Exercise: What's in it for you?

According to a recent media release from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Australian adults spend an average of four hours a day engaged in sedentary leisure activities (such as watching television), compared with only half an hour of physical activity. In fact, the ABS (2013) claims that Australians spend one month a year watching TV.

Most Australians have at least some knowledge of the benefits of exercise, such as: exercise improves the health of the heart, lungs and circulatory system; strengthens the bones and prevents bone loss; improves the quality of sleep; and reduces anxiety and depression.

Recent studies have provided further evidence that exercise is one of the most important factors that determines not only the current state of your health, but the future health of your brain, reducing the risk of dementia and other mental disorders in older adults (i). To read more about this important issue login to EBSCO's Consumer Health Complete with your library card's barcode.

Overdrive has some inspirational ebooks and videos that library members can also download from the Hurstville City Library website (see below).

References

'Women's Health Advisor', Oct 2012, vol. 16, Issue 10, pps. 6-7, EBSCOhost Consumer Health Complete Database.

The Never-Ending Scourge of Asbestos

Asbestos; mesothelioma [Photograph]. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Library Edition. Retrieved 26 June 2013, from http://library.eb.com.au/eb/art-171564

A recent article in The Age has examined a 'third wave' of victims who have developed malignant mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos.[i] At first it appeared that only the miners and wharfies were affected by this scourge - then tradespeople [ii] started to develop asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma from inhaling asbestos fibres. Now medical specialists are seeing a new wave of sufferers - 'the bystanders', such as women who may have washed their husband's asbestos dust-laden overalls decades earlier. [iii]

 Asbestos, named from the ancient Greek word for 'inextinguishable', was touted as the 'wonder material' of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and used extensively in Australian buildings between 1945 and 1980.[iv]  As a material, it was cheap, strong and heat resistant, and its versatility resulted in it being used in over 3000 products, including insulation, carpet underlay, brake linings, roof tiles and cement sheeting.[v]

Mesothelioma, one of the cancers arising from exposure to asbestos fibres, can take up to 20-40 years to develop.[vi] Many people who develop mesothelioma do not experience any noticable symptoms for a long period of time.[vii] Early signs of pleural mesothelioma include:

• trouble breathing
• long-lasting cough and pain under the rib cage or in the abdomen
• pain while breathing
• weight loss [viii]

To read the article in The Age, login with your library card's barcode to EBSCOhost's Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre, and to read more about mesothelioma login to Consumer Health Complete or Britannica database.


Rayyan.

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[i] Schmidt, L. 2013, 'Still breathing the devil's dust', Age, The (Melbourne), 19 June, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 19 June 2013.

 [ii] Ibid.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Smith, N. 2013, ‘Pleural Mesothelioma’, Conditions and Procedures in Brief [report], Consumer Health Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 21 June, 2013.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Ibid.

'Pretty in Pink' Dolphins are an Endangered Species

Source: Warren, S 2013, 'Protecting Dolphins Pink', Scholastic Superscience, 24, 7, pp. 4-7, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 18 May 2013.

Many people don't know that Amazon dolphins are born grey, but as they age, they turn pink. According to Warren (2013, p.5), some dolphins are as bright as pink bubble gum.

It is estimated that river dolphins have existed in the Amazon for 30 million years (Warren, 2013, p.5). These dolphins, called botos in South America, can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 400 lbs (Warren, 2013, p.6). Traditionally, people have believed that botos can come out of the water, transform into humans, and even sneak into parties!(Warren, 2013, p.6)

These amazing dolphins are now under the threat of extinction, as fishermen have been killing them and using the meat as bait to catch a certain type of catfish (Warren, 2013, p.6). Even fishermen that don't use the botos as bait have been slaughtering them, so that the dolphins don't eat the fish that they are trying to catch (Warren, 2013, p.6).

To read more about the botos and the efforts of scientists in trying to preserve this species, login to EBSCOhost's Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre with your library card's barcode.

Rayyan

Reference
Warren, S 2013, 'Protecting Dolphins Pink', Scholastic Superscience, 24, 7, pp. 4-7, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 14 May 2013.


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