HEALTH REPORT - Starting Young to Build a Healthy Heart

HEALTH REPORT - Starting Young to Build a Healthy Heart
By George Grow

Broadcast: Wednesday, September 28, 2005

I'm Barbara Klein with the VOA Special English Health Report.

 
A World Heart Day Event in the Czech Republic
Sunday was World Heart Day. The World Heart Federation¹ and its member groups in more than one hundred countries organized the celebrations. The World Health Organization and other United Nations agencies provided support for the event.

World Heart Day was first observed six years ago. Organizers proposed the event as a way to help reduce the spread of heart disease. The World Heart Federation says heart disease kills seventeen million people each year.

The group urges people to be active and have a good, healthy diet. It also warns against activities known to increase a person's risk of heart attack or stroke.

Some of the warnings are directed at children. The World Heart Federation says about twenty-two million boys and girls under the age of five are obese² -- severely³ overweight.

Children are normally energetic and active. However, two thirds of all children are not active enough. Such children greatly increase their risk of becoming obese. They also increase their risk of developing heart disease or other disorders⁴.

One message of World Heart Day is to eat right. Children should eat a healthy and balanced diet. Also, limit sugary drinks, sweets and eating between meals.

The World Heart Federation urges parents to keep their children active. It says physical exercise helps to decrease the risk of obesity⁵ and keeps a child healthy. Obese children often become obese adults. If you believe your child is too heavy, talk with a health care provider.

The World Heart Federation also is concerned about the effects of tobacco on young people. It says the younger someone begins to smoke, the greater the chance of a health problem tied to smoking. Half of the young people who continue to smoke are likely to die later in life from a smoking-related disease.

The group says almost half of all children live with a smoker⁶. It says children who live with a smoker can breathe an amount of tobacco equal to more than two thousand cigarettes. And that is by the time they are five years old.

The World Heart Federation also says parents should warn children not to be influenced by tobacco companies. And it says parents who smoke should try to stop.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by George Grow.  I'm Barbara Klein.

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 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

3 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。

4 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。