls. Falls often result in fractures which can lead to a long term disability and loss of independence and confidence. Physical activity improves balance, muscle strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis which are all major risk factors for falls. Improving a person’s balance can be achieved though exercises where the person can only use one leg or one arm to balance, they might use fit balls or balance balls to perform exercises where the person needs to focus on using their muscles to balance. Muscle strength can be achieved through a structured resistance program where the person uses their body weight or hand weights to perform regular contractions to increase the strength in their muscles. It is recommended by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (2003), to start with smaller weights and gradually build up over time. Resistance training will also go a long way to building stronger bones in the body and gives the individual more resistance to getting osteoporosis later on in life.
Physical activity can help an individual to manage or prevent disease, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, (2003), defines this in three key areas, firstly, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, bone health, and body weight can improve with physical activity. Secondly prevention of more severe diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis can reduced with physical activity and thirdly improvements in sleep, immune function and mental health can also be reduced with physical activity. The health benefits associated with physical activity far out way any thought that physical activity could be a waste of time.
Physical activity can be a major factor in improving a person’s quality of life. Being physically active can enable a person to retain their independence which will go a long way in improving their self worth and confidence, together with more accessibility to community services and social interactions. Four recommendations from the National Physical Activity Guidelines, (2003) suggest people should think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience; be active every day in as many ways as you can, put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days and if you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness. There are many ways in which people of all ages can increase their physical activity. There are incidental activities such as house work, walking to the shops and gardening, there are leisure activities such as golf, lawn bowls and dancing or individuals can take a more structured approach and participate in walking groups, strength training or other group exercise activities. When implementing a new exercise regime or increasing your existing one there needs to be considerable safety measurements adhered too, to ensure you are not doing more harm than good. If you have recently had surgery, then consult your doctor before starting your new exercise regime. If dizziness, palpitations or chest pains occur during physical activity then cease the physical activity and consult a doctor.
In summary, there are many health benefits to support that physical activity is not a waste of time for the elderly. Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of falls, manage and prevent disease and to improve a person’s quality of life, which provides better health outcomes to the individual whether they are physical, mental, social, emotional, cognitive or spiritual.
Reference List
National Physical Activity Guidelines, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (2003).
A common problem for elderly people is the risk of falls. Falls often result in fractures which can lead to a long term disability and loss of independence and confidence. Physical activity improves balance, muscle strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis which are all major risk factors for falls. Improving a person’s balance can be achieved though exercises where the person can only use one leg or one arm to balance, they might use fit balls or balance balls to perform exercises where the person needs to focus on using their muscles to balance. Muscle strength can be achieved through a structured resistance program where the person uses their body weight or hand weights to perform regular contractions to increase the strength in their muscles. It is recommended by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (2003), to start with smaller weights and gradually build up over time. Resistance training will also go a long way to building stronger bones in the body and gives the individual more resistance to getting osteoporosis later on in life.
Physical activity can help an individual to manage or prevent disease, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aging, (2003), defines this in three key areas, firstly, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, bone health, and body weight can improve with physical activity. Secondly prevention of more severe diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis can reduced with physical activity and thirdly improvements in sleep, immune function and mental health can also be reduced with physical activity. The health benefits associated with physical activity far out way any thought that physical activity could be a waste of time.
Physical activity can be a major factor in improving a person’s quality of life. Being physically active can enable a person to retain their independence which will go a long way in improving their self worth and confidence, together with more accessibility to community services and social interactions. Four recommendations from the National Physical Activity Guidelines, (2003) suggest people should think of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience; be active every day in as many ways as you can, put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days and if you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous activity for extra health and fitness. There are many ways in which people of all ages can increase their physical activity. There are incidental activities such as house work, walking to the shops and gardening, there are leisure activities such as golf, lawn bowls and dancing or individuals can take a more structured approach and participate in walking groups, strength training or other group exercise activities. When implementing a new exercise regime or increasing your existing one there needs to be considerable safety measurements adhered too, to ensure you are not doing more harm than good. If you have recently had surgery, then consult your doctor before starting your new exercise regime. If dizziness, palpitations or chest pains occur during physical activity then cease the physical activity and consult a doctor.
In summary, there are many health benefits to support that physical activity is not a waste of time for the elderly. Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of falls, manage and prevent disease and to improve a person’s quality of life, which provides better health outcomes to the individual whether they are physical, mental, social, emotional, cognitive or spiritual.
Reference List
National Physical Activity Guidelines, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, (2003).
Monday, March 21, 2011
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT OR BUILD MUSCLE DEFINITION FAST
Protein, as one of the three most important macro nutrients, responsible in keeping and burning energy in the body.
By eating protein foods regularly, a person gains high energy and healthy growth.
Anyone who has desired to acquire muscles or lose weight, it is necessary that high protein intake is achieved.
This is critical in order to give the body with enough energy for exercise and developing muscles. Protein supplies you metabolic energy which helps you lose weight fast.
With a protein diet plan, you can lower your carbohydrate and calorie intake. When you lessen carbohydrates and calorie, you permit protein to consume body fat while encouraging weight loss.
I was given a book recently called “The four hour body” by Tim Ferriss. The book has a chapter on protein diet and like most people I was a skeptic, so I decided to give it a go.
I wanted to lose a few kgs fast but in a healthy way while still maintaining my regular exercise regime.
This was the plan take, on a 7 day protein diet challenge while still exercising 90 – 120 mins per day, every day.
Here are some protein rich foods and drinks you can consume:
Egg whites Chicken breast or thigh Beef Preferably grain fed) Fish Pork Lentils Red/Black beans Borlotti beans Green Beans Soya beans Spinach Peas Asparagus Broccoli Avocado Mushrooms Cauliflower Black coffee Protein Powder Water
This is what I consumed each day:
Breakfast – 1 x protein shake with water.
Snacks – no snacks for me
Lunch – ¼ BBQ chicken (no skin) side salad with lettuce, egg, avocado and mushrooms
Snack – no snacks for me, on some days I had a long black coffee.
Dinner – medium piece of beef, pork or chicken with a side of vegetables including carrots, brochalii, spinach, mushrooms and beans.
What I learnt from this challenge is:
1. Eating at home is a lot simpler; you can plan your meals each day and keep it controlled.
Eating out was a bigger challenge but still can be done.
2. Not eating anything after dinner was great for fat burning. My dinner was at 5pm so from
then until lunchtime the next day (that’s 18 hours) I was only consuming breakfast which
was a protein shake.
3. Try and fight the cravings for coffee and snacks, its hard but days get easier as the days go
on.
4. Your body will produced a bad odor for the first 2 days this is just toxins coming out and
will be gone by day three.
5. Drink plenty of water, I was consuming about 5-7 litres per day mainly due to my
excessive exercise levels but the water intake was making me fill full.
6. Make sure you exercise at least once a day every day; diet alone won’t get you the results.
7. Be committed to the challenge, it’s only for 7 days.
After 7 days of being on the protein diet together with exercising 90 – 120 mins each day I was able to lose 5.5kg in 7 days. That’s right I ate chicken, salads, vegetables and drank coffees and I was able to lose 5.5kg in one week.
All the foods that I consumed are the best protein foods to eat, I was very strict in what I ate and I did my research on best foods so for maximum results please follow what I did. If you are not exercising as much as I did then just consume smaller meal portions.
This diet is only recommended for 7 days, on the 8th day you can relax the diet and consume other foods like fruits etc to get those important nutrients back.
On the 9th day if you want to keep dropping the KG’s then continue on with the protein diet and regular exercise.
“Be determined, there will be obstacles along the way as you take on a bigger challenge”.
Protein, as one of the three most important macro nutrients, responsible in keeping and burning energy in the body.
By eating protein foods regularly, a person gains high energy and healthy growth.
Anyone who has desired to acquire muscles or lose weight, it is necessary that high protein intake is achieved.
This is critical in order to give the body with enough energy for exercise and developing muscles. Protein supplies you metabolic energy which helps you lose weight fast.
With a protein diet plan, you can lower your carbohydrate and calorie intake. When you lessen carbohydrates and calorie, you permit protein to consume body fat while encouraging weight loss.
I was given a book recently called “The four hour body” by Tim Ferriss. The book has a chapter on protein diet and like most people I was a skeptic, so I decided to give it a go.
I wanted to lose a few kgs fast but in a healthy way while still maintaining my regular exercise regime.
This was the plan take, on a 7 day protein diet challenge while still exercising 90 – 120 mins per day, every day.
Here are some protein rich foods and drinks you can consume:
Egg whites Chicken breast or thigh Beef Preferably grain fed) Fish Pork Lentils Red/Black beans Borlotti beans Green Beans Soya beans Spinach Peas Asparagus Broccoli Avocado Mushrooms Cauliflower Black coffee Protein Powder Water
This is what I consumed each day:
Breakfast – 1 x protein shake with water.
Snacks – no snacks for me
Lunch – ¼ BBQ chicken (no skin) side salad with lettuce, egg, avocado and mushrooms
Snack – no snacks for me, on some days I had a long black coffee.
Dinner – medium piece of beef, pork or chicken with a side of vegetables including carrots, brochalii, spinach, mushrooms and beans.
What I learnt from this challenge is:
1. Eating at home is a lot simpler; you can plan your meals each day and keep it controlled.
Eating out was a bigger challenge but still can be done.
2. Not eating anything after dinner was great for fat burning. My dinner was at 5pm so from
then until lunchtime the next day (that’s 18 hours) I was only consuming breakfast which
was a protein shake.
3. Try and fight the cravings for coffee and snacks, its hard but days get easier as the days go
on.
4. Your body will produced a bad odor for the first 2 days this is just toxins coming out and
will be gone by day three.
5. Drink plenty of water, I was consuming about 5-7 litres per day mainly due to my
excessive exercise levels but the water intake was making me fill full.
6. Make sure you exercise at least once a day every day; diet alone won’t get you the results.
7. Be committed to the challenge, it’s only for 7 days.
After 7 days of being on the protein diet together with exercising 90 – 120 mins each day I was able to lose 5.5kg in 7 days. That’s right I ate chicken, salads, vegetables and drank coffees and I was able to lose 5.5kg in one week.
All the foods that I consumed are the best protein foods to eat, I was very strict in what I ate and I did my research on best foods so for maximum results please follow what I did. If you are not exercising as much as I did then just consume smaller meal portions.
This diet is only recommended for 7 days, on the 8th day you can relax the diet and consume other foods like fruits etc to get those important nutrients back.
On the 9th day if you want to keep dropping the KG’s then continue on with the protein diet and regular exercise.
“Be determined, there will be obstacles along the way as you take on a bigger challenge”.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
GLOUCESTER MOUNTAIN MAN CHALLENGE THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
I left Sydney Saturday morning and drove North West to Gloucester to take on the Gloucester Mountain Challenge.
Held on the second Sunday of September each year, the Gloucester Mountain Man Tri Challenge is somewhat unique, consisting of a 20.4 km mountain bike ride along mountain and 4WD roads, creek beds, cattle tracks, rainforest and open country. The second leg consists of a 10.7 km kayak paddle down the crystal clear waters of the Barrington River, and the third being an 8.8 km run leg along the scenic Thunderbolts Way and back into the Gloucester District Park.
I had high expectations for this race and was aiming to finish within the top 5. I knew the mountain bike leg would be my weakest leg due to my bike training only starting 2 before the race. My strength for the race would be the kayak leg so to get a feel for the river I decided to have a practice run the day before the race.
This turn out to be a big mistake, in the first 5 minutes of charging down the powerful rapids my rudder broke which left me with no steering. Rebounding from bank to bank my surf ski took a real beating causing cracks to appear all down the surf ski. Cracks on a fibreglass surf ski is not a good situation to be in when paddling down a river, the surf ski started to fill with water to the point where it sank and I still had 5km to the end. It should have taken me 55 minutes to get down the river but due to the damage it took me 3 hours to get to the end of the river where my brother was waiting.
I ask my brother “should we go home now” or “should we stay and watch the race tomorrow”. My brother’s reply was quite funny, he said “on the TV show myth busters they once built a raft out of duct tape” I laughed. Driving home I had a realisation that if they can build a raft out of duct tape I could surely tape a surf ski back together. So 5 rolls of duct tape later we managed to tape the rudder back to the surf ski which was previously held together by two dunabolts, we then taped up all the cracks and made the executive decision that this may just hold for the race.
Sunday morning I awoke from my freezing cold tent and started to prepare for the race. My attitude was different than usual as self doubt set in, I still wasn’t sure if the surf ski would stay afloat for the 55 minutes I needed to get down the river.
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 the siren has sounded and the race begins.
The gruelling mountain bike leg was first and I came in 47th with a time of 1:09:48. Now the challenge begins, “would the surf ski hold”. It must have been Groundhog Day up at Gloucester because 5 minutes into the paddle the rudder broke again down one the rapids; I blocked it out of my mind and continued down the river with no steering. 3km’s to go I could feel the surf ski getting heavier and heavier, it was filling it up with water so I knew it was make or break time.
I paddle my heart out and managed to get to the end of the river still afloat with a time of 1:01:31, I whispered to myself “thank god for duct tape”.
Now it was time for the 8.8km run back through the mountains to the finish line. I finished the run leg in 44:55secs, so considering the obstacles of the surf ski I was able to finish the Gloucester Mountain man race in 2:56:14, positioned 1st in the 25-30 age group and 12th overall.
The 3 things I have learnt from this race are:
1. Every problem has its own solution
2. Never ever, ever, ever give up
3. Don’t leave home without a roll of duct tape.
Stay tuned for my next challenge the Hawkesbury Classic on October 23rd.
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