HEALTH REPORT - World Heart Day

HEALTH REPORT - World Heart Day
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Broacast: September 29, 2004

This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

Last Sunday was World Heart Day. The World Heart Federation¹ started the event five years ago to increase public education about the threat of heart disease and stroke.

World Heart Day is run by the World Heart Federation's member organizations in almost one-hundred countries. Each year, they hold educational activities designed to get more people to exercise, eat better and lead a heart-healthy way of life.

This year, the main subject of World Heart Day was "Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease." Health officials say two-thirds of children worldwide are not active enough for good health.

The World Heart Federation says more than three hundred million adults and twenty-two million children under the age of five are severely² overweight. Obesity³ has risen sharply in both developed and less developed countries.

Experts say overweight children are three to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke before they reach the age of sixty-five. Even children who are overweight, but not severely, are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Cigarettes also threaten the future of children's hearts. The World Heart Foundation says smokers⁴ often begin to use tobacco before they are ten years old. The younger a person begins to smoke, the greater the risk of developing heart disease.

Also, the World Heart Federation says almost half of all children around the world live with someone who smokes. It says children who breathe so-called secondhand smoke suffer from many of the same diseases as smokers.

Experts say those children also have a twenty-five percent increased risk of developing both lung cancer and heart disease. And they have an eighty percent increased risk of a stroke. A stroke happens when an artery⁵ that carries blood and oxygen to the brain is blocked by a clot⁶ or bursts.

The World Heart Federation says education is the most effective way to reduce future heart disease and stroke in children. It says children must be taught to eat healthier foods and to exercise more. It also says measures must be taken to limit their exposure to tobacco. And it says governments must develop policies that work to reduce the risks for heart disease and stroke.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Gwen Outen.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

4 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

5 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

6 clot   

n.凝块；v.使凝成块

参考例句：

• Platelets are one of the components required to make blood clot.血小板是血液凝固的必须成分之一。
• The patient's blood refused to clot.病人的血液无法凝结。