M6.7 Blog: Obesogens

  • Utilizing the first article, discuss what is locally grown and what is currently in season in your area.
What is locally growing and in season in my area are: Avocados, blood oranges, blueberries, cranberries, dates, dragon fruit, figs, grapefruit, , guavas, lemons, limes, , longan, melons, oranges, passion fruit, pawpaws, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, sapote, starfruit. 

  • Discuss your thoughts on seasonal/local foods and hospital menus. 
I think it is a great idea to use season/local foods in hospitals. I currently work in a hospital and everyday for lunch they have a seasonal/local veggies on the menu. I feel it encourages employees and patients to try different foods and when they grocery shop they can add those foods to their household pantries. 

  • Find a Harvest Calendar for your state (or a state you are interested in) utilizing the link in the first article (found underneath the example Harvest Calendar for New York State). 
The state I chose to look at was Massachusetts. The produce they have available in the fall are apples, arugula, basil, beets, blueberries, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, corn, cranberries, eggplant, endive, garlic, grapes, green beans, green onions, ground cherries, kale, kohlrabi, lamb's quarters, lavender, leeks, lettuce, lima beans, melons, mushrooms, mustard greens, nectarines, okra, onions, oregano, parsley, peaches, pears, peas, peppers, plums, potatoes, pumpkin, purslane, quince, radicchio, radishes rapini, raspberries, rosemary, rutabaga, sage, shell beans, snap peas, snow peas, sorrel, spinach, sprouts, strawberries, summer squash, sweet potato, thyme, tomatillios, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon, winter squash and zucchini. 

  • What are your thoughts on the second article? Have you heard of obesogens before?
My thoughts to the second article are the environment is a scary place; both have fetuses growing in the womb and for human kind. Who would have known a chemical could predispose someone to becoming obese? But as the article said although one might have the components on becoming obese it is not the end. Exercise and healthy food choices can contribute to one losing weight. I have vaguely heard of obesogens. I thought it was some sort of fat in the body but a bad one. Turns out I was not that far from what it actually is. It is a chemical that when exposed too while pregnant or in every day things around us poses a risk of becoming obese. 

  • Pick one of the potential obesogens discussed in the article and using your resources from earlier modules (such as toxnet), do some research on this potential obesogen. Share what you found! 
I chose Perfluorooctanoic acid and what I discovered was it is used in fire-fighting applications, cosmetics, greases and lubricants, paints, polishes and adhesives and it is soluble in water. It is also found in the ground and air. Currently it is being debated if the effects seen in animals are the same in humans indicating health risks due to exposure to PFOA are unclear. Although it is unclear surrounding health risks, it has been listed as a possible carcinogen. 

Reference:
https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search2/f?./temp/~9Ejg0c:3

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 30, 2018 at 5:27 PM

    I was also surprised by finding out what obesogens are. It seems crazy that chemicals around us can contribute to obesity or make a fetus pre-disposed to obesity. There's so much to learn, I'm so grateful to be finding out about some of this stuff now!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog: Watch M10.1 Video!

1) Consider your workplace or a workplace of one of your family members. Are there chemical, biological, radiological or ergonomic issues? Using the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls, how might you address the issues? How are they being addressed in reality? I work at ZSFG (Zuckerberg San Francisco General). I would say all those exist here. Different buildings would fall under each category. Currently the new building has the state of the art equipment where radiological harm would be more common to workers. Working at a hospital you need equipment to detect what is wrong with patients at the cost of being exposed to chemical, biological and radiological harm. By using the hierarchy of controls the elimination phase would be removing equipment that is no longer in use or too old to be in operation to combat the harmful effects it has on workers. Substitution would be taking out old equipment that pose harm to workers and bring in new equipment that will emit less substances ...
Read more

M3.4 Air Pollution

Image
Watching the youtube video, I felt like it introduced me more to air quality. I have some knowledge on it from taking some health class during undergrad, but only understanding the iceberg of it. The 10 minute video summarizes how poor air quality is made up and the effects it has on the human population and the place we call home, planet earth. It was interesting learning about how sulfuric acid is made and how other chemical compounds can wreak havoc when produced. Looking over the air quality index I learned how to read AQI levels on air quality. It connects to the poor air quality we experienced with the fires last October. To learn what numbers indicate what color to use to warn those that the air is good, moderate or poor. I also learned about the ozone, the one Earth has and the one us humans create with pollutants from cars and factories.  Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? The top polluters in my...
Read more

M10.2 Blog about MSDS and ToxNet

What are the health risks associated with this chemical? It was hard to find a sole chemical for ZSFG but I came across a compound used here called Metaltite which is used as a dental cement in one of the clinics in building 5 (there are many buildings located in ZSFG but building 5 is where some clinics can be found).  Is the chemical a carcinogen? Under OSHA, this compound is found to be hazardous and a highly flammable liquid and vapor. On the sheet it does not indicate whether it is a carcinogen but searching on the web it was hard to find much information on it. What personal protective equipment or special precautions should be taken when working with this chemical? Those who come in contact with Metaltite should wear protective clothing such as gloves and safety goggles and those who are handling it should not allow this compound to enter drains, sewers or watercourses. Handling of Metaltite should be taken place in a well-ventilated area and kept aw...
Read more