Obesity

SUPERSIZE french fries;

SUPERSIZE me

The health expert

Sophia Chew

“Obesity has become a global epidemic,” this phrase was quoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health.

The alarming facts are that there are at least 300 milllion out of the 1 billion adults in the world who are currently overweight. It is exceptionally prevalent in western populations, where they make up 50% of the total number of overweight people worldwide. Currently, in the UK, about two-thirds of the adults are either overweight or obese with 22% of men and 23% of women are at least two to three stone overweight. This means their weight is putting their health at considerable risk. Not only are the adults affected, obesity is a high amongst children as well. For the past 20 years, the level of obesity has tripled in number and unfortunately, the figures are still increasing rapidly.

Obesity is a great concern in the world as it can result in many adverse health problems - such as diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, breathlessness, depression, gallstones, shortening our lifespan and the list goes on. This global epidemic is spreading to areas of developing countries. I believe the cause to this is because there is an easier access to over-processed food, especially with the wide franchise of fast food restaurants; and with modern transportation, comes less need to be active in our daily lives. Obesity is largely linked to the widespread of fast food chains all over the world. In the United States where it has one of the highest rates of obesity, their fast food industry is agressively entering into the market to introduce their products. For example, Taco Bell is being served in more than 4,500 school cafeterias. When other fast food chains notices this profitable action, they too salivate at this prospect. Hence, as much as we want to, it is rather difficult to stop the franchise of Macdonalds, Burger King, and KFC and so on, globally.

The content of the McDonald’s diet has long been a problematic issue with nutritionist. So what gives rise to such weight problems? Firstly, as people eat more meals outside the home, they consume more calories, less fiber and more fat. Furthermore, the introduction of unhealthy eating habits is due to the trade of foreign foods into and out outside nations. The World Health Organization foresights that “within the next few years, noncommunicable disease will become the principle cause of morbidity and mortality, a shift towards highly refined foods and towards meat and dairy products containing high levels of saturated fats which in turn, contribute to rises in incidences of obesity and noncommunicable disease.”

However, it is wrong to say that the fast food industry is entirely to blame. Consumers are big time culprits, too. Therefore, since we know that nutritional health is inversely proportional to the weight of the saturated fat you lift from the plate into your mouth, I urged the world to pick up healthier eating habits by reducing their amount of fat intake and lead a healthier and more active lifestyle.

World Demonstrations Strengthen Iraqis

Taken from: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/resist/2006/0329demonstrations.htm

Angeline Chua, Political Expert

My Reflections

Globalization has resulted in the rise of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious groups as well as peace groups worldwide, which now hold a revolutionary form of power. When this power is at its peak, there is a high possibility for it to even surpass that of national governments that hold power only in their own countries. It is able to transcend the limitations of national borders as different nationalities put aside their differences to come together under a common cause. An example of such organizations includes the European Union, the United Nations, and the International Monetary Fund.

In the case of the Iraq War, the article has mentioned several NGOs in the United States that have conducted demonstrations and protests in the hope of ending the Iraq War. These include the Muslim Scholars Association, a group that represents the Sunni Muslims in Iraq, United for Peace and Justice, the anti-war group that is in charge of organizing protests against the war throughout the United States and Progressive Democrats of America which has also organized demonstrations alike, to name a few.

It can also be seen from this the consequences of our globalized world today. We have transformed drastically as compared to what we were years back, and a reversion is also impossible. Non-governmental organizations are now able to represent and stand up for the interests of the bulk of the citizens within a country, when the government has chosen to ignore public opinion and has insisted on doing things its way. In this case, the US Congress has persisted on sending tens and thousands of US troops to Iraq despite violent objections from the majority of the citizens in Untied States. In fact, these organizations, such as the Military Families Speak up, are now part of the efforts to "put pressure on the Congress to end the war".
Below is an excert taken from "Frustration Marks Another War Anniversary" by Haider Rizvi:

"Fully-funded safe withdrawal within a year is not an extreme position," said Tim Carpenter, director of Progressive Democrats of America, whose group has been active in organising anti-war protests. "It's the position of 60 percent of the American people," he added in a statement citing a recent USA Today newspaper poll.

People across the globe are also aware of the new power that possess that can impact major decisions in our globalized world today. National governments no longer have the last say to decisions on the outcome of issues that have citizens embroilled into it, in this case, sending more than 3,200 US troops to death while fighting the Iraq war and having 63,000 wounded.
In fact, many have seized at the opportunity to exercise this power, and fight for their rights.

Below is another excerpt from the same article as above:

Despite cold temperatures, at least 40,000 people took part in the New York rally, with women's participation more visible than ever before at anti-war events. Elsewhere outside the United States, huge rallies also took place in many European cities and Australia. Some estimates suggest that the turnout in Spain was close to 100,000.

The New York rally was held to mark the third war anniversary since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. From the figures shown, it can be seen how many have took it upon themselves to stop the war.

We should be thankful for this globalized world that we have right now, where we can be certain that every single one of us is significant enough to make a difference and change the world, so long as we are willing to take ownership and step forward.

Other resources: http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/advocacy/protest/iraq/2007/0319frustration.htm

One World, Many Powers

By David Ignatius

Taken from: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070505/OPINION/705050447/-1/LOCAL17

Angeline Chua, Political Expert

My Reflections

The article states that we are in the transition phase from a “bipolar” world - where the Soviet Union and the United States as the two major global powers controlled the globe during the days of the Cold War - to a “multipolar” world, where major powers now include China, France and Britain. The United States no longer stands alone. This has contributed to globalization as influences from all the major countries have been widespread across the world.

However, a multipolar world poses greater difficulty to the maintenance of peace and stability across the globe. It is also harder to finalize major decisions with more varied opinions and different points of view. It becomes less likely to get things done as a result. An example is issues pertaining to global warming, where in order to improve the condition of the environment, international cooperation and unanimous commitment to reduce dependence on fossil fuels is required. According to the article “Global warming can be controlled – but only if nations act now, UN told” from Times Online, scientists and politicians agreed that “the world needs to act quickly” in cutting carbon emissions, “increasing nuclear capacity from 16 to 18 per cent of world energy supply and increasing renewables such as wind, solar and tidal power from 18 per cent to between 30 and 35 per cent.”

However, as the article “One World, Many Powers” has pointed out, the system of multilateralism still lacks organization. It is not yet confirmed which country or community is prepared to emerge and rule as an influential power.

Is the Muslim world a pole? If so, who will lead it -- Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan? Can the Muslim nations of the Middle East put aside their traditional rivalries and act responsibly in resolving a crisis? That's what the meeting of Iraq's neighbors this week is testing. An exhausted America finally seems ready for a multilateral exit strategy from Iraq, but are the neighbors able enough to deliver it?

Allow me to compare the system of global powers to the board of directors of a company. Being among the major global powers is similar to being part of the board to head a company. The difference is this ‘board’ of major powers is leading the world. In a company, nearly all the members of the committee share the same agenda for the company, merely different views. Multilateralism however, means that different countries that possess completely different sets of value systems and ambitions come together to lead.

The issue at hand is competency. According to the article, this may mean being able to “put aside… traditional rivalries and act responsibly in resolving a crisis”. It is extremely important that a country or community’s competency in all aspects (be it social, economic or trade) is taken into account before its emergence as a global power as this would greatly impact the future of the world.

Most of the major nations are on the cusp of political change. The United States is the most obvious example: George Bush will leave the White House in less than two years, but to whom? Big changes are coming in France and Britain, too. Gaullist foreign policy will outlive President Jacques Chirac, just as the Atlantic alliance will survive the departure of Prime Minister Tony Blair. But both moorings will probably be looser -- adding additional drift. And what should we expect from a post-Putin Russia -- assuming he follows through on his promise to retire next year?

The article also acknowledges the challenge posed by political changes to this transition to a multipolar world. However, for nations to constantly evolve politically is a norm, and it is almost impossible to have all the major nations not experience such changes.

The key is to be able to build up multilateralism in the midst of these changes. If the world continues to wait for the right opportunity to receive multilateralism, then a multipolar world would never come. We need to take the brave step forward, after acknowledging the need for a new system, to receive and embrace multipolarity.

Other Sources: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article1749932.ece

UN under fire for turning a blind eye to peacekeepers' misconduct

Angeline Chua, Political Expert

Taken from: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/un-under-fire-for-turning-a-blind-eye-to-peacekeepers-misconduct/2007/05/06/1178390145310.html

Overview

UN police and civilian staff in Timor-Lese have been patronizing the brothels of Dili and UN vehicles can be seen parked outside brothels as well as picking up teenage prostitutes before dusk outside a hotel on Dili’s waterfront. These “peacemakers” have been openly violating what the United Nations would deem as a "zero tolerance policy towards sexual abuse and misconduct” in Timor-Lese, a deeply religious country, including fathering at least 20 Timorese children, leaving the poverty-stricken women ostracised by their community. Sexual abuse cases of children have also been reported. Dangerous driving by the UN staff have resulted in 80 vehicle accidents in the area, some of which included drink driving.

Unfortunately, the UN has apparently turned a “blind eye” prostitution, as a UN employee had said. Also, since 1999, none of the UN employees in the area has been charged with a serious offence. The spokeswoman of United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNIMT), Allison Cooper, has however insisted that they are strictly enforcing the “zero-tolerance” policy towards misconduct.

Analysis


The shameful deeds of the UN in Timor-Lese demonstrate a huge irony in the UN’s mission to render help and restore stability to countries in need. As Atul Khare, an Indian diplomat who was heading the UNIMT had commented about the dangerous driving of the UN employees, put it, UN were in Timor-Lese “to help the people recover from the trauma of conflict and not to perpetuate it." This incident may cause many to wonder if behind every good motivation, there would be hypocrisy to thwart progress made to help people in need. It would be unfortunate if the misconduct of some would cause the public to lose their trust in the whole organization – in this case, the United Nations, where others who have whole-heartedly dedicated their time would be doubted upon as well.

Indeed, globalization has brought more help to the nations in need. It has meant the rise in importance of international non-governmental organizations that solve issues which cannot be resolved within a nation, or by the means of international treaties, which have been criticised as being overly focused on capitalist interests.

However, having people from other countries help solve a problem that is not their own may also mean that half-heartedness and a lack of enthusiasm would suffice after awhile. It is impossible of course, for humans to be infallible, and this applies to the UN employees in Timor-Lese as well. Firstly, it is highly possible that there are some in their midst who do not view the Timorese as of equal importance as people of their own race and language. If they had, there would not have been sexual abuse cases of Timorese children or the fathering of at least 20 children that have left the Timorese women ostracised by their community. This may be a tad sweeping as a statement, but the inevitability of racial discrimination is undeniable.

This incident also shows the consequences of the near absence of strict control over any group of people, including “peacemakers”.

blogging- the new global culture!

Cultural expert- Yeo Jia Wen

Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogs

REFLECTIONS

Firstly, let me give you a definition of a blog. "A blog is a website where entries are made and displayed in a reverse chronological order." Blogging is a product of globalisation. As people all over the world start to adopt common lifestyles through globalisation, blogging has evolved to become a new phenomenon, a new global culture.

Many people all over the world with internet access own a blog, and blogging has inevitably become a new global culture. It is no surprise that people predict, by 2007, the number of writers who maintain a personal website will reach 100 million. I guess this is not only due to the growth in popularity of this global culture (probably because it is simple for one to start a blog. This can greatly appeal to internet users to have a blog.), but also because more countries are undergoing modernisation and technology is being developed. This will allow the internet to be more accessible to everyone, and which is likely to lead to an increase in the number of bloggers.

People are also bringing in real life issues into their blog entries. One example would be the Iraq war. It may be the case that in the future, blogs may become a form of historical source to let people understand the past- the historical resources that people study in the future might very well be these blogs!

Blogs can indeed have a large influence in modern society today, as the use of the internet is part of many people’s lives in modern society today. This makes the spread of ideas through blogging extensive and fast. Ideas circulating in people’s blogs can greatly impact society. Even politicians are at risk of being threatened by blogs- As mentioned in the article, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott made controversial comments at a public event, but no major media organizations reported on his comments until after blogs broke the story. This created a political crisis for Lott and he was forced to step down as majority leader. Clearly, this new global culture is rather large scale and can thus be very influential in society. This is probably why some of the world’s politicians and political candidates are harnessing blogs as a medium to express their opinions of things happening around them- a large number of people will read these blogs, understand the intentions of these politicians, and may start to support them. As such, these politicians can win over the support of the masses.

However, people have to be very careful when they choose to participate in this new global culture. This is because information released in blogs is viewable by everyone. Take Singapore’s case as an example. Two ethnic Chinese were imprisoned after posting anti-Muslim remarks on their web blogs, as it jeopardized the country’s stability. As such, bloggers have to have enough social responsibility to be careful of the materials they release onto the net. In a way, this new global culture is beneficial for society as it encourages people to learn to be responsible of their actions in society.

As shown, through globalisation, blogging has become a popular and extensive activity carried out by many in the world today. It has evolved to become a large-scale global culture. As more countries become more developed, allowing the internet to be more accessible by people, and as the integration of culture and ways of living continues in the world, it is likely that more people will participate in this global culture of blogging in the future. The impact of this global culture on the world will thus be greater.

Is globalisation avoidable?

-Shirleen Low

Is globalisation avoidable?

The answer is a reluctant yes, but it is definitely not easy. An example of a country which has resisted globalization would be North Korea – it does not even have formal diplomatic relations and is isolated on its own, separated from South Korea. However, this is a very drastic exception.

An example of a country which is slowly coming under the pressure of undergoing globalization would be India.



India has been quietly trying to resist the pull of globalization, claiming that it is unnecessary, but this is slowly changing as time passes. These following quotes (taken from the resources mentioned at the end) emphasize it:

"Globalization is an unavoidable process which is taking place independent of us. It forces us to cope with it. There is not room in a globalized world for an economy delinked from world trade and foreign investment."

“The truth is that if we do not reform rapidly, and position ourselves to compete, we will be marginalized. There is no divine dispensation that gives India alone the power to survive and prosper as an isolationist island in a globalized world."



This is undoubtedly true today. With the advent of globalisation and its fast spread worldwide, a country that does not follow suit will quickly be marginalized. Not only will it fall back economy-wise, its people will also start to lag behind the ever-evolving customs and mindsets pervading the rest of the world’s people. The country will have to rely completely on itself, and that is very obviously no easy task – unless the country has an indefinite amount of monetary resources, food and other basic things required to keep a country up and running and prosperous, this is very unlikely. As more and more countries become interdependent on each other, the truth is that globalisation is hard to avoid.

Simply said, India has to keep up with the times, and learn to slowly, but surely, go with the flow. However, its reluctance can be sympathised with – like most other countries, it has deep-rooted cultures and traditions, and globalisation has been shown to slowly erode these centuries-old conventions. However, the truth is that this was have to be (at the very least) slightly compromised upon – if India wants to embrace globalisation, sacrifices will also have to be made.



India is fast becoming a very important country when it comes to world affairs and the economy. However, this leap in front has to be kept up, by reforming and joining the world in its acceptance of globalisation. Only then can India play a central role in the global economy, and continue to prosper.

Credits:
Main article:
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5333
Other resources:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2005/010705.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea

When Good Intentions Backfire

A displaced Sudanese woman carries her sons in the Otach Displaced Persons camp in the city of Nyala in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region

Article: UN Humanitarian Agency Says Darfur Violence Hampering Relief Efforts

Taken from: http://voanews.com/english/2007-05-06-voa10.cfm


By Angeline Chua, Political Expert


An Overview

The signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement between the Sudan government and the one rebel group in Darfur was meant to bring peace but has shockingly led to more chaos and violence in the region.

The conflict in Darfur stems right back to 2003, where rebel groups in Darfur rose against the formerly strong Islamic regime, claiming that Darfur was neglected and undeveloped.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that humanitarian efforts in Darfur “has been jeopardized by the very agreement meant to bring peace”. Merely weeks after the signing of the agreement with only one rebel faction while the other rebel groups claimed that the agreement failed to meet their power sharing requests and their monetary demands, full-scale fighting broke out in Darfur between the rebel groups. The fighting and violence caused tens of thousands in Darfur to meet with homelessness. Relief efforts have also faced a “progressive deteoriation”, as Antoine Gerard, manager of the Darfur section at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs puts it. This is due to increased attacks on relief workers in Darfur by the rebels, who are unable to be identified and to be held guilty for such attacks thereafter.

Sadly enough, relief workers in places that were formally controlled by the rebels have been raped and beaten. Even in government-controlled places in the country, “Sudanese police have beaten and sexually assaulted relief workers and international humanitarian staff.”

Analysis

When good intentions backfire - such as that which motivated the United Nations humanitarian efforts in Darfur - they still deserve to be applauded. Despite the shocking response of the rebels to the peace agreement, the international community who has tirelessly worked for the realization of the Darfur Peace Agreement deserves commendation for its effort in the past years.

Globalization has enabled other parts of the world to provide aid to a region in distress, just so that its victims need not face desperation when the leaders in their own country have failed them in terms of ridding the country of violence and chaos. Due to international relief efforts provided to the area, these people are able to climb out of their abyss of desperation to meet with the possibility of a peaceful future. Such issues may seem almost impossible to deal with and may even threaten to know no end, such as the conflict started by the rebel groups in Darfur which has lasted for nearly four years.

In times such as this, when any hint of progress is thwarted by an unexpected twist of events that would see all efforts in the past years go down the drain, the victims, an established organization such as the United Nations, together with humanitarian workers who have put aside self to dedicate years to helping the victims may begin to find themselves losing hope at the prospect of seeing the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

However, in times such as this, instead of eagerly pointing out the loopholes in the peace agreement, criticizing how it failed to take into consideration the mindsets of the various rebel groups, the world should gear up instead on its encouragement towards the people involved just so that they are able to grit their teeth and press on.

It is of course important to find out any inadequacies in the peace agreement or raise suggestions as to how the UN can get the rebels to sign the agreement, but it is even of greater importance that we do not fall into the trap of criticizing without empathy.

Many would see this peace agreement as a failure, but I see it as an international effort to help up to 2.5 million others that would ultimately succeed.