Know Hidden Hunger, Micro-nutrient Deficiency Affecting Children

Hunger need not be explained. Every one of us experience it. What do you do when you are hungry? Eat food. Is any food sufficient to satiate hunger? The answer to this question is a tricky one. Satiating the feeling of hunger and body needs unfortunately has become two different terms and has given rise to a new term called “hidden hunger”. What is Hidden Hunger?  Hidden hunger, also known as micro-nutrient deficiencies, is a form of under-nutrition that occurs when intake and absorption of vitamins and minerals (such as zinc, iodine, and iron) are too low to sustain good health and development.

We are aware of the term “nutrients” but what are micro-nutrients? Micro-nutrients are a group of nutrients which are required in trace amounts for normal growth and development. So, small is big because this deficiency can grow to produce irreversible damage if left unattended.  And the worst part is it affects children more. A condition we casually ignore may be the reason for stunted growth, cognitive delays, weakened immunity and infection and we end up drugging our children to cure instead of finding ways to prevent it.

Know about Soft Soled Shoes, the New Rage in Footwear and its Impact on Children

Soft Soled shoes specifically Clogs have become a rage even though they come with an expensive price tag.  Be it outdoors, indoors, travel, and adventure trips, we see children wearing clogs. It has become a point of superiority among school children to have Crocs clog shoes. Crocs have had its list of issues in US which people in India are unaware of.  To add to the confusion, many products resembling Crocs are hitting the market from China and our own country to cash in on the popularity of the brand. We know the problem behind Crocs but unsure of what the others have in them though the one written here is for all these products with the spoken design.  Read on to know more about  Clogs / soft soled shoes.

Wake up Chennai~ Beware of Breed Dog Robbers

Chennai Focus is coming across an increasing number of owners complaining about lost dogs. The dogs lost are breed dogs costing a huge sum in the pet market. We want to caution the owners who own breed dogs to be careful while taking their dogs for a walk on lonely roads.  Owners who lost their dearest dogs can write to us here and we will do our best to reach it to dog lovers to find out if the dogs are seen or being sold elsewhere.

Heading for a Job Interview? Keep your Credit Card and Personal Loans Payments Clean

Do you have a job interview slated for next month? Then better check and make sure that all your credit card bills are cleared and there are no pending loan installments. Blame it on the several corporate frauds or learning from the west that many Indian companies have started asking for financial report card along with other certificates from candidates during a job interview. Read on..

Watch Out – the Impact on Insurance Policies in Budget 2012

At the first glance, there was no significant announcement on the insurance sector in the Budget. However, there are some amendments tucked away in the voluminous Budget documents that could have far-reaching implications on the way you treat insurance. To begin with, all regular-premium life insurance policies issued after April 1, except pension plans, will have to offer a protection cover of at least 10 times the annual premium. Otherwise, they will not be eligible for tax benefits under section 80C and 10 (10D).

Make Sure to Read This Post If Your Child is Learning Yoga

Every morning, when Vishnu tries performing the Chakrasana (wheelpose), he loses balance. The seven-year-old knows how to practise the asana, but the problem arises when he tries to bend his body in the pose. Learning yoga as part of school curriculum is important, but equally important is the way it is taught. So if your ward is attending his weekly or daily yoga classes in school, it’s your duty to check whether he is practising the asanas (postures ) without errors.

Yoga experts believe if the asanas are not practised correctly, they would not serve the purpose and there could be complications. To avoid this, many suggest the state government standardise yoga for all schools. “In many schools, yoga is taught for the sake of teaching. The trainers should not mix the styles of different yoga experts. If they do, it will confuse the students. And that’s what is happening in many schools. This situation can be changed only if there is uniformity in teaching yoga in schools,” says Ganapathi Ramakrishnan, a senior yoga practitioner, who had even approached the government to press his point a couple of times in 2011

Health Alert : Low Vitamin D Levels Puts Indians at Risk of Bone Disorders

In the land of abundant sun, Indians suffer from vitamin D deficiency. There’s been a set of studies to prove this, but new research suggests this deficiency, which can lead to life threatening emergencies in young population, has not led to protective bio-adaptation over time.

After their first systematic study of blood serum in 2000, which showed more than 75% of healthy people studied in northern India had vitamin D deficiency, researchers have now shown that though our skin has darkened while adapting to tropical climate, there is no bio-adaptation to this deficiency. In other words, the dark skin, which prevents ultraviolet rays mediated vitamin D to be formed in the body, does not lead to over-expression of vitamin D receptor, a hormone that regulates calcium levels in the body.

Come 2013, Photocopying (Xerox) will No More Be Available at Neighborhood Shops

If you have postponed taking a photocopy of an important document to the last-minute, secure in the knowledge that there is always that shop next door, you might be in trouble. As per an order issued by the Union government recently, the import of second-hand digital multifunction print and copying machines used in most neighbourhood photocopying centres, is to be banned across the country, and they are to be phased out by 2013.

The increasing shortage of these machines in the market has dealt a body-blow to many small-time photocopiers. “The cost of printing may have come down over the years, but the costs of the machine and paper have gone up,” says S. Jayakumar, who runs Kumaran Xerox Centre in Triplicane. His major source of income, till a month ago, came from the photocopier, as the cyber café and telephone booth that he runs, no longer attract many users. “The machine needs to be replaced now, but dealers say there is a shortage,” he says.

Watch out : Fake Interviews

Of  late, we have come across instances of interviews being conducted in the name of big companies. The modus operandi seems to be collecting money in the form of procedures such as medical tests, fitness certificate etc.  We, at Chennai Focus, want to alert job seekers to verify with the concerned company’s HR department before proceeding with the interview. Also be doubly aware if the interview is conducted elsewhere and not in the company official address or in other cities. Read on to know about a specific case we came across..

Madras University Deaffiliates 3 Arts and Science Colleges in Chennai

The University of Madras syndicate has recommended the disaffiliation of three arts and science colleges in the city for not having enough teachers and poor infrastructure.  University vice-chancellor G Thiruvasagam said the syndicate has recommended the disaffiliation of A A Arts & Science College, Koyambedu; J A Arts and Science College, Mogappair East, and Poonga College of Arts and Science, Uthandi.

The vice-chancellor said the syndicate decided to recommend the disaffiliation of these colleges during the last academic year. Parents and students of these colleges had been complaining about the lack of infrastructure necessary in the college and not enough faculty members to teach students across various disciplines over the last few years. A three-member team investigated the veracity of the complaints and confirmed reports that the colleges had been functioning in this manner for nearly 10 years. Students of the colleges have been admitted to other colleges.

No Rooms in 4 star and 5 star Hotels in Chennai till February 5

If you plan to travel to Chennai and find an accommodation in the star hotels in the city, think twice.  Name Chola Sheraton, HyattRegency, Le Meridien,  Park Sheraton, Taj Connemara, no rooms are available till this weekend.  Thanks to the Leather Fair, city hotels are sold out for the entire week.

“It’s really very heartening. Unlike in the last three years, this time almost all four and five star hotels in the city are sold out. Even the new additions to the city hotel rooms during the year are absorbed,” said the General Manager of a luxury hotel in the city.

There are about 3,000 star-rated hotel rooms in the city, including the 250 rooms added by Hyatt Regency a few months ago.

Verify Antecedents Before Renting Your House

The city police held a meeting with house brokers in Adyar, urging them to verify the antecedents of North Indians before providing houses for rent.

The move comes in the wake of the bank robbery at Perungudi. More than 40 brokers from Adyar participated in the meeting at which senior police officers instructed them to adhere to set of guidelines issued by them. “We have asked them to verify the address proof provided by the North Indians, the place where they were employed, the purpose of their visit to city and the timeframe of their stay in city,” a senior police officer said. “Before providing them a house for rent, documents with photographs of the persons attached should be submitted at the nearest police station,” he said.