NATURAL DISASTERS ON THE RISE!

Just a few months into 2010, and Mother Nature has delivered a slew of costly and deadly natural disasters. From the catastrophic Haiti and Chilean earthquakes to the U.S. blizzard that descended on Washington, D.C., last month, which was mostly just inconvenient by comparison, 2010 is already above average in terms of natural-disaster casualties.
In comparison to previous years, the number of casualties from natural disasters in 2010, which is already well above 200,000, is outside the norm. Yet as in other disastrous years, the high toll this year is due largely to a single event.
Over the decade from 2000 to the end of 2009, the yearly average was 78,000, according to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). For the 1990s, the average was 43,000, and the 1980s was 75,000. Disaster experts say the rise in tragedy is at least partly due to increases in urban populations

Last year was below the decadal average with 10,416 natural disaster-related deaths, according to the ISDR, with most resulting from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia on Sept. 30.
The Haiti earthquake is responsible for the majority of the 2010 disaster death toll. With at least 220,000 deaths out of a population of around just 9 million, the number of fatalities almost matched those experienced during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which struck a far larger population, said Kathleen Tierney, a professor of sociology and director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. This proportionally high number of causalities has led some to call the Haiti earthquake the "worst natural disaster to occur in modern times," Tierney said.
"The Haiti earthquake is a true catastrophe of a type that we really haven't seen historically, in terms of recorded history, in terms of its impact on a single society," Tierney said.
This will also turn out to be a costly year at the hands of Mother Nature. The Haiti earthquake alone is estimated to cost $8 billion to $14 billion, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
The U.N. ISDR reported earthquakes have caused the deadliest disasters in the past decade.
Other notable disasters in 2010:

• Chile earthquake: The 8.8 temblor was the fifth largest on record, and moved the city of Concepción at least 10 feet (3 meters) to the west. The quake killed 500 to 700 individuals, with numbers still coming in, according to news reports. Total recovery costs could exceed $15 billion, news reports say.
• Turkey earthquake: The 6.0 earthquake hit eastern Turkey on Monday and kill approximately 41 people, according to the AP.
• China snowstorm: A series of snowstorms and freezing weather has hit China's western region of Xinjiang since Dec. The storms have affected millions and resulted in 30 deaths, the AP reported this month.
• Washington, D.C., snowstorm: The blizzard that blanketed the northeastern United States last month with record snowfalls left thousands without power, caused hundreds of accidents and resulted in at least 2 fatalities, according to news reports. For D.C. alone, the price tag is estimated to be $41 million.

Location matters
Disaster-related fatalities aren't just a matter of where Mother Nature strikes, but also the susceptibility of the population in harm's way, Tierney said.
"Often it's not the size of the event itself in terms of magnitude…it's the vulnerability of what's on top of the Earth when those earthquakes occur," Tierney said.
Another example of how important location is: the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan China in 2008, causing 87,476 fatalities.
But while it may seem like the Earth has undergone more than its fair share of disasters lately, experts say the events of this year are not related. The different types of disasters that can occur, from wildfires to earthquakes to hurricanes, operate independently of one another.
"For all of the phenomena we're talking about, they all have their own dynamics," Tierney said.

• Top 10 Worst U.S. Natural Disasters
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OSTEOPOROSIS A SILENT DISEASE

Courtesy of Awake Magazine

Anna, 19 years of age, was recovering well from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa when suddenly she collapsed with excruciating back pain. She had fractured two lumbar vertebras and had lost two inches in height. Osteoporosis was responsible.

“OSTEOPOROSIS” literally means “porous bone.” It is called a silent disease because there are often no symptoms of bone loss until the bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture. Such fractures are typically of the hip, ribs, vertebras, or wrist. People tend to associate osteoporosis with frail, elderly women. However, as Anna’s case illustrates, osteoporosis can also strike the young.

A Serious Health Threat

The International Osteoporosis Foundation reports that “in the European Union, someone has a fracture as a result of osteoporosis every 30 seconds.” In the United States, 10 million people have osteoporosis, and another 34 million are at risk because of low bone mass. Furthermore, the U.S. National Institutes of Health reports that “one out of every two women and one in four men age 50 and over will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.” And the outlook is not improving.

The Bulletin of the World Health Organization states that the number of fractures resulting from osteoporosis is expected to double worldwide over the next 50 years. This projection is likely based on the expected increase in the elderly population. Still, the consequences are frightening. Osteoporosis has a high rate of disability, even mortality. Almost 25 percent of patients aged 50 or older who suffer hip fractures die as a result of medical complications within the year following the fracture.

Osteoporosis is a bone condition characterized by low bone density and deterioration of bone strength, leading to bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. It can be diagnosed by means of a low radiation scan, which measures bone mineral density.

Are You at Risk?

Recent studies reveal that heredity is a significant risk factor. When parents have a history of hip fracture, the risk of this type of fracture occurring in their children may even double. Another risk factor is malnutrition of a fetus, which results in lower bone density in childhood. Then there is the age factor. The older people get, the more fragile their bones generally become. Certain medical conditions, such as Cushing’s disease, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism, can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis.
Menopause in women results in a reduction of estrogens that protect bone mass. This is the reason why nearly four times more women suffer from osteoporosis than men. Estrogen deficiency brought on by the surgical removal of a woman’s ovaries can result in early menopause.
Risk factors for osteoporosis that an individual can change include eating habits and lifestyle. A diet low in calcium and vitamin D is a contributing factor to bone deterioration. An excessive consumption of salt may increase risk, since it increases the body’s excretion of calcium. Excessive consumption of alcohol, which is often accompanied by poor nutrition, also contributes to bone loss.
As mentioned at the outset, Anna suffered from osteoporosis as a consequence of an eating disorder. That disorder had led to nutritional deficiencies, low body weight, and even an absence of menstruation. As a result, her body had stopped producing estrogens, leading to the weakening of her bones.
An additional factor for developing osteoporosis is a lifestyle of limited physical activity. Smoking too is a significant risk factor, since it can decrease bone mineral density. According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 8 hip fractures is attributable to smoking. However, studies reveal that when a person stops smoking, bone loss and the risk of suffering a fracture decrease.

Prevention of Osteoporosis

Weight-bearing and resistance exercises help to prevent loss of bone mass
Almonds and dairy products are excellent sources of calcium

The foundation for preventing osteoporosis is laid in childhood and adolescence. That is when 90 percent of a person’s total bone mass is reached. Calcium, an essential nutrient for a strong skeletal structure, is stored primarily in the bones. Some of the principal sources of calcium are milk and dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese; canned sardines and salmon (eaten with the bones); almonds; oatmeal; sesame seeds; tofu; and dark-green leafy vegetables.

In order for calcium to be absorbed by the body, vitamin D is essential. This vitamin is synthesized in the skin by exposure to sunlight. Manuel Mirassou Ortega, a doctor of internal medicine and member of the Mexican Bone and Mineral Metabolism Association, explained: “Sunbathing for ten minutes a day contributes to preventing the development of osteoporosis, as it provides some 600 units of vitamin D.” This vitamin can also be found in such foods as egg yolks, saltwater fish, and liver.
The importance of exercise in preventing osteoporosis can hardly be overemphasized. During childhood and adolescence, exercise helps to increase bone mass, and in old age it helps to prevent loss of bone mass. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises—those in which muscles work against gravity or other forces without overstressing the bones and joints—are recommended the most. Walking, climbing stairs, and even dancing are simple but effective weight-bearing exercises.*
Prevention can certainly do much to combat this silent disease. As we have seen, this may include adjusting one’s diet and lifestyle to preserve bone mass and to increase bone strength. It is true that for most people who have fallen into a sedentary lifestyle, such a way of life may be very difficult to change. But what benefits come to those who make the effort to do so! Among other things, they may avoid being one of the many millions worldwide who suffer from osteoporosis.

Prevention may include adjusting one’s diet and lifestyle to preserve bone mass and increase bone strength

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  Extreme exercise, to the point of cessation of menstrual periods in women, can lead to brittle bones from estrogen deficiency. It is recommended that women over 65 have bone-density testing to determine the presence and severity of bone loss. If bone loss is severe, medicines may be available to prevent and treat osteoporosis. However, both risks and benefits should be considered before treatment is begun.

Appeared in Awake!  June 2010