Spotlight on obese kids！
Children are getting so fat they may be the first generation to die before their parents, an expert claimed yesterday.
Today's youngsters are already falling prey to potential killers such as diabetes because of their weight.
Fatty fast-food diets combined with sedentary lifestyles dominated by televisions and computers could mean kids will die tragically young, says Professor Andrew Prentice, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
At the same time, the shape of the human body is going through a huge evolutionary shift because adults are getting so fat.
Here in Britain, latest research shows that the average waist size for a man is 36-38in and may be 42-44in by 2032. This compares with only 32.6in in 1972.
Women's waists have grown from an average of 22in in 1920 to 24 ins in the Fifties and 30in now.
One of the major reasons why children now are at greater risk is that we are getting fatter younger.
In the UK alone, more than one million under-16s are classed as overweight or obese - double the number in the mid-Eighties. One in ten four-year-olds are also medically classified as obese.
The obesity pandemic - an extensive epidemic - which started in the US, has now spread to Europe, Australasia, Central America and the Middle East.
Many nations now record more than 20 per cent of their population as clinically obese and well over half the population as overweight.
Prof Prentice said the change in our shape has been caused by a glut of easily available high-energy foods combined with a dramatic drop in the energy we use as a result of technology developments.
He is not alone in his concern. Only last week one medical journal revealed how obesity was fuelling a rise in cancer cases.
Obesity also increases the risk factor for strokes and heart disease as well as a diabetes.
An averagely obese person's lifespan is shortened by around nine years while a severely obese person by many more.
Prof Prentice said: "So will parents outlive their children, as claimed recently by an American obesity specialist?
"The answer is yes - and no. Yes, when the offspring become grossly obese. This is now becoming an alarmingly common occurrence in the US.
"Such children and adolescents have a greatly reduced quality of life in terms of both their physical and psychosocial health."
So say No to that doughnut and burger.
現在的孩子們正變得越來越胖，以至於他們可能成為先他們父母而去的第一代。這是一位專家昨天所發表的觀點。
由於過於肥胖，現在的孩子們已經變成了一些潛在病魔的獵物，糖尿病就是其中之一。
倫敦衛生及熱帶醫學學院的安德魯·普倫蒂斯教授認為，脂肪含量過高的快餐飲食，加上電視和電腦使得孩子們養成了久坐不動的生活方式，極有可能大大縮短年輕一代的壽命。
與此同時，人類的體形正在發生著革命性的變化，因為成人們正越長越胖。
最新的研究表明，1972年，英國男性的平均腰圍僅為32.6英寸，目前是36-38英寸，到2032年，可能達到42-44英寸。
女性的平均腰圍則從1920年的22英寸增加到50年代的24英寸，現在，則是30英寸。
為什麼現在的孩子們面臨著比我們更大的危險呢？原因之一就在於，他們發胖的年齡比我們早的多。
僅僅在英國，就有100多萬16歲以下的兒童被歸為超重或者肥胖一族，比80年代中期多了一倍。每10個四歲的孩子中就有1個有醫學上的肥胖症狀。
這股源於美國的肥胖風正在蔓延開來，現在已經傳遍了歐洲，澳大利亞，美洲中部和中東。
目前許多國家記錄在案的超重人口已經佔到總人數的一半以上，其中達到醫學上所定義的肥胖的就有20%。
普倫蒂斯教授說，導致我們體形變化的原因是，現代生活中高熱量食物隨處可見，隨手可得，而科技的發展使得人們每天消耗的熱量卻大大減少。
並非只有普倫蒂斯教授關注這一問題。就在上週，某一醫學雜誌還談到了肥胖對於癌症的影響問題。
肥胖還會增加中風、心臟疾病和糖尿病的發病率。
一箇中等肥胖者的壽命將被縮短大約9年，而一個嚴重肥胖者受到的影響更大。
普倫蒂斯教授說，"是否真的象美國專家預測的那樣，孩子們的壽命會比他們的父母還短呢？"
"答案既是"是"， 也是"不是"。說"是"是因為如果下一代繼續"瘋長"，就有可能比他們的父母壽命還短。說"不是"則因為這種現象已經引起了美國民眾的警惕。"
"過度肥胖者，不管你是是成人還是青少年，你的生活質量都會大打折扣，無論在生理上還是心理上。"
所以，就讓我們向油炸圈和夾肉餅說"不"吧。
英政府機構認為應給5歲兒童開設性教育課
Children as young as five should have compulsory sex education at school, say Government advisers.
Lessons would go far further than teaching the basics, with in-depth discussions for older children on sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and peer pressure to have sex.
Primary school children aged five to 11 would be encouraged to discuss their feelings and emotions about sex.
The Independent Advisory Groups on Sexual Health and Teenage Pregnancy blame the current system, where schools decide whether to teach sex education to under-11s, for muddled knowledge among most primary pupils.
More open, informative and detailed lessons would help tackle high rates of teenage pregnancy, they say.
They want legislation to make Personal, Social and Health Education compulsory. It would include sex and relationships, with discussion on topics such as dealing with peer pressure, where to get condoms and how infections such as chlamydia and genital warts are passed on.
Younger pupils would focus on the emotional issues associated with relationships, with only secondary pupils getting more detailed information on sexual activity and its consequences.
The report, sent to ministers at the Departments of Health and Education, shows teenage pregnancy in Liverpool, Bradford and Hackney, East London, fell after schools there introduced sex education classes. Labour peer Joyce Gould, who chaired the group, said the proposals would not lead to more promiscuity.
英政府機構認為應給5歲兒童開設性教育必修課
英國政府機構日前建議，應該讓5歲的國小生開始接受正規的性教育課程，鼓勵他們討論性知識。
據《鏡報》12月5日報道，英國政府青少年性健康和懷孕問題獨立顧問小組撰寫報告指出，現行的英國性教育體制由學校自行決定是否向11歲以下的學生進行性教育，這種體制是有損學生健康和成長的，應當予以改革；學校應該給5歲至11歲的國小生開設性教育必修課，鼓勵他們討論性知識。青少年性健康和懷孕問題獨立顧問小組成員是來自英國醫療行業、性行為以及青少年性健康領域的42名專家。
該小組建議，學生的性教育課程應不僅僅教授基本的兩性生理和衛生知識，而應就性行為、性心理進行更多深入的討論，例如如何應對同伴性要求、如何避孕以及避免性病的傳播等；其中國小生將被教授如何處理人與人之間的相互關係，中學生才會被教授具體的性行為知識和後果。
該小組指出，更加開放、豐富和詳細的性教育課程將改善英國少女懷孕率居高不下的現狀。
報道說，英國每年新增幾十萬少女媽媽。她們中多數都會把孩子生下來，而其中有一成甚至還不滿16歲。這個數字在歐洲高居榜首，更是比公認的性開放國家荷蘭高了將近5倍。而瑞典是性教育開展得較成功的國家，從幼兒園開始到高中有一套系統完整的教育內容和體系，收到了比較好的效果。
自1976年開始，瑞典少女妊娠和人工流產數字明顯下降，性病和性犯罪發生率也逐步減少，“未婚母親家庭”幾乎消失。
報道說，青少年性健康和懷孕問題獨立顧問小組已經將這份報告遞交給了健康教育部。(
關注留守兒童
Protecting our children
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-29 07:26
保護我們的孩子
——關注留守兒童 來自《中國日報》
If we seriously believe the oft-made claim that children are future of the country, then we truly have something to worry about.
如果我們還相信“孩子是祖國的未來”這句被反覆提及的宣言，那麼我們是該有一些擔心了。
The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) report on the conditions of children left behind by parents working away from home paints a grim picture that we cannot afford to understate.
全國婦女聯合會關於留守兒童（父母在外務工，兒童留守家中）狀況的報告為我們描繪了一幅不可等閒視之的慘淡圖景。
Many of us have heard about the so-called left-behind children. But not as many people could have anticipated what the ACWF report reveals - more than a quarter of Chinese children who are 17 or younger live apart from one or both of their parents because they are working in places other than in their hometown.
許多人都聽到過所謂的留守兒童一詞。但是不會有多少人估計到全國婦聯報告中結識的真實狀況——在中國，四分之一以上的17歲以下兒童由於他們的父母一人或全部在異鄉打工而留守家中。
This is no small matter. 這並不是一件無足輕重的事情。
In the eyes of developmental psychology, the early years of life play an essential part not just in forming one's personality, but also in the acquisition of the knowledge and skills that last a person's entire life. Out of respect for their special vulnerability, children in this age group need particular parental care. Few of those left behind are home alone - most are left in the custody of grandparents - but the separation from their parents will inevitably affect their development in less-than-positive ways.
在發展心理學看來，青少年時期對於一個人性格的形成和知識技能的掌握髮揮著重要的作用並將影響其一生。出於對其心理脆弱特點的考慮，這一時期的兒童尤其需要父母的關懷。除了極少數獨守家中，大部分留守兒童有他們的祖父母監護，但是遠離父母仍將不可避免地對他們的成長產生諸多消極的影響。
The ACWF has spearheaded a series of initiatives to promote awareness of the situation. Thanks to its persistent endeavors, various countermeasures are now at work in different communities.
全國婦聯已經率先開展了一系列活動以提高對這種形勢的認識。由於他們不懈的努力，許多相似的活動已經在不同的社團開展起來。
It is inspiring to see local authorities providing welfare and educational guarantees. Such efforts offer an indispensable compensation for the otherwise unbearable sense of loss these youngsters must cope with as a result of living without parental care.
鼓舞人心的是許多地區政府正在努力為他們提供生活和教育方面的保障。這些努力對於這些留守兒童因遠離父母而造成的難以承受的缺失感也是一種必要的慰籍。
But parents are parents. No outside intervention can take their place to ensure the healthy growth of their children, so it would be ideal if fewer children had to live without their parents around.
可憐天下父母心。沒有什麼能夠取代孩子的健康成長在他們心目中的位置。那麼讓更少的孩子離開他們的父母生活將使我們的理想。
Most Chinese parents foster high hopes for their children. They are tireless custodians, keen on offering meticulous care and support so that their children can lead successful careers and lives.
大多數中國父母對自己的孩子都懷有很高的希望。他們是孜孜不倦的監護人，始終給予孩子無微不至的關懷和支援，一切為了讓自己的孩子有一分成功的事業和一個光輝的人生。
Few parents leave their children home because they want to dodge responsibilities. It is more a matter of necessity. Most parents of left-behind children take jobs in cities, where local schools are supposed to focus on serving registered local residents. Non-residents are either left out or face extra charges, which are usually exorbitant even by urban standards.
很少有父母是為了逃避責任而把自己的孩子留在家中。更確切地說那是一件不得以的事。大多數留守兒童的父母在城市工作，而當地的學校則主要招收有當地戶口的孩子。非城市的學生或者被拒之門外，或者要交納通常高於城市標準的借讀費。
In such circumstances, most parents choose to leave their kids at home, where they can receive affordable schooling.
在這種情況下，大多數父母選擇將孩子留在家鄉，因為那裡的`學費才是他們能夠承擔的。
This is yet another demonstration of the embarrassing mismatch between the system and reality.
這也從另一個方面體現了體制與現實之間令人尷尬的不和諧。
研究：肥胖也傳染
If your friends and family get fat, chances are you will too, researchers report in a new study that suggests obesity is "socially contagious" and can spread easily from person to person.
The large, federally funded study found that to be true even if your loved ones lived far away. Social ties seemed to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are known to do.
"We were stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person's weight status as friends who are right next door," said co-author James Fowler of the University of California, San Diego.
The study found a person's chances of becoming obese went up 57 percent if a friend did, 40 percent if a sibling did and 37 percent if a spouse did.
Researchers think it's more than just people with similar eating and exercise habitshanging outtogether. Instead, it may be that having relatives and friends who become obese changes one's idea of what is an acceptableweight.
Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever theirrelationships.
"There is a ton of research that suggest that having more friends makes you healthier," Fowler said. "So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends."
The study was published in Thursday's New England Journal ofMedicineand funded by the National Institute on Aging.
Obesity is a global public health problem. About 1.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight, including more than 400 million who are obese. Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese.
Much of the recent research focus has been on the intense hunt for obesity genes involved in appetite or calorie burning. Treatment has been mainly centered on helping individuals curb their weight through better diet and fitness.
The findings could open a new avenue for treating this worldwide epidemic. The researchers said it might be helpful to treat obese people in groups instead of just the individual.
"Because people are interconnected, their health is interconnected," said lead author Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a Harvard sociologist.
如果你的朋友和家人發胖了，你也得小心了！一項最新研究表明，肥胖具有“社會傳染性”，很容易在人與人之間傳播。
該項由聯邦政府資助的大規模研究發現，即使親朋好友住得很遠，這種情況也不可避免。社會聯絡對這一問題的影響十分顯著，甚至超過基因。
研究報告的撰寫者之一、聖地亞哥加州大學的詹姆斯·福勒說：“我們驚訝的發現，住在幾百英里遠的朋友對一個人體重的影響與住在隔壁的朋友同樣大。”
研究發現，如果一個人的朋友發胖，那麼這個人發胖的機率會上升57%；如果他的兄弟姐妹發胖，他發胖的機率會增加40%；如果配偶發胖，他發胖的機率則會增加37%。
研究人員認為，這並不只是幾個飲食和鍛鍊習慣相似的人總呆在一起造成的，可能是因為親朋好友發胖會改變一個人對於“可接受體重”的概念。
儘管有了這些新發現，研究人員稱友誼還是應該維持的。
福勒說：“大量研究表明，朋友越多，你的健康狀況會越好。所以，與朋友斷交是最不應該的。”
該項研究由國家老齡問題研究所資助，其結果在週四的《新英格蘭醫學雜誌》上發表。
肥胖是一個全球性的公共健康問題。全世界約有15億成年人超重，其中約4億多肥胖。三分之二的美國人超重或肥胖。
目前大多數研究的重點都是尋找與食慾或熱量消耗有關的肥胖基因。對於肥胖的治療方式也主要是通過更合理的飲食和健身來控制體重。
該項研究結果可能將為治療這一全球性的“流行病”提供新的方法。研究人員稱，對肥胖者進行小組治療可能比個體治療有效。
研究報告主要撰寫者、哈佛大學社會學家尼古拉斯·克里斯塔基斯博士說：“因為人與人是互相聯絡的，所以他們的健康也聯絡在一起。”
短篇英語作文[91]兒童樂園
The Children’s Playground【兒童樂園】
Right next to Taipei Zoo is children's playground.
It is always very crowded and noisy there on holidays.
Last time on Teachers’ Day my sister and I had free tickets to go there,
and we took two small children with us.
When we got there were so many people there that we were very careful not to let the children get lost.
There were free balloons given to small kids.
There were many different amusement rides,
but at all the rides there were long lines of people. Therefore,
we did not get many rides.
Our two small companions enjoyed the merry-go-round which is a round turning platform that has wooden horses on it.
They did not like the airplane ride so much, because the speed and high elevation of the plane scared them.
We high a whole afternoon there. By the time we got home,
we were a little tired, but we felt like happy small children again.
第九屆青少年兒童英語大賽下週開賽
荊楚網訊息（楚天都市報）湖北省第九屆青少年兒童英語大賽將於7月21日至29日舉行，大賽由湖北省翻譯工作者協會和武漢翻譯工作者協會舉辦。
大賽旨在強化青少年兒童外語素質，提高青少年兒童交際口語水平，迎奧運，推出與國際接軌的新一代青少年外語人才。本次大賽分幼兒組、國小A組（1-3年級）、國小B組（4-6年級）、國中組、高中組和外語藝術表演組，年齡範圍涵蓋了學齡前兒童、國小、國中和高中的所有學生。
本次大賽報名截至時間到7月18日。初賽時間為7月21日—22日，幼兒組主要考查自我介紹、對話和朗讀錄音；國小和中學組考查聽力和朗讀錄音。決賽時間為7月29日，主要考查英語自選表述，命題即興演講和應答對話。藝術表演賽主要考查自我介紹、演唱英語歌曲、朗讀英語詩歌、表演英語小品等。諮詢電話：027-85800191。（實習生呂傲 傲子）
