JAMIE SIEGMANN --- Although climate change is an issue the world has been grappling with for decades, the crisis is increasing in urgency at a rapid pace. By changing the severity of health problems and creating unprecedented health threats, climate change affects humans both directly as well as indirectly. While many climate change effects can already be seen, further impacts on human health will manifest in the next few decades, creating an even greater threat to global health.
BRENNA DALY --- The COVID-19 pandemic has had many unforeseen effects. One of these could be a rise in disordered eating habits. A recent longitudinal study conducted by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge evaluated eating attitudes from 2019 compared to during the Summer 2020 lockdown. The EAT-26 attitudes test, which measures unhealthy or addictive dieting behaviors, was administered to 319 participants. This test consists of statements such as “I feel extremely guilty after eating” and “I have the impulse to vomit after meals”. Researchers reported that there had been a significant increase in EAT-26 scores compared to earlier 2019 results. While researchers cannot be certain that these results are solely due to the pandemic, the data suggests a rise in disordered eating habits.
SOPHIA BARTELL --- For many, going to the gym is a part of the daily routine. Unfortunately, with the frequent sharing of equipment, gyms are also an optimal location for COVID-19 exposure. Thus, like many businesses, gyms were closed for the health and safety of the public. Though nearly a year has passed since the initial quarantine, some states have not reopened their gyms. Those that are open require varying levels of restrictions. For those regular gymgoers, this has caused a negative impact on mental health.
COURTENEY MALIN --- When teachers explain basic population measurements in fourth grade math, students continually rate the mean as the best measurement of a population. They choose it consistently over the mode and median, and they quickly learn to rely on averages. Doctors measure their heights and weights to determine where they fall compared to other children their age. They ask their teachers for the class average on exams for self-comparison.
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