THIS IS SERIOUS

Dear World

It is time for ALL of us to buckle up and listen up.

Our world is in a mess and the time has come to pay attention as this stuff is not going away.

The following is a tiny micro snapshot of what is going on in our world today – 2023.

Let us not pretend any longer that it is not happening or turn a blind eye, as if it is not our problem.

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
78% young adolescents check their mobile phone hourly

46% constantly (1)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

GLOBAL
400,000 children and adolescents under age 20 are diagnosed with Cancer every year. (2)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
90% Americans exceed guidelines for Salt – risk factor for High Blood Pressure and stroke.

50% contributed by Pizza, Bread, Cheese, Burgers, Cookies, Cakes, Bacon, Sausages, Frankfurters and Chicken Nuggets. (3)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS 

USA
Sex attacks on teenage girls rose during pandemic lockdown (4)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

UK
255,580 reports of children under age 18 sexually abused during pandemic lockdowns in 2022.

1000% rise since 2019 (5)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

UK
NHS treating children – young as 13 for Gaming Disorders (6)

Children as young as 9 exposed to online Pornography (7)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA – 2022
245% increase in teenage Cannabis use over 20 years (8)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

GLOBAL
190 million Women affected by endometriosis worldwide (9)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

GLOBAL
Global Cocaine production reaches record levels as new trafficking hubs emerge. (10)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

UK
£2 billion – UK Cocaine market with 976,000 users
7 fold increase in Cocaine related deaths in 10 years (11)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

UK
Social isolation and Loneliness increase the risk of hospitalization or death from Heart failure. (12)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
1 in 8 Americans over age 50 show signs of Food Addiction (13)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
15 million children have Obesity – tripled since 1980s (14)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
100,000 nurses quit the U.S. workforce during the pandemic due to Stress, burnout and retirements. (15)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
90% Cardiac arrests outside hospital are fatal (16)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
Radiological Society of North America

The brains of military personnel exposed to explosions show an abnormal accumulation of amyloid-beta protein.

Abnormal amyloid accumulation was seen in 66% of study participants exposed to explosions.

Amyloid-beta protein accumulation has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Research over the last several decades suggests a relationship between repetitive or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and abnormal amyloid-beta accumulation.

TBI can result from indirect sources such as shockwaves from battlefield explosions. (17)

 

THIS IS SERIOUS

USA
Menthol flavour E-Cigarette liquids associated with worse lung function in smokers.

Menthol vapers took shallower breaths and had poorer lung function.

Vaping products market continues to expand worldwide.
Mint and menthol remain among the top popular choice of youth.

Even nicotine-free mix contain compounds that can damage lungs. (18)

 

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS

GLOBAL – 2022
Tonsil and base of tongue cancers increasing in Europe and North America, especially in youth non-smokers, due in the large part to infection with HPV. (19)

Virus (HPV) transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex toys (20)

Throat Cancer on the rise in young adults, which usually are a low risk group. (19)

 

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS

UK

1 in 5 teenagers have a Porn habit

1 in 10 felt addicted to Pornography (21)

 

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS

USA
Drug overdose fatalities among older U.S. adults quadrupled over 20 years.

75% un-intended deaths involved illicit drugs like Methamphetamines, Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine. (22)

 

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS

UK
£1 million drugs seized with guns and swords
222 arrested and 177 vulnerable people safeguarded by Police

Modern Slavery – horrendous emotional and physical abuse
Coerced through violence, blackmail and debt bondage to hold and supply drugs. (23)

 

THIS IS VERY SERIOUS 

USA
Fentanyl overdose deaths quadrupled in 5 years
Death rates highest among young adults

279% rise from 2016 to 2021

Rate overdose deaths with Cocaine and Methamphetamine also increased. (24)

 

Dear World

This small report card tells us THIS IS SERIOUS.

We cannot ignore what is happening and if we are supposedly the most intelligent species on earth, then we better get on the front foot and address all this mess that we have created.

What if there is Another Way?

 

 

References

(1) Maza, M.T., Fox, K.A., Kwon, S-J., Flannery, J.E., Lindquist, K.A., Prinstein, M.J., & Telzer, E.H. (2023, January 3).  Association of Habitual Checking Behaviours on Social Media with Longitudinal Functional Brain Development. JAMA Network. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2799812

(2) (2023). International Childhood Cancer Day. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://internationalchildhoodcancerday.org/

(3) (2023, February 6). Top Sodium Food Sources in the American Diet – Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. IAFNS. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://iafns.org/publication/top-sodium-food-sources-in-the-american-diet-using-national-health-and-nutrition-examination-survey/

(4) Schrader, A. (2023, February 26). Sex Attacks on Teen-Girls Rose During COVID-19 Pandemic, CDC Finds. www.upi.com Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/02/26/sex-attacks-teen-girls-rose-covid-pandemic-cdc/1691677430834/

(5) (2023, March 27). Covid Lockdowns Created ‘Online Backdoor’ for Child Abusers, Says Charity. Safeguarding and Child Protection Association. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.sacpa.org.uk/2023/01/27/covid-lockdowns-created-online-backdoor-for-child-abusers-says-charity/

(6) (2023, March 28). NHS Treating Hundreds of Children as Young as 13 for Gaming Disorders. Sky News. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-treating-hundreds-of-children-as-young-as-13-for-gaming-disorders-12844039

(7) (2023, January 31). Children as Young as Nine Exposed to Pornography. Safeguarding and Child Protection Association. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.sacpa.org.uk/2023/01/31/children-as-young-as-nine-exposed-to-pornography/

(8) Rideout, N. (2022, December 7). Teen Cannabis Use Abuse Has Increased 245% Over 20 Years, Study Finds. Oregon Health and Science University. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://news.ohsu.edu/2022/12/07/teen-cannabis-abuse-has-increased-245-over-20-years-study-finds

(9) (2021, March 31). Endometriosis. World Health Organization. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/endometriosis

(10) Mackintosh, T. (2023, March 16). Cocaine Production Reaches Record Levels as New Trafficking Hubs Emerge. BBC News. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-64974346

(11) Wright, S. (2023, March 17). EXCLUSIVE Albanian Narcos Bringing Cocaine Misery from Ecuador to the Streets of Britain: Investigation Lays Bare How Mafia from Tiny Balkan Country Has Seized Control of Transatlantic Smuggling Routes to Flood Cities Like Brighton with Drugs. Mail Online. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11873035/Albanian-drug-gangs-bringing-cocaine-misery-Ecuador-streets-Britain.html

(12) (2023, February 1). Social Isolation, Loneliness Increase Risk for Heart Failure. American College of Cardiology. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2023/02/01/21/26/Social-Isolation-Loneliness-Increase-Risk-for-Heart-Failure

(13) (2023, January 30). 1 in 8 Americans Over 50 Show Signs of Food Addiction, U-M Poll Finds. University of Michigan. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://news.umich.edu/1-in-8-americans-over-50-show-signs-of-food-addiction-u-m-poll-finds/

(14) Sullivan, K. (2023, January 9). New Guidelines for Treating Childhood Obesity Include Medications and Surgery for First Time. NBC News. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/new-guidelines-treating-childhood-obesity-include-medications-surgery-rcna64651

(15) (2023, April 13). NCSBN Research Projects Significant Nursing Workforce Shortages and Crisis. NCSBN. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-research-projects-significant-nursing-workforce-shortages-and-crisis

(16) (2023, January 18). Nearly Half of US Adults are Unprepared to Help in a Medical Emergency. American College of Emergency Physicians. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.emergencyphysicians.org/press-releases/2023/1-18-23-nearly-half-of-u.s.-adults-are-unprepared-to-help-in-a-medical-emergency

(17) (2023, May 9). Recurrent Brain Trauma May Increase Alzheimer’s Risk. Radiological Society of North America. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/pressreleases/14_pr_target.cfm?ID=2433

(18) (2023, April 11). Menthol Flavour Makes Vape Juice More Toxic, Damaging to Lungs. UPMC. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.upmc.com/media/news/041123-vape-juice-toxic-to-lungs

(19) (2023). Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week. www.headandneck.org Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://headandneck.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2023-OHANCAW-Fact-Sheet.pdf

(20) (2022, May 27). Human Papillomavirus (HPV). NHS. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/

(21) Grant, H., & Milmo, D. (2023, March 10). A Fifth of Teenagers Watch Pornography Frequently and Some Are Addicted, UK Study Finds. The Guardian. Retrieved May, 27 2023 from
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/10/porn-study-survey-uk-teenagers-addicted

(22) (2023, March 29). Drug Overdose Fatalities Among US Older Adults Have Quadrupled Over 20 Years, UCLA Research Finds. UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Retrieved April 29, 2023 from
https://medschool.ucla.edu/news/drug-overdose-fatalities-among-us-older-adults-have-quadrupled-over-20-years-ucla-research

(23) Robinson, J. (2023, March 9). More Than 200 Arrested and Drugs, Guns and Swords Seized During County Lines Crackdown. Sky News. Retrieved May 29, 2023 from
https://news.sky.com/story/more-than-200-arrested-and-drugs-guns-and-swords-seized-during-county-lines-crackdown-12829198

(24) Reinberg, S. (2023, May 3). Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Nearly Quadrupled in 5 Years in U.S. www.upi.com Retrieved May 29, 2023 from
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/05/03/fentanyl-deaths-quadruple/6671683132779/

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments 14

  1. Mail Online – 9 February 2023

    Quarter of a million out-of-work young Britons plan to never get a job

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11510237/Quarter-million-unemployed-young-Britons-planning-NEVER-job-survey-shows.html

    • 227,000 unemployed people aged 18-24 plan never to enter the labour market
    • 30% do not think they will ever be able to achieve their career aspirations
    • 50% of those in employment in London are still receiving family financial support

    The City and Guilds survey suggests a quarter of a million people who are currently not working never plan to get a job.

    66% age 18 to 24 say it is too difficult to find decent employment.

    The report found –

    42% of those who are working are receiving financial support from their family
    50% is the number for those in London

    21% of young people don’t understand how to successfully apply for a job
    30% don’t think they will ever be able to achieve their career ambitions

    The report also found that many respondents harboured lofty, and even unrealistic, career ambitions, while others were left downhearted at the state of the job market where there are currently 859,000 young adults out of work.

    50% of those who took part in the survey said they would be earning more than the UK’s median salary of £28,000 within the next five years.

    79% of all working adults earn less than £30,000 a year.

    15% said they hoped to work in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry,
    These jobs made up only 2% of the labour market this year.

    2% said they wanted to work in the wholesale and retail trade.
    That made up 14% of the total available jobs.

    The report found that –

    • Many young people wanted to get into extremely competitive industries that make up a small amount of the job market.

    • A good salary tended to be the top priority for young people when looking for a new job, followed by exciting work and finding secure employment.

    Those who were attempting to get jobs said they felt put off from applying for entry level positions due to a perceived lack of experience.

    64% said they felt it was not easy for them to get a decent job these days.
    29% said they struggled to get interviews.

    50% of those unemployed said they felt their education had not given them the skills to get a job.

    68% of all young people reported feeling ill-equipped or not confident in their skill set when looking for job.

    The research found that young people who have faced additional challenges, such as young carers, care and prison leavers and those who come from less affluent families, are falling way behind their peers in the labour market at the earliest stage of their careers.

  2. The Guardian – 25 July 2023

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jul/25/catastrophic-forecast-shows-9m-people-in-england-with-major-illnesses-by-2040

    9 MILLION PEOPLE IN ENGLAND WILL BE LIVING WITH MAJOR ILLNESSES BY 2040.

    These include:
    DEMENTIA
    DIABETES
    CANCER
    DEPRESSION
    KIDNEY DISEASE

    Cases are expected to soar as growing numbers reach old age.

    Health leaders have called this “catastrophic”.

    In a rapidly ageing population, the number of people living with serious diseases will rise from almost 1 in 6 of the adult population in 2019 to 1 in 5 by 2040.

    2.5 million extra people will be living with major illnesses
    37% rise compared with 2019, according to the report by Health Foundation.

    45% rise in cases of Dementia
    92% rise in Heart Failure
    31% rise in Cancer
    49% rise in Diabetes
    32% rise in Chronic Pain
    16% rise in Depression or Anxiety

    By the age of 70, people will have an average of 3 long-term conditions, rising to more that 5 by the age of 85.

    THIS IS SERIOUS

    This is so serious that we can no longer sit back and just read it as a bit of news or not go there as we don’t like to be told what may happen to us in the future.

    Is it any surprise that the majority love the distractions, the escapes, the binge eating, binge TV and binge everything as we do not like the everyday living which means – taking care of this body we have and are responsible for until our last breath?

    Could it be possible that the way we are ACTUALLY living is the reason WHY we are going to face all the ills that have been projected?

    Are we bothering to read anything that is spelling out to us that our lifestlyle choices are seriously harming our health?

    We simply cannot dismiss our health and well-being and this website has been on the front foot by presenting ANOTHER WAY TO LIVE and the living evidence is the author.

    Yes Dear World – for anyone in any doubt, worth studying this website and how the author lives in daily life, which confirms there is Another Way.

    With over 300 articles published and no sign of stopping and this is not the “day job”, it would be a wise move to start reading and applying the practical aspects presented.

    As they say in Australia “give it a go mate”.

  3. Brigham and Women’s Hospital – 8 August 2023

    https://www.brighamandwomens.org/about-bwh/newsroom/press-releases-detail?id=4499

    A new study finds women who consumed sugar sweetened beverages daily had a higher risk of developing Liver Cancer or Chronic Liver Disease.

    65% of adults in the United States consume sugar sweetened beverages daily. Chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.

    This is the first study to report an association between sugar sweetened beverage intake and chronic liver disease mortality.

    This was an observational study of 98,786 post-menopausal women who were followed for more than 20 years.

    Those that consumed one or more sugar sweetened beverages daily had an 85% higher risk of liver cancer and 68% higher risk of chronic liver disease mortality compared to those who had fewer than 3 sugar sweetened beverages per month.

    Dear World

    This is super Serious and deserves our attention.

    FOR THE RECORD – the content of this comment has also been published on our Women article. We tend not to duplicate but where it is needed, we will do so and this is one such comment.

    THIS IS SERIOUS and therefore it has a place on this particular blog for that reason.

    Of course this study can be dismissed by those that want facts and numbers. We have still not reached the point where we unite and accept that if almost 100,000 women are saying something and we have them voicing what they consume daily, then we need to note this and not wait for more research that fits our agenda of delay. Yes, while we wait for more data and our researchers to analyse and hypothesise, we need to be reminded that we are nowhere near closer to finding out how on earth this is happening and what is really going on?

    Our world has relied heavily on evidence and when we receive the study, there is always more to research and it gives us something that we know is called delay in the inevitable. Time to wake up world, this is such a serious study we cannot ignore it.

    We ALL know sugar is poison to our body. Our body is communicating that sugar is causing our liver to not function in its natural state and this needs to be addressed.

    WHY are we not going there with the questions –
    WHY do we need sugary drinks everyday?
    WHY are we using sugar to prop us up and what would happen if the prop was not there?

    Are we prepared to admit that without the sugar fix, we may simply not be able to even function?

    How are women living that gives rise to relying on sugar to hit the body to keep going?

    How are women coping with life if sugar drinks are needed every single day when we know sugar alters our natural state?

    How many women are aware that their one or few drinks with sugar everyday has serious consequences?

    What is happening to women who RE post-menopausal that sugar intake everyday is the norm?

    Without asking sensible questions, we will remain the statistic of ill health when in fact we could make changes that will receive a different response from our body.

    What if these women made adjustments because they are educated or presented with the facts of what happens when we consume sugary drinks daily?

    What if these women then became real role models for the younger generations so they reflect by their everyday lived way that it is possible?

    AND finally, what if those like the author of this website and this comment are the ones that present, not because they need the recognition but because they have a body that does not have daily sugar filled drinks?

    There is something about listening and receiving common sense presentations from those that live what they say. In other words, they walk the talk and talk the walk. They are coming directly from something that they live and it holds value and most, if not all of us would feel that on some level or have already experienced that. There is no fake sale or trying to convince or preach something. It just is. Take it or leave it.

  4. British Medical Journal – BMJ 1 September 2023

    https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/fluid-on-the-lungs-relatively-little-known-hazard-linked-to-open-water-swimming/

    Fluid on the lungs is a relatively little known hazard linked to open water swimming, warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

    Older age, swimming long distances, cold water, female sex, high blood pressure and pre-existing heart disease are among the risk factors. However, it frequently occurs in those who are otherwise fit and healthy.

    Open water swimming has become very popular, with over 3 million in England in 2021, but mounting evidence points to a link between the activity and a condition called Swimming-Induced Pulmonary Oedema (SIPA).

    1989
    First reported – SIPA leaves swimmers struggling to draw breath and depletes their blood of vital oxygen.

    Example in this report states a woman in her 50s, keen competitive long distance swimmer and triathlete with no medical history of note, experiencing difficulty breathing.

    Arrival at hospital – rapid heartbeat and x-ray revealed pulmonary oedema. Further scans revealed fluid had infiltrated the heart muscle, a sign of strain, known as myocardial oedema. However, she had no structural heart disease.

    SIPE recurrence is common and has been reported in 13% – 22% of swimmers and scuba divers, suggesting a predisposition to the condition.

    The authors advise swimming in warmer water, without a tight fitting wetsuit and avoidance of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories to minimise risk.

    Dear World

    THIS IS SERIOUS

    As humans, some of us conveniently dismiss or ignore that our body is simply NOT designed to be in cold waters.

    Common sense knows that when we step into a warm room, under the soft duvet or blanket or a hot bath, our body relaxes and we drop deeper into our actual body.

    However, there is stimulation with a lot more people joining the cold sea Christmas Day and New Year’s Day jumping into the sea dressed up or with very little on – but what for?

    Social media or to be claiming some kind of fame? Furthermore, the elderly are attempting this too and wild water swimming is bigger than most are probably aware of.

    While researchers come up with more evidence, there is a strong chance this will continue and there will be more incidents like the example given.

    What is clear is our human body is not designed or equipped to be assaulted and abused in this way. We can continue, but there will come a point where we will realise no amount of force will make the body obedient to something that is not true.

  5. American Association for the Advancement of Science AAAS – 27 September 2023

    https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1002223

    Lack of Financial Planning is linked to a higher risk of death in the UK and the U.S. according to a new study over 22 years.

    People who are less socioeconomically advantaged have lower life expectancies, with a number of possible underlying mechanisms, such as less ability to spend on healthcare or the psychological effects of economic inequality.

    Previous research has shown that many households struggle to financially prepare for old age.

    The researchers found in this study that people who planned their finances into the future had a lower risk of dying during the study periods. This association held true even after statistically accounting for other factors that could affect mortality risk, such as demographics, income and self-reported life expectancy, which could inform financial planning decisions.

    In addition, people who planned further into the future had better self-reported health and this association was strongest for the least financially advantaged participants.

    The authors said that the study suggest lack of financial planning was not only bad for the wallet but also health and longevity.

    Dear World

    This article deserves to be posted on THIS IS SERIOUS because we have a rising number of people in our world who have made absolutely no plans for how they are going to be taken care of if they had to stop work because of ill health or an accident. Some are dependent on a partner that may not make it to old age due to current health issues and so it goes on and this is the raw reality.

    How many live in rental properties and have not considered that one day they may need to move due to lack of affordability or job redundancy or old age?

    We seem to not have this retirement planning on our radar as most live within a budget or need to provide for family and thinking ahead would cause anxiety and fear, so we simply do not go there.

    THIS IS SERIOUS as we now have a study that tells us our lack of responsibility when it comes to financial planning increases the risk of death. Just knowing this can bring on some kind of anxiety as we simply are not equipped and that is the truth.

    So where do we go and how can we make changes when we feel trapped in the systems we live in, pay our taxes, go on vacation and not consider the future years as that’s too much?

    What if we started taking responsibility now for everything and start with what we are spending and where can we be more sensible? Balancing our ledger means we cannot just spend or have what we think we want or what others have because that’s how we operate. Having the lastest newest smartphone or buying Christmas gifts when we can barely pay our bills is not a sensible and mature approach.

    We have whole generations – the youth of today where many do not even think about saving or those that do want to stop work and retire decades ahead of the usual age. What is this saying about our future workforce?

    Our world is in a serious mess. We know our health systems are running on red and the debts are mounting due to the rise in multiple illnesses and diseases that are now prevalent worldwide.

    We have created a world that demands 24/7 of whatever we desire or fantasise and we get it at the click or tap of a digital device.

    The good old fashion – only spend what you can afford and save money – is no longer on our radar and then we have studies like this giving us the end result of what happens.

    Time for a re-set and get Back to Basics as it pays, literally to tighten up and sharpen up when it comes to all our expenditure, including the seemingly small stuff, which all adds up if we ignore it, as that’s how we roll. Not sensible, not real and not responsible.

  6. The Guardian – 30 October 2023

    https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/oct/30/councils-in-england-facing-bankruptcy-as-lack-of-housing-pushes-up-costs

    Councils in England are facing bankruptcy.

    The housing crisis will push many local authorities into bankruptcy as the increasing cost of emergency accommodation for thousands of homeless families threatens to overwhelm council budgets.

    Millions are being spent in a year and in some cases between 20% and 50% of their total available financial resources to try and cope with and unprecedented and rapid explosion in homelessness caused by rising rents and a shrinking supply of affordable properties.

    The scale of the crisis means some affluent counties cannot supply enough emergency homes to meet their legal duty to support homeless families. Rates in homelessness in some districts have more than doubled year on year.

    THIS IS SERIOUS

    Have we bothered to ask how on earth has it got to this point?

    Who or what is running the show – and why have we allowed this?

    Why are our councils not operating with transparency and allowing the public to know how monies are being spent?

    If we get simple – we could ask how do those who make these financial decisions operate in their own personal life when it comes to money?

    We place people in high positions and we start the blame game but forget those that are employed to be trusted with the public purse may not be equipped, because no CV bothers to check how they budget and conduct their own finances.

    Of course, there are many other factors to consider which is how much sympathy and pandering do we do when there is a homeless case?

    How much are we into getting the numbers reduced and that means finding emergency accommodation at whatever cost just so it looks good on the figures?

    Is it time we admitted not only do we have a SERIOUS 911 but we ought to now consider how to change this whole way of running business especially when it comes to public monies?

  7. UPI Health News – 15 November 2023

    https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/11/15/eating-disorder-insurance-claims-record-significant-rise/5731700039096/

    65% rise in U.S. medical insurance claims for treatment for Eating Disorders between 2018 and 2022, according to a new report.
    https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2275537/Spotlight_On_Eating_Disorders_A_FAIR_Health_White_Paper.pdf?p=pdf

    Increases were seen across all eating conditions

    The largest rise was ARFID – more than triple
    Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

    81% rise in Binge-Eating Disorder

    73% rise in Anorexia Nervosa

    1 in 10 patients with Eating Disorders were diagnosed with multiple disorders and were 5 times more likely to suffer from one or more mental illnesses and 4 times more likely to have a substance abuse problem.

    The database of 43 billion private healthcare claim records were drawn on and is the largest in the United States

    The study also looked at accompanying mental health conditions and found –

    72% of all patients with Eating Disorders had at least one co-morbidity led by bulimia sufferers and

    78% of whom were diagnosed with one or more mental illness that was not an eating disorder

    4 in 10 patients had a Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

    39% had a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, with some being diagnosed with both conditions

    2022
    24% of all Eating Disorder diagnoses were for Binge-Eating Disorder or Anorexia on their own, making them the most common eating-related medical conditions.

    89% of all eating disorder claim lines were females, except for males younger than age 9, which exceeded females

    94% by condition, claims for Anorexia were female

    ARFID was the eating disorder that most affected patients under the age of 13

    Binge-eating disorder mostly affected age group 31 – 65

    All regions saw significant rises in claims for Eating Disorders –

    84% rise in the South

    2018 – 2022
    100-fold increase in video consultations for treating Eating Disorders

    Dear World

    This is SERIOUS and what next is the question?

    Where is this going and what are we doing about it?

    We simply do not have the resources and do we really want to wait for the next and the next study to tell us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT when it comes to eating dis-orders of all kinds.

    Our kids seem to be getting younger and younger and we ought to remind ourselves that not everyone is coming forward to speaking up, so there is a strong likelihood that these stats are not reflecting the actual reality of the problem we have.

    We have kids with eating disorders at a very young age and we have children with Obesity. Is that enough to stop us all to ask WHY and HOW have we got to this point and where is our Responsibility before we start blaming or pointing fingers.

  8. British Medical Association – 5 January 2024

    https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/pressures-in-general-practice-data-analysis

    GP practices in England are experiencing significant and growing strain with declining GP numbers, rising demand, struggles to recruit and retain staff. This has had knock-on effects for patients.

    NHS are still losing fully qualified GPs at an alarming rate over the past year.

    Fewer doctors are looking after greater numbers of patients.

    The overall number of GPs has seen little growth since 2015, with the number of GP partners declining significantly over that time.

    England would need an additional 16,700 GPs to be on equal footing with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average.

    Latest data from November 2023 confirms there are 1,881 fewer fully qualified full-time GPs compared to the September 2015 baseline.

    Whilst the GP workforce is declining, the number of patients is increasing.

    November 2023
    63.03 million patients were registered with GP practices in England – another record high.

    18% increase (355 patients per GP) since 2015, demonstrating the ever mounting workload in general practice.

    83% of appointments were booked to take place within 2 weeks.

  9. Diabetes UK – 10 January 2024

    https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2024/jan/one-in-three-people-have-given-up-seeing-a-gp-poll-shows.html

    30% living in the UK have stopped going to their GP for medical advice due to the difficulties of securing an appointment, according to a new survey.

    25% of adult responders were unable to get a GP appointment.

    1 in 3 of the participants that have given up say they have resorted to DIY medical care.

    15% say they try to treat themselves instead of seeking professional medical care/1 in 5 have purchased medicine online without any advice from a trained healthcare professional.

    1 in 3 people suffering with pain had put off seeing a GP.

    Next

    1 January to 8 December 2023
    13,000 people contacted Young Minds for support.

    2,800 parents and carers rang the charity in need of urgent crisis support.

    Young Minds, a UK mental health charity stated that parents required help to deal with anxiety, low mood, depression and anger in their children, as well as autism-related complications and behaviour problems.

  10. Sky News – 25 January 2024

    Cost of keeping people in prison on intermediate IPP sentences tops £1 Billion since 2012

    https://news.sky.com/story/cost-of-keeping-people-in-prison-on-indeterminate-ipp-sentences-tops-1bn-since-2012-13055324

    Ministry of Justice show 2,852 people remain behind bars under the controversial sentence, scrapped in 2012 –
    That means inmates remain in jail indefinitely until the parole board approves their release.

    Keeping people who are serving a controversial indefinite sentence beyond their minimum term in prison has cost the taxpayer more than £1 BILLION since 2012.

    The data relates to those serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences.

    This is a type of open-ended sentence that was abolished more than a decade ago following widespread concern over its implementation and psychological impact on inmates.

    April 2012 to December 2023
    £1.1 Billion – Cost the taxpayer to house unreleased IPP prisoners who were serving time beyond their original tariff – the term used to describe the minimum amount of time they had to spend in custody before they could be considered for release by the Parole Board.

    It does not include those that have been recalled back to prison after initially being released under strict licence conditions.

    Of the 2,582 people that remain incarcerated under the IPP system, 1,227 have never been released and 1,210 are behind bars beyond their original tariff.

    IPP sentences were implemented in 2005 under the then Labour government and were intended for the most serious violent and sexual offenders who posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public but whose crimes did not warrant a life term.

    Although the government’s stated aim was public protection, concerns quickly grew that IPP sentences were being applied too broadly and catching more minor offenders – with many serving time in prison much longer than their initial term.

    In light of the criticisms, IPP’s were scrapped in 2012 but the change was not applied retrospectively – meaning those who were in prison at the time the sentence was abolished were not able to benefit.

    There have long been calls from campaigners for the government to review the use of IPP sentences – which have been described as “cruel and degrading” by a torture expert at the UN.

    In 2022, parliament’s Justice Select Committee published a report recommending a re-sentencing exercise, arguing the IPP sentence was “irredeemably flawed” and caused ‘acute harm” to those serving them due to the prisoner not knowing when they might be released.

    Successive governments have been reluctant to carry out a re-sentencing exercise on the grounds it could compromise public safety.

    However, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk – who has described IPP’s as a ‘stain’ on the justice system – has come under pressure to heed the committee’s calls due to the current capacity constraints in the prison system.

    Data from the MoJ published last week shows the prison estate in England and Wales is fast approaching its operational capacity limit, with just 1,430 spaces left.

    According to the campaigning organisation the Institute of Now, the number of people still inside on IPP sentences beyond their tariff could fill the equivalent of more than four average-size UK prisons.

    Henry Rossi, a human rights campaigner and founder of the Institute of Now, said: “Far too many people, both prisoners and their families, have been subjected to psychological torture from this wicked sentence, which in so many cases, has led to suicides.

    Prisons are not the place to manage those that have served their time as punishment. The UK has blood on its hands and the government must urgently relook at this draconian sentence and release post-tariff IPP prisoners with the appropriate support.”

    A separate report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) shows how care and separation units (CSU’s) are regularly being used as a “stop gap” to manage prisoners with severe mental health needs – including those serving IPP sentences.

    In one case, a man with a schizophrenia diagnosis cumulatively spent almost nine months in CSU – also known as segregation or “the seg” – during which time the IMB said his mental health “dramatically deteriorated”.

    In another example, an IPP prisoner with a personality disorder spent over 800 days in the CSU before they were transferred to an appropriate unit.

    The IMB national chair said: “Segregating any prisoner, especially those with mental health needs, is not a decision taken lightly by prison managers. While they clearly feel that they have no other option, CSU’s should not be used as holding bays for these vulnerable individuals.”

    “While local IMB’s found that overall staff worked hard to support prisoners in the best way that they could, collectively they have reported a disturbing picture of mentally unwell men spending lengthy periods in isolation, which often results in a deterioration of their mental health.

    If anything is to change, the solution is, and has always been, providing appropriate mental health provision in the community and tighter controls around the transfer times from prison to hospital.”

  11. Neuroscience News – 29 January 2024

    People likely to conceal contagious sickness for social commitments.

    https://neurosciencenews.com/social-behavior-contagious-sickness-25540/

    New research suggests a startling number of people conceal an infectious disease to avoid missing work, travel, or social events.

    The study, involving over 4,100 participants, including healthcare workers found –
    75% had hidden or might hide their illness in the future, often due to social plans or institutional pressures.

    Despite the potential harm to others, actively sick individuals frequently reported concealing illnesses of varying severity and transmissibility. This research highlights a critical public health issue, underscoring the need for solutions beyond individual responsibility.

    Key facts:

    • 75% of participants admitted to hiding or considering hiding an infectious illness in various social contexts
    • 61% of healthcare workers confessed to concealing their illness

    The study suggests a discrepancy between how people predict they would act when sick and their actual behaviour, with many downplaying the severity and transmissibility of their illness.

    Many participants reported boarding planes, going on dates, and engaging in other social interactions while secretly sick.

    The lead researcher found a difference between how people believe they would act when ill and how they actually behave.

    He said: “Healthy people forecasted that they would be unlikely to hide harmful illnesses – those that spread easily and have severe symptoms – but actively sick people reported high levels of concealment regardless of how harmful their illness was to others.”

    Of the participants, many said they hid their illness because it would conflict with social plans, while a small percentage of participants cited pressure from institutional policies (e.g., lack of paid time off).

    Other studies were conducted where participants who were actually sick and others were given hypothetical illnesses. The participants were asked to rate their transmissibility and likelihood of covering up an illness in a hypothetical meeting with another person.

    Results showed that, compared to healthy participants who only imagined being sick, those who were actively ill were more likely to conceal their illness regardless of its transmissibility.

    The lead author of the study said: “This suggests that sick people and healthy people evaluate the consequences of concealment in different ways with sick people being relatively insensitive to how spreadable and severe their illness may be for others.”

    Overall, the findings carry significant public health implications, illuminating the motivations and trade-offs we make in social interactions when we’re sick.

    “After all, people tend to react negatively to, find less attractive and steer clear of people who are sick with infectious illness. It therefore makes sense that we may take steps to cover up our sickness in social situations. This suggests that solutions to the problem of disease concealment may need to rely on more than just individual good will.”

    For some, the first sign of any ailment, we take time off work and milk it for as long as possible.

    For others, going to work while sick is a very common reaction.

    Unfortunately, we don’t consider the healthy if we choose to come back to work while still sick, due in part to the fact that we don’t see common infectious diseases as too serious.

    Once we have gotten over the worst of things like the common cold, the flu, stomach flu, hepatitis, respiratory diseases, we come back to work thinking that we are OK, but the truth is, we haven’t fully healed.

    Whatever the misplaced reason, whether it’s because we don’t want to lose money, or we don’t want to let people down, or we can struggle on because “I am a soldier”, or “I am being pressured from work”, many of us have done this.

    It wasn’t until a few years ago that I was doing this.

    Whether contagious or not, whatever illness, malady, ailment, accident I had, my overarching drive was to get back to work ASAP.

    This is one of those topics that is highly subjective.

    We all react to illness and disease in different ways, so there can be no one ‘solution’ that fits all.

    The only thing we can do is be honest with ourselves and deeply look at the reasons why we want to get back to work before being fully healed.

  12. Barron’s News – 24 February 2024

    https://www.barrons.com/news/south-korea-issues-severe-health-alert-over-doctors-strike-2c2afd60

    South Korea issues “Severe” Public Health alert to the highest level, saying health services were in crisis after thousands of doctors resigned over proposed medical reforms. It is the 1st time that the alert has been raised to the “Severe” level due to a “health care (service) crisis”.

    78.5% of the junior doctors have quit.
    Their resignation letters have not been officially accepted or processed and the government has ordered many of them to return to their hospitals.

    Doctors are considered essential workers in South Korea and are restricted by law from striking, with the government repeatedly claiming the mass resignation is unlawful.

    The collective action has resulted in the cancellation or postponement of surgeries for cancer patients and C-sections for pregnant women and patients with severe illnesses have requested that the doctors return to work.

    South Korea general hospitals rely heavily on trainee junior doctors for emergency operations and surgeries.

    The government is pushing hard to admit 2,000 more students to medical schools annually from next year.
    Doctors voiced fierce opposition claiming it would hurt the quality of service.

    Junior doctors say the new medical education reforms are the final straw in a profession where they already struggle with tough working conditions and that the over-reliance on trainees in the current healthcare system was not reasonable or fair.

    75% of the South Korean public supports the increase in medical school admissions, with those living in remote areas struggling to access quality health care.

  13. UT Southwestern Medical Centre – 21 February 2024

    Age, sex, race among top risk factors for revision knee surgery.

    https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2024/feb-risk-factors-revision-knee-surgery.html

    According to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre (UTSW), patients who are younger than about 40, male, or Black are among those most at risk for revision surgery after having had a total knee replacement. The study, published in the Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery was first to explore relationships among risk factors for revision after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

    The Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UTSW said: “This research helps to identify risk factors for revision surgery so patients can be better counselled on expectations with their knee replacements. It also helps surgeons identify which patients may be good candidates for surgery.”

    TKA, also known as total knee replacement, is among the most common fastest-growing surgeries in the US, as well as one of the most impactful procedures in improving patient outcomes through orthopaedic surgery. The rise in these procedures has been accompanied by an increase in TKA revision – a second surgery for patients who experience complications with their initial surgery.

    According to the study, the number of revision surgeries was projected to increase between 78% and 182% from 2014 to 2030, with the financial burden on the US health care system expected to surpass $13 billion.

    The top reason patients undergo TKA is primary osteoarthritis; others include post-traumatic or inflammatory arthritis, osteonecrosis, and malignancy. Although risk factors for TKA revision surgery are already established, relationships among them are not yet well understood and may be critical to improving patient risk assessment.

    Using data from the State Inpatient Databases (SID), the study identified 958,944 patients who underwent TKA between January 2006 and December 2015. Of those, 33,550 (3.5%) required revision.

    Results showed that age was the strongest risk factor, with younger patients significantly more likely to need revision. Risk was also much higher in patients who were male, Black, had hospital stays shorter or longer than three days, resided in small metropolitan community, or had an underlying reason for TKA surgery other than primary osteoarthritis.

    A projected increase between 78% to 182% from 2014 to 2030 –

    This is a huge increase – so the question is – WHY?

    Why are people younger than 40 needing revision knee surgery?

    What are they doing or not doing that is creating this demand?

    Are they going back to doing the things they were doing which created the need for knee surgery in the first place?

    Are they carrying on with the same harm-full movements that led them to the point of having TKA?

    At the age of 57 I had TKA on my right knee. My left knee has now got to the point where I will need another TKA. Both due to osteoarthritis.

    Yes, we can say it is due to my extensive sport participation when I was younger – football, badminton, tennis, squash, martial arts, basketball etc. – which created the ‘wear and tear’ of both knees.

    But what if there is something deeper going on?

    What if it was simply me stuck in my ways, stubbornly refusing to move forward in my life, rigidly holding on to digging my heels in?

    Is it possible then, that this way of living could manifest itself into what we call osteoarthritis?

    If revision TKA is predicted to hit 182%, is it possible that we are so busy looking to get back to our lives the way it was that we pay no attention to the ‘WHY’ we have this debilitating illness in the first place?

    This is serious stuff.

  14. World Health Organization – 14 March 2024

    https://www.who.int/news/item/14-03-2024-over-1-in-3-people-affected-by-neurological-conditions–the-leading-cause-of-illness-and-disability-worldwide

    A major new study released by The Lancet Neurology shows in 2021, more than 3.4 BILLION people worldwide were living with a neurological condition.
    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00038-3/fulltext

    Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.

    18% increase since 1990 in the overall amount of disability, illness and premature death (known as disability-adjusted life years DALYs) caused by neurological conditions.

    Top 10 neurological conditions contributing to loss of health in 2021 were:
    Stroke
    Brain Injury
    Migraine
    Dementia
    Diabetic Neuropathy (nerve damage)
    Meningitis
    Epilepsy
    Neurological Complications from pre-term birth
    Autism Spectrum Disorder
    Nervous System Cancers

    Overall, there is more disability and health loss in men compared to women but some conditions like Migraine or Dementia, women are more disproportionately affected.

    Diabetic neuropathy was the fastest growing neurological condition.
    The number has tripled globally since 1990, rising to 206 million cases in 2021.

    Other conditions, such as neurological complications from Covid-19 did previously Not exist and now account for over 23 million cases.

    Dear World

    This global statistic is SERIOUS and a wake up call because half our world population now has a neurological condition.

    While we push harder for our researchers to keep us up to date and develop new strategies to cope, treat and cure – are we ready to make the call and ask WHY?

    Why are we developing these conditions and does our lifestyle choices have anything that needs changing?

    What is clear is we simply do not have the resources to deal with such high volumes of neurological conditions and these stats are old. Fast forward another 3 years and we arrive at today in 2024 and we can all take a sensible guess and be assured the numbers are higher.

    WHY – because we have yet to firstly admit this cannot continue and secondly ask WHY and HOW we have arrived at this point in our modern day world. Until then we can expect the rises to continue as we have to ask where is this all heading and what on earth is going to happen in the years to come…

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