NEWS BULLETIN – OCTOBER 2012

A report published in The Lancet describes physical inactivity as a “pandemic” and calls for steps to be taken worldwide.  (I suppose the steps should be large and many per unit of time).  The paper points out that physical inactivity is now the fourth leading cause of mortality across the globe, responsible for 5.3 million deaths, as many as smoking.

The authors of the “Pandemic of Physical Inactivity : Global Action for Public Health” recommend creative thinking coupled with development of partnerships for  action, in order to help physical activity and healthy ageing to become a public priority.

 Individuals and organisations in civil society are also asked to “seek ways to become and remain physically active at levels recommended for the preservation and promotion of health and wellbeing”.

The promotion of physical activity for older people is one of the main goals of the European Year 2012.  Stakeholders at all levels are being encouraged by the European Commission to develop and share innovative solutions, policies and long-term strategies to tackle the challenges of an ageing population and enable EU citizens to lead healthy, active and independent lives while becoming old.

According to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado, triclosan (an antibacterial chemical widely used in hand soaps and other personal-care products, hinders muscle contractions at a cellular level, slows swimming in fish and reduces muscular strength in mice.  Triclosan is commonly found in hand soaps, deodorants, mouthwashes, toothpaste, bedding, clothes, carpets, toys and refuse bags.

The European Commission has requested the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) to deliver an opinion on the potential health impacts caused by dental amalgam and its substitutes.

Dental amalgam has been used for over 150 years for the treatment of dental cavities and is still used – in particular in large cavities – due to its excellent mechanical properties and durability.   Alternative materials such as composite resins, glass ionomer cements, ceramics and gold alloys, is increasing, either due to their aesthetic properties or alleged health concerns in relation to the use of dental amalgam.