Kavian Milani

2019 Agenda

-Kavian Milani, Founder of CHHR

Image may contain: 4 people, people sittingSHAC student health advisory committee is a body that provides advice on FCPS system to the Fairfax county board of education. Items for this year will be recess, anxiety, performance pressure and suicidal ideation.

I was saddened reviewing data that suggests high suicidal ideation among Latina teenagers. That will be on our agenda for CHHR for the coming year.         

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Sleeping is More Beneficial Than You Think

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

healthline.com (How Losing Sleep Can Cause You to Pack on the Pounds)

It’s common knowledge that a lack of sleep disrupts your sleeping schedule and makes you more tired and sluggish throughout the day. What many people don’t know is that it actually affects more than just your ability to focus and get through the day without yawning every minute.

Some studies have found a relationship between sleeping and an individual’s metabolism (in this case, the rate our bodies breakdown certain substances and chemicals). In a recent study, “Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, a researcher in the neuroscience department at Uppsala University, Sweden,” and his research team “found changes in the DNA methylation of genes that have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as for genes that regulate adipose tissue function, such as how fat cells absorb circulating fatty acids.”
 
Adipose tissue stores fat. Therefore, when the genes that regulate it’s function go through changes, it is easier to through off our metabolism, potentially increasing “your risk of obesity or type 2 diabetes.”
 
Sleeping around 6 to 8 hours a night is something we shouldn’t take so lightly. Even adding a few short naps throughout the day could greatly benefit our health.
 
It’s more beneficial to think of this as a way to increase your life expectancy than as just another weight loss tip.
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“Gender Roles”

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/14/upshot/gender-stereotypes-survey-girls-boys.html

NYTimes.com (Many Ways to Be a Girl, but One Way to Be a Boy: The New Gender Rules)

The issue of gender inequality starts with what we teach our children. We as a society need to start promoting inclusive mindsets. In this case, an inclusive mindset is one that promotes value in an individual regardless of gender and preserved “gender roles.” A female who dresses in a more relaxed fashion (no makeup, sweatpants, baggy clothes,, etc.) is no less beautiful than one that dresses in clothing such as blouses, skirts, high heels, etc. A male who is a stay-at-home dad isn’t less “manly” than one who is the breadwinner for his family. We as a society need to start taking labels (such as “being manly” or “acting/dressing like a lady”) out of our vocabulary. An individual (who is not harming anyone in anyway) should be able to love the way they look and behave without being bombarded by the rude and insulting commentary many receive for not conforming to their so called “gender role.”

Think about it:

Does how someone dresses on a day to day basis affect you in any significant way? No. Their outfit doesn’t destroy your plans for the day or ruin any part of your life whatsoever.

In the same sense, does someone who happens to prefer intimate relationships with the same gender cause you any problems? Does it really have any affect on your day to day life? No one is asking you to switch your sexuality. That is their preference and how they feel. You may not feel the same but what they feel has nothing to do with you.

This isn’t meant to attack anyone. It’s meant to get people thinking about what our society’s children are being taught and how it’s affecting everyone as a whole.

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First Meeting of the 2018-2019 School Year! (VCU’s CHHR Club)

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnmuTrsFiv5/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet (VCU’s CHHR Club’s First Meeting of the 2018-2019 School Year!)

“During our meeting on Monday [of last week], we started off with a couple ice breakers. First, we challenged our members (in groups) to come up with 5 things they all have in common with one another and to share with everyone else. Next, we had them discuss health and human rights issues that they would like to work on this semester and in the future of CHHR at VCU. We talked a lot of about Richmond’s food desert, water quality, and even lack of healthcare accessibility. We talked about how CHHR was founded and how our focus on campus is to serve underprivileged communities. We talked about the amazing projects we have coming up – health and hygiene presentations at Fairfield Elementary School, sports physicals at Peter Paul Development Center, and food preparation at Ronald McDonald House of Charities. Over 30 people showed up to our meeting and many of them stayed after to discuss some ideas and let us know how excited they are to become involved!”

                 – VCU’s CHHR

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Racial Discrimination Is Still Around

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

https://theconversation.com/minority-job-applicants-with-strong-racial-identities-may-encounter-less-pay-and-lower-odds-of-getting-hired-102305

Image result for Minority job applicants with ‘strong racial identities’ may encounter less pay and lower odds of getting hired

theconversation.com (Minority job applicants with ‘strong racial identities’ may encounter less pay and lower odds of getting hired)

Racial discrimination is a topic that many people believe has been decreased due to laws and places such as colleges and even many business promoting the admission and hiring of a more diverse set of individuals. However, the truth is this is far from the truth.

The problem of perceived and presumed identities play a big part in this form of discrimination. Many people use what they see at first glance thus creating a singular identity for an individual. In fact, it is quite common to do this. It’s safe to say that many of us do this on a daily basis. However, letting this determine how you treat an individual is where there is a big problem. As the article states, “people have more than one identity, such as being a mom, a Muslim, an athlete, a scientist and so on.” Therefore, seeing someone for the first time, taking one look, and creating your own story for that person is something that should be avoided because in a way this strips the individual of their entire identity.

Unfortunately, this way of thinking is quite common in many businesses when choosing who to hire and how much to pay the individual. This blatant disregard for an individual’s, generally a minority individual’s, qualifications and experience simply due to the fact that they are a minority is where the employment process takes a racist turn.

This article goes into detail further. Please take a couple minutes to read it and maybe bring up the discussion of this topic with friends and family. Let it encourage you to actively advocate for change.

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Politics vs. Ethics/Morals

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

Image result for Healthcare isn't a game. The Texas ACA lawsuit could be catastrophic for public health

LaTimes.com (Healthcare isn’t a game. The Texas ACA lawsuit could be catastrophic for public health)

“Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, America’s access to healthcare has improved dramatically. Roughly 20 million Americans have gained health insurance coverage. Medicare beneficiaries can now get free preventive care and pay less for prescription drugs. And no one can be denied coverage based on preexisting conditions.” Over $8 billion in funding from the ACA has gone into the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which has “supported efforts to immunize children, ensure our water is safe to drink, help people quit smoking and prevent drug addiction.”

But in February, “Texas and 19 other red filed the federal lawsuit, Texas vs. Azar,” threatening the protections provided by the ACA, the healthcare coverage of individuals (more than 17 million people) as well as jeopardizing the function of many public health programs. Their reasoning focuses on the political side of the ACA rather than the ethical/moral grounding in protecting the people of the United States.

First the attack on Obamacare now this…as the article states “healthcare isn’t a game. Millions of Americans have too much to lose.” We as residents, citizens, and nationals of this country need to step up and let our government representatives know that we won’t stand for this.

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Gamifying Healthy Choices

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/turning-exercise-into-a-game-can-make-fitness-more-fun-and-effective#5

Image result for Turning Exercise Into a Game Can Make Fitness More Fun and Effective

Healthline.com (Turning Exercise Into a Game Can Make Fitness More Fun and Effective)

“Gamifying” activities is a very common and very effective trend in the type of teaching strategies many teachers and even some college professors use when introducing and explaining new topics and concepts. This method of turning an topic or concept into a game (meaning “integrating game mechanics into [the topic or concept] with the intent to motivate, improve engagement, and increase loyalty”) can easily be applied to out everyday lives

This article focuses on the application of “gamification” on the amount of exercise we engage in on a daily basis. Studies have shown that using apps that introduce the concept of earning some type of reward (such as badges) through reaching daily goals for exercise and eating habits increases an individual’s tendencies to complete these exercises and healthy eating habits. Many individuals in today’s society would greatly benefit from “gamifying” their healthy life options.

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Alcohol, Empty Calories, and Age

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

Image result for What too much alcohol can do to your health

CNN.com

We all know the negative consequences of drinking too much alcohol, such as dehydration, appearing older than you are (wrinkled skin, bags under eyes, etc), depression, diabetes, a decrease in or loss of your memory capabilities, strokes and many more. What a lot of people don’t consider is the amount of empty calories that you consume with each drink.

According to the article, light beer is “around 100 calories while regular beer [averages] 153 calories per 12-fluid ounce can or bottle — that’s the same as two or three Oreo cookies.” That may not seem too bad but when you get into today’s popular craft beers you see beers such as Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and Narwhal who rack up 318 to 344 calories per bottle or can, “about as much as a McDonald’s cheeseburger.” Each bottle or can of these drinks is another cheeseburger going into your system. No wonder heart disease and certain cancers (such as “bowel, liver, mouth, breast, and oral) are seen all to often in those who consume too much alcohol in a regular basis. Science has even now been finding that the idea that drinking in moderation (i.e. “one ‘standard’ drink a day for women and two for men'”) “is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease” to be untrue. “Science now says it depends on your age and drinking habits” since as you age your immune system lowers and drinking alcohol further weakens it’s effectiveness leading to a higher risk of the aforementioned side effects as you age in combination with the amount of alcohol you consume.

It’s best to stay away from alcohol, especially if you are below the age of 21 (preferably after the age of 25 since your brain is still developing quite a bit below this age), however, IF YOU ARE OF AGE, asking a medical professional is the best course to take on ensuring your lifelong well-being.

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Unhealthy Vegetarianism

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

CNN.com

Being a vegetarian can still result in an unhealthy lifestyle if not executed properly. For example, a lot of people who go in to vegetarianism think it just means eliminating meat and consuming more vegetables and fruits. However, many like Tia Miller (the writer of the article below) consume vegetables that are botanically classified as a vegetable but nutritionally classified as a starchy food; for example, consuming potatoes in the form of “french fries, chips, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes”. Miller even admits to eating “fruit snacks” as her intake of fruits. Even if you are someone who doesn’t do these things, consuming “veggie meat” on a regular basis is just as harmful since the majority of them are chemically processed, just like many non-veggie meats. Miller says that the combination of these three eating habits caused her to “struggle with severe anemia, ADHD and fatigue” within a year of her switch to vegetarianism. She would even “break [her] vegetarianism and eat a chicken breast, a burger or salmon to feel better. Meat would solve the problem, but it also made [her] bloated and constipated and gave [her] headaches.”

Therefore, when switching to a vegetarian diet it is recommended that you still follow the basic nutrition rules of every meal. “The US Department of Agriculture recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal” (make sure to switch up the fruits and vegetables you eat, consuming a variety of different ones with every or every other meal). Since as a vegetarian, you will be lacking in the nutrients provided by meat, “particularly iron and B12”, this is very crucial. Dr. Brandi Jouett-Patrickson, an internal medicine doctor with Piedmont Physicians Group, recommends that vegetarians “[consume] green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and kale [to[ help head off iron deficiency” and dairy to avoid B12 deficiency, and vegans should “use a B12 vitamin or fortified foods such as plant milks, soy products and some breakfast cereals.”

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Healthcare, Economy, and Education

-Elizabeth Chinery, Junior Community Outreach Coordinator

CNN.com (Scourge of superbugs killing Malawi’s babies)

In 2016, 20% of Malawi’s newborns died due to an epidemic of infections causing sepsis; “by comparison, in the UK, sepsis is responsible for less than 2% of infant deaths.”

Sometimes improvement in healthcare starts with the improvement of the country’s overall conditions. In underdeveloped countries like Malawi, running water is scarce, soap is expensive, “many lack education on the importance of washing their hands [or] how to hygienically prepare food or how to change their baby’s diaper, and not many can afford to go to a doctor when they become ill.” Therefore, an improvement in a keeping medical supplies (such as sterile gloves, bleach, chlorine, and soap) fully in stock would only be beneficial in a country like this if the sterile gloves and soap were available and made required for visitors’ use. However, even then, there is issue of unwashed clothing. The hospital could made clean clothes mandatory but what if a visitor cannot afford to wash his or her clothing on a regular basis? It could severely limit or eliminate their visitation ability. This is why focusing on making basic human needs such as public education on basic hygiene practices, widely available running water, and affordable soap for the general public is the first step in reducing and potentially eliminating epidemics such as this.

There are many organizations, such as WHO and UNICEF, who have been aiding with the international movement to reduce health complications by sending educators and supplies to countries like Malawi who are in desperate need. More help is always needed. Find an organization that fights for what you believe in and don’t be scared to help out in anyway you can.

It’s crazy how a little soap and water can save so many lives.

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