The NSW Department of Education commissioned a $300,000 scripture review, but rejects its major findings | poll

THE NSW Department of Education has rejected major recommendations of a $300,000 taxpayer-funded review of scripture in NSW schools, including the need for more information on scripture providers to “identify radical groups or cults”. The 238-page review, completed in 2015 but not released until Tuesday, found scripture providers did not “consistently produce good quality curricula from an educational perspective”, the system of authorising scripture providers lacked transparency, and some scripture teachers were using authorised, but age-inappropriate materials, while others used non-authorised materials. The review found the Department of Education and scripture providers…

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Fat Shaming Can Be Major Cause of Health Disorders

A lot of people are subjected to fat shaming – at work, in school and almost every day. It is a form of prejudice where people are extremely critical of your appearance. Researchers from Penn Medicine believe that people who are obese or overweight face the stereotype of being lazy, incompetent or unattractive and are constantly blamed for their excess weight. According to this study, this kind of an attitude can take a toll on their health and put them at the risk of other diseases like heart trouble and metabolic…

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Living Close To Major Roads Increases Dementia Risk

People living near major roads have a higher chance of developing dementia, according to a large-scale study published in British medical journal The Lancet on Thursday. The research looked at six million adults living in Ontario, Canada between 2001 and 2012, and found that those living less than 50 metres (yards) from a busy road had a seven percent higher incidence of dementia. The risk was four percent above normal for those living 50-100 metres from main roads and two percent higher among those 100-200 metres away. There was no…

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E-Cigarettes a ‘Major Public Health Concern’: US Surgeon General

E-cigarette use is exploding among young people and is now “a major public health concern,” the US Surgeon General warned Thursday, sparking disagreement from experts in Britain where the devices are seen more favorably. The battery-powered devices heat a liquid containing nicotine into a vapor that is inhaled, and some experts worry that a new generation of smokers is becoming addicted. About one in six US high school students say they have used e-cigarettes in the past month. “E-cigarette use has increased considerably in recent years, growing an astounding 900…

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Yogic Breathing May Help Fight Major Depression: Study

A breathing-based yogic meditation practice may help alleviate severe depression in people who do not fully respond to antidepressant treatments, according to a new study led by an Indian-origin scientist. Researchers found significant improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety in medicated patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who participated in the breathing technique known as Sudarshan Kriya yoga. The meditation technique, which is practiced in both a group setting and at home, includes a series of sequential, rhythm-specific breathing exercises that bring people into a deep, restful and meditative…

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Brain cancer emerges as major cause for child deaths: Study

According to a recent research, brain cancer has taken over leukemia and has become the major cause of cancer deaths in children. The report states that pediatric cancer death rates have been dropping since the mid 1970s and describes the changes in cancer death rates among the children and teens aged between 1 to 19. Lead author Sally Curtin said, “The shift from leukemia to brain cancer as the leading site of cancer death is a noteworthy development in the history of childhood cancer as it was always leukemia until…

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