Sleep deprivation a major health hazard
Editor,
Political executives who glorify overwork and sleep deprivation by saying that they work all the time and sleep only for 3 to 4 hours are inflicting as much harm on the people as the celebrities who advertise for pan masala consumption. Overwork and lack of sleep are no less injurious to health than consumption of pan masala.
While pan masala is a leading cause of oral submucous fibrosis that often results in oral cancer, sleep deficiency and overwork lead to many chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression. Sleep deficiency is a major cause of injury, and sleepiness while driving is responsible for many accidents in our country.
A study by the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation concludes “that working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease, compared to working 35–40 hours a week”.
Any promotion of unhealthy habits like overwork and sleep deprivation and unhealthy products like pan masala must be curbed.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Action against hotels not maintaining strict hygienic standards
Editor,
It’s a irony to be spending money and ending up with a stomach full of regret! Sadly, this could be the reality in some parts of our town, where the use of adulterated, low-quality, and repeatedly reused stale oil by hotels might turn tasty snacks into serious health hazards.
Let me share my ordeal. A couple of weeks ago, I purchased half a kilo of “bunia” from a hotel in Bara Bazar. Little did I know, I was also buying three days of misery. Within a few hours of consumption of the snack our stomachs began to churn. That night, we suffered from vomiting and bloated stomachs We couldn’t help but curse the hotel!
Here’s another unforgettable incident. About a year ago, my next-door neighbour’s entire family, along with their guests, fell sick after eating hot “kachori” and “jalebi” bought from a reputed hotel in Jhalupara. Sadly, many others have their own bitter stories of consuming hotel snacks and ending up with nausea and dysentery.
What is most disappointing is that poor, hungry farmers and daily wage workers or vendors, after a long day of toil or journey from their villages to the town, usually walk into these market/ roadside tea stalls with their kids for a quick snack of puri-sabji, samosas, kachauris, or jalebi. But if these items are cooked in cheap, adulterated oil that has been reused multiple times, they might suffer from gastrointestinal problems, more particularly those with weak digestive systems. I sympathize with these poor people who do not know how to raise a complaint at all.
Some hotels and food stalls, (I am not saying all), in their attempt to cut costs, use substandard oil. It is medically established that when oil is heated repeatedly, it undergoes chemical changes, releasing harmful substances and free radicals that can adversely affect our body systems. Consuming food cooked in reused oil over a long period of time significantly increases the risk of heart disease, raises cholesterol levels, and contributes to certain cancers — a fact that many hoteliers remain unaware of. Furthermore, in some hotel kitchens, leftover oil is left “uncovered” for days before being reused, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. This can lead to food poisoning and serious health complications. These hotels seem indifferent towards maintaining appropriate hygienic standards. A concerned shopkeeper from Mawkhar remarked that the kitchens of some hotels smell so bad that they are nauseating. Why don’t the government authorities take strict action against them?
Incidentally, one cannot overlook the many types of pre-cooked, substandard snacks like “bhujia,” “dalmuth,” chips, sweets, chocolates, and biscuits that are poorly packed and sold in huge volumes. These snacks, typically consumed by our young children, are often sold many, many months after their preparation. Aren’t they likely to be heavy on the stomach? Does the government account for the sources of these label-less, cheap food items sold at Mawlonghat and Iewduh, both wholesale and retail? Fortunately, nature’s gift of digestive fire in our kids is powerful enough to handle such low-grade items.
I believe it is time to take decisive action against those who sell products prepared solely with profit-making motives, without adhering to even the most basic standards of hygiene. I therefore urge the Health Minister, the concerned authorities at DHS, and the Deputy Commissioners to crack down on the unhealthy practices prevalent in street and bazaar tea stalls and hotels.
Strict guidelines and hygienic protocols for food preparation must be enforced. Regular “surprise inspections” and stringent actions are essential to ensure that people are not exposed to these avoidable health hazards. Further, the government must pull up those traders who stock and sell adulterated and spurious food products.
Yes, we need to always bear in mind that not all that “glitters on our plate” is safe to eat. We need to choose wisely and enjoy mindfully, because our health is not worth compromising over a crispy kachori or jalebi that can wreak havoc on our alimentary canal!
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong