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Moderate consumption of sodium may not affect the risk for cardiovascular problems in people without heart disease, a 21-country study suggests. 

Researchers tracked nearly 96,000 adults without heart disease for an average of eight years. Even when people consumed more than double the recommended limit of two grams of sodium per day, they did not have a higher risk of serious cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke or death. 

The exception was in China. There, in 80 per cent of communities, the average sodium intake was nearly three times the two-gramme limit. Consuming that much was linked to a small increased stroke risk, the study team reports in The Lancet. 

“In the study of 255 communities around the world on five continents, we found that sodium is not associated with major cardiovascular disease or mortality. In fact, there’s an inverse association with all-cause mortality, so higher sodium [was] related to lower mortality,” lead author Andrew Mente of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said in a phone interview. 

The positive link between sodium and stroke was seen only at very high levels of sodium, above five grams per day, Mente said. 

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1.5 grams of sodium per day for people at risk for heart disease. To prevent heart disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a limit of two grammes of sodium daily, which is the amount in roughly one teaspoon of salt. 

Mente’s team analysed data on adults ages 35 to 70 in high-, middle- and low-income countries. 

In 80 per cent of countries, half of the people consumed an average three grammes to five grammes of sodium per day. But only at the highest end of that range was each additional gram of sodium linked to an increase in systolic blood pressure of three millimetres of mercury (mm/Hg). (Systolic pressure, the “top” number, reflects pressure in blood vessels when the heart beats.) 

Sodium intake was associated with major cardiovascular events only in communities where half of the people consumed at least 5.75mg per day. But even here, the association was not statistically significant, meaning the results could have been due to chance. 

“Outside China, most [communities] fall in that three-to-five gramme per day range,” Mente said. “In that moderate range, we find no relationship between sodium and any clinical outcome or mortality.” 

“Certainly, we need to target communities like in China who are at very high levels of sodium [but in] most other parts of the world, most of whom are already at moderate levels, lowering their sodium further [would not benefit them] and in fact may even result in harm,” Mente said. 

It is better to focus on improving diet quality rather than focusing on a single nutrient like sodium, he noted.

The study team did find that in all countries, the risk of cardiovascular events decreased as potassium intake increased. 

Potassium-rich foods include fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, potatoes and dairy products, Mente said.

Two events, that are completely separate but that share a common trait yet, came just a few days ago as a reminder of the strong and global impact of computer and video games.

The first is the Gamescom giant gaming trade fair that takes place in Cologne, Germany, and the second is the tragic shooting at the video game tournament in Jacksonville, Florida in the USA.

The first, also called “The Heart of Gaming”, is a confirmation and a rather positive illustration of the importance of the subject, whereas the second is a sad, dramatic example of what extreme addiction — of any kind — can lead to.

Gamescom first edition was in 2009. It is the world’s largest gaming event. The tournament in Jacksonville may have been about “good and fair sportsmanship”, but it was enough to have one player gone mad to see the event end up in a tragedy.

The fact is that the world of computer or video gaming is a strange one. There is a large gap between those who have little to do with it, who hardly play any such game, and those who are addicted to it. As far as numbers are concerned, the latter group luckily remains a minority, although the phenomenon is widely publicised in the media.

The extraordinary technical progress accomplished by the industry in the last ten years or so in terms of machines processing speed, advanced 3D graphics, fast frame rate, very responsive controls, augmented reality, and virtual reality, it has all made gaming more exciting, closer to reality, if not exceeding it, and consequently more addictive in some cases. Fast Internet connectivity that allows more realistic and thrilling online challenges between remote players has significantly increased the risk of addiction. With virtually no time lag at all when connected to the network, players now find it more interesting than ever to play online.

Those who do not play computer games have no idea of the degree of realism software and hardware have reached, of the intensity of attraction they have, especially on the young. Just try Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro for one hour or two, to name only this one example of platform, and you will understand and realise the fascination that gaming exerts. Add to that the online factor where players challenge each other from a distance, and the amounts that are involved in games played for money (not a minor point…), and you will have an idea of the far reaching extent of the phenomenon.

Another illustration of the importance of the subject is the laptop computers models that are manufactured with very high technical specifications. To show the power of these machines, to impress buyers, their makers call them gaming laptops — it is self-explanatory.

Of course, you do not have necessarily to play computer games if you buy such beautiful computers, but the qualifier says it all: sheer power in terms of speed, advanced 3D visuals, and 4K ultra high-resolution graphics. Dells’ Alienware series is such a fine example of high-end computers.

The importance of the whole concept is such that Alienware is a trade name by itself, owned by Dell. It is in a way the luxury brand of the company, like Lexus is for Toyota or Infiniti for Nissan, in the automotive world. Prices are a match for the performance and usually start at $1,500 for basic units, reaching two or even three fold this amount for the most expensive top-of-the-line models.

Regardless of the risk of addiction, computer and video gaming remains a fascinating aspect of computer and audio-visual technology and of the entertainment world. It is in a way a by-product of the bigger driving and flight simulators, and of training simulators of all kinds in general, and that are put to good use every day in countless fields.

Adults with mood disorders like anxiety and depression may be more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than people without mental illness, a new study suggests. 

Researchers enrolled 221,677 people age 45 and older without any history of heart attack or stroke and tracked them for an average of nearly five years. 

More than 90 per cent of participants were ages 45 to 79. In this age group, compared to men without mental health issues at the start, men with moderate psychological distress were 28 per cent more likely to have a heart attack during the study and 20 per cent more likely to have a stroke. Men in this age group with high levels of distress were 60 per cent more likely to have a heart attack and 44 per cent more likely to have a stroke. 

Women ages 45 to 79 with moderate psychological problems were 12 per cent more likely to have a heart attack and 28 per cent more likely to have a stroke than women without any mental distress. Women with high psychological distress were 24 per cent more likely to have a heart attack and 68 per cent more likely to have a stroke. 

 “The stronger association between psychological distress and heart attack in men compared to women could be due to women being more likely than men to seek primary care for mental and physical health problems, thus partly negating the possible physical effects of mental health problems,” said lead study author Caroline Jackson of the University of Edinburgh in the UK. 

“Alternatively, it could reflect the known hormonal protection against heart disease in women since the study population included a large number of younger women,” Jackson said by e-mail. “We did however find a strong association between psychological distress and stroke in women, perhaps suggesting different mechanisms exist between psychological distress and different types of cardiovascular disease in women.” 

Overall, the study participants suffered 4,573 heart attacks and 2,421 strokes. 

The study was not designed to prove whether or how depression or anxiety might directly cause heart attacks or strokes, researchers note in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality Outcomes. 

Another limitation is that researchers assessed psychological factors at a single point in time, making it impossible to know if worsening cardiovascular health contributed to mood disorders or if mental illness caused heart problems. 

However, it is possible that lifestyle factors like poor eating and exercise habits, smoking, or inactivity might independently influence both the risk of mental health problems and heart issues, the study authors note. 

“It is also possible that symptoms of depression or anxiety directly affect the body’s physiology through mechanisms such as hormonal pathways, inflammatory processes in arteries and increased risk of blood clotting,” Jackson said. “It is vital that further research seeks to identify the underlying mechanisms so that we can better understand the link between mental health and subsequent physical health and inform intervention strategies.” 

Researchers assessed psychological distress using a standard set of questions designed to reveal symptoms of mood disorders. The questions asked, for example, how often people felt tired for no reason, how often they felt restless or fidgety, and how frequently they felt so sad that nothing could cheer them up. 

Overall, about 16 per cent of the study participants had moderate psychological distress and roughly 7 per cent had high or very high levels of mental distress.

There is hardly anything concerning Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul that has not been written about in the last few days, following his demise on August 11. His books, travelogues, literary awards, knighthood, Nobel Prize, as well as his temperament, sharp wit, punctuality and wives; every aspect was covered in lucid detail. 

It was also reported, in different media outlets, that he courted controversy and loved his cat Augustus, who he believed would outlive him but unfortunately, died suddenly in October 2011. 

“Everything of value about me is in my books,” Sir Vidia conceded in his Nobel Lecture, at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, in 2001. “I will go further now and I will say I am a sum total of my books. Each book intuitively sensed and in the case of fiction, intuitively worked out, stands on what has gone before and grows out of it. I feel that at any stage of my literary career it could have been said that the last book contained all the others,” he explained. 

In other words, the best way to know Sir V was through his books and what a wonderful treasure trove they were. If “Miguel Street” and “The Mystic Masseur” were laced with comedy but were sad at the same time, “A House for Mr Biswas” was a novel that was inspired by the life of his own father and remains, to this day, his most brilliant work. He wrote 30 books in a span of six decades and shifted between fiction and non-fiction while exploring the legacy of colonialism. 

A chance encounter with Lady Nadira at a literary festival, a decade or so earlier, led to a deep friendship between Sir V’s wife and me. I had dropped something on my foot and exclaimed in Punjabi, my mother tongue, which she overheard. In the next instance she responded to me, in fluent Punjabi! We burst out laughing at the absurdity of an Indian and a Pakistani talking in a common alien language, amidst the English speakers.

Nadira dragged me to their table and introduced me to Sir V who promptly wanted to know what the meaning of my name was. He pronounced it differently, enunciating the last few consonants slowly. In his deep Oxbridge accent, my name sounded more exotic than it was.

I was painfully shy in Sir V’s presence. A great many questions swirled in my head, but I could somehow never articulate them. His sharp observant gaze missed nothing. Requesting him to attend my book launch three years ago, seemed like an impossible task, but to my amazement, he accepted the invite immediately. 

Sometime later, as the preparations for our daughter’s marriage were being finalised, we had gathered in his sitting room. Nadira had invited our son-in-law’s parents for cocktails. We were all meeting each other for the first time. Sir V sat amidst all the wedding chatter with a watchful eye, without participating in any of it. 

“Nickunj,” his deep voice resonated suddenly. 

The last few consonants of my name rang around us. 

Everyone stopped talking to look at him.

“After the terrific launch of your book,” he stated evenly. 

“How is it doing now?” he asked me. 

I almost dropped the plate of food I was holding. 

“Close your mouth,” Nadira whispered. 

“Well?” Sir V prompted with an imperceptible smile. 

I searched for a clever answer as he regarded me steadily. 

“Well,” I replied eventually, echoing the grandmaster.

BEIJING — The Chinese kindergarten children giggled as they worked to solve puzzles assigned by their new teaching assistant: a roundish, short educator with a screen for a face.

Just under 60 centimetres high, the autonomous robot named Keeko has been a hit in several kindergartens, telling stories and challenging children with logic problems.

Round and white with a tubby body, the armless robot zips around on tiny wheels, its inbuilt cameras doubling up both as navigational sensors and a front-facing camera allowing users to record video journals.

In China, robots are being developed to deliver groceries, provide companionship to the elderly, dispense legal advice and now, as Keeko’s creators hope, join the ranks of educators.

At the Yiswind Institute of Multicultural Education on the outskirts of Beijing, the children have been tasked to help a prince find his way through a desert — by putting together square mats that represent a path taken by the robot — part storytelling and part problem-solving.

Each time they get an answer right, the device reacts with delight, its face flashing heart-shaped eyes.

“Education today is no longer a one-way street, where the teacher teaches and students just learn,” said Candy Xiong, a teacher trained in early childhood education who now works with Keeko Robot Xiamen Technology as a trainer. 

“When children see Keeko with its round head and body, it looks adorable and children love it. So when they see Keeko, they almost instantly take to it,” she added.

Keeko robots have entered more than 600 kindergartens across the country with its makers hoping to expand into Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Beijing has invested money and manpower in developing artificial intelligence as part of its “Made in China 2025” plan, with a Chinese firm last year unveiling the country’s first human-like robot that can hold simple conversations and make facial expressions.

According to the International Federation of Robots, China has the world’s top industrial robot stock, with some 340,000 units in factories across the country engaged in manufacturing and the automotive industry.

The service robot market — which includes devices ranging from specialised medical equipment to automated vacuum cleaners — is estimated to be worth $1.32 billion last year. 

It is expected to grow to $4.9 billion by 2022, said market research firm Research In China.

Last week, Beijing hosted the World Robot Conference, featuring machines that can diagnose diseases, play badminton and wow audiences with their musical skills.

Robocompanion

Last year, a group of monks in Beijing created a two-foot-high robot monk dispensing mantras and advice to attaining nirvana. 

The iPal — a companion of sorts for children — is the latest humanoid robot to be marketed for family use, following in the footsteps of the diminutive, wisecracking “Pepper” companion released by Japan’s SoftBank in 2015.

But Xie Yi, principal of the kindergarten where Keeko has been put on trial, believes that it will be a long while before robots can completely replace humans in the classroom. 

“To teach you must be able to interact, have a human touch, eye contact and facial expressions. These are the things that make an education,” Xie said.

“It’s not just the language or the content, it’s everything.”

She said the Keeko robots, which cost about 10,000 yuan ($1,500), or about the monthly salary of a kindergarten teacher, may have some advantages over a flesh-and-blood educator. 

“The best thing about robots? They’re more stable [than humans],” she said with a laugh.

Sometimes, even the most inspirational among us share some disheartening traits with other animals.

Humans have a remarkable capacity for empathy and compassion. We help strangers a continent away, donate anonymously, bequeath money to help people who will be born after our deaths. We can even choose to make the ultimate sacrifice in helping others — just think of the West African nurses who died fighting Ebola. These admirable traits owe little to Sunday morning sermons, the rule of law or pillows embroidered with the Golden Rule. Instead, they are how we are wired; we see the rudiments in other species. Such behaviours are rooted in our common ancestry.

Among chimps, for example, suppose some low-ranking member of a troop is mauled by an alpha-male. Afterward, the innocent bystander is more likely than usual to be groomed by other group members. But such “consolation” behaviour is not generic — if the pummelled loser was not a hapless victim, and instead was the fool who started the fight, no extra grooming for him.

Even rodents exhibit the building blocks of empathy. If a mouse observes another mouse in pain, its own pain threshold lowers. If a prairie vole has been stressed, it is more likely to be groomed. Rats will “work” (that is, repeatedly press a lever) to release another rat from a tightly enclosed space, and will even forgo a reward (chocolate!) in the process.

Wow, a lot like humans. And just as in humans, empathy tends to come with a catch.

Chimps console innocent victims only in their own group. A vole grooms a distressed individual only if it is his or her mate; a stressed stranger is out of luck. Pain thresholds lower in mice only if the mouse in pain is a mouse they know. Rats work to free another rat only if the latter is a cage mate or a rat of their genetic strain (roughly equivalent to breed in dogs). In other words, these species divide the world into us and them, and care much more about the former than the latter.

So do we. When people watch a video of a hand being poked with a sharp needle, they have an “isomorphic sensorimotor” response, unconsciously clenching their own hands, with sensory neurons activating as if they were experiencing the poke. But this does not happen as much if the hand being poked is of another skin colour.

In another study, researchers feigned an injury at a football stadium during a game — they were more likely to be helped if wearing home team regalia. Subjects considering the plight of an AIDS patient activate the anterior cingulate, a brain region implicated in feeling empathy — but only if the patient was infected with HIV from a blood transfusion, rather than from drug use. We come with implicit categories influencing whose plight moves us.

What is demoralising is when we see this play out in the behaviour of moral giants.

Consider John Newton, a theologian who late in life became central to the banning of slavery in the British Empire. Remarkably, as a young man, Newton was the captain of a slave ship. When he had a religious epiphany (something he celebrated in the hymn he penned, “Amazing Grace”), he traded his captain’s role for the ministry. But there is an inconvenient pause in Newton’s journey from slaver to abolitionist. As a newly minted preacher caring for the poor of London, he invested in and profited from the slave trade. Apparently, it wasn’t immediately obvious that everyone deserved God’s grace equally.

Then there is Zenji Abe, who lead a squadron of Japanese planes that attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Years later, as an old man, Abe came to a memorial service in Hawaii, to apologise to elderly American survivors. Yet, Abe had also participated in the Japanese invasion of China and the Rape of Nanking; there is no evidence that he ever apologised for that. Apparently, some types of ex-enemies count more than others.

And there’s Woodrow Wilson who, after the end of World War I, championed self-determination and human rights for subjugated European minorities. Yet, Wilson’s legacy is tainted with racism. As president of Princeton University, he laboured to reduce the number of African Americans admitted; as president of the United States, he instituted or reinforced segregationist laws. Moreover, he repeatedly invaded Latin American countries, overthrowing popularly supported governments to install puppets. Apparently, self-determination and civil rights applied only to people of some skin colours.

Which brings us to a current example. Consider Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who spent 15 years under house arrest in Myanmar for no-nviolently opposing its military dictatorship. Now, “Mother Suu” is the de facto leader of Myanmar. The news has been filled with reports of the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the Muslim minority in Myanmar, following attacks by Rohingyan insurgents on government border posts. There has been a bloodbath of killings and rapes; Rohingya villages have been burned to the ground by the military and Buddhist mobs. Four hundred thousand Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh under the direst of circumstances.

And the response of Suu Kyi, who is a member of the country’s Buddhist aristocracy? At first, a yawning silence. Finally, earlier this month, she addressed the crisis publicly. She praised her marauding military for its supposed restraint in pursing “terrorists”, aligning herself with some of the same generals who imprisoned her. She denied the long-standing persecution of the Rohingya and the scorched-earth campaign against them. She called for investigations into “what the real problems are” behind the exodus of the 400,000.

And thus Suu Kyi, a prisoner of conscience who suffered deeply to help free her people, shows that only some citizens of Myanmar count as “her people”. Or even as people.

Of course, humans and other animals are not identical in how they extend empathy to only the right kinds of sufferers. When a rat fails to aid an unfamiliar rat in need, it could offer an easy explanation — “that rat smells weird”. But when humans do it, we gussy up savage indifference with rationalisation, denial, distortion and lies.

Ah, the progress we have made.

Launched last year as a 2018 model, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio may be a somewhat latecomer to the SUV and crossover segment, but has, however, proved well worth the wait, and especially so in top dog Quadrifoglio guise. Alfa Romeo’s gambit into the high performance or “super” end of the SUV segment, the Quadrifoglio is an object in how a high riding four-wheel-drive vehicle can be made a “sports” vehicle. Not just a devastatingly swift straight line performer, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s agile and committed handling allows it to more effectively deploy its power on track and through winding roads.

Elegant and eager

Reinterpreting the iconic 108-year old Italian auto maker’s motorsport heritage for a modern super SUV, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio bears both the name of the swerving Stelvio Pass mountain stage of the historic Mille Miglia race, and the brand’s traditional four leaf clover racing good luck charm as an emblem. Lighter and with better specific power and power-to-weight than chief competitors like the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 and Porsche Macan Turbo, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio also posted the world’s fastest 7-minute, 51.7-second SUV lap time at the benchmark Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit, last September, and one year after its Giulia Quadrifoglio super saloon sister.

A stylish, practical and fast super SUV combining sheer power and handling ability to devastating effect, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s design is meanwhile elegantly curvy and urgently sporty without being overtly brutal or aggressive. Taut, jutting and eager with fine curvatures, sharp lines, sporty details and a flowing roofline, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio sits with an athletic momentum and features rearwards cabin and rakish tailgate with prominent rear spoiler. Front views are dominated by its shield-like honeycomb grille, slim LED-browed headlights and hungry main and gill-like side intakes. Other details hinting at its staggering performance include big bore quad tailpipes and large staggered alloys.

Responsive and urgent

Under its long bonnet and extraction vents, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by Alfa Romeo’s Ferrari-developed twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 engine. Producing 503BHP at 6500rpm and 443lb/ft torque throughout a broad and accessible 2500-5000rpm band, the Stelvio Qudrifoglio is willing from low-end, versatile in mid-range, and viciously eager towards its 7400rpm limit. Broad, versatile and charismatic the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is, unlike many turbo engines, both urgently high-revving yet responsively quick spooling from idling engine speed. With twin IHI single-scroll turbos positioned between cylinder banks for short gasflow paths and eager response from standstill, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s mid-range is meanwhile unrelentingly abundant.

With four-wheel-drive traction, wide 255/45R20 front and rear 285/40R20 tyres, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio pounces, supercar-like, from standstill to 100km/h in just 3.8-seconds, and is capable of a 283km/h maximum. Growling and snarling, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is viscerally quick on-the-move, with a broad and muscular mid-range torque band underwriting an urgently progressive power build up. Driving through a slick, swift and smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox, the Quadrifoglio’s cog changes, however, become snappier, quicker and more succinct when in Dynamic or Race driving mode, during which throttle response, damper firmness, and exhaust note also adopt a sportier and more focused profile.

Agility and ability

Driving rear wheels by default for efficiency, balanced handling and agility, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s Q4 four-wheel-drive system, however, variably reapportions up to 50 per cent power to the front wheels when addition traction and grip are needed. Meanwhile, an electronic limited-slip differential distributes power side-to-side along the rear axle for agility and yet more traction. The result is a car that tucks crisply into corners, is balanced and committed throughout and exits with claw-like road-holding as it puts power down to tarmac with maximum effect. Meanwhile, large 350mm disc 6-piston calliper front and 350mm, 4-piston rear brakes proved tirelessly and effectively capable.

Driven at Alfa Romeo’s sprawling historic Balocco Proving Grounds, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio was particularly adept on the demandingly narrow, winding and fast Langhe circuit. Precise and eager turning into corners, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s agility is aided by selective brake-based torque vectoring.

Steering is meanwhile precise, quick, well-weighted and communicative for an SUV, if not as nuanced feeling as the lighter, rear-driven Giulia Qudrifoglio saloon. Agile, tidy and buttoned down through Langhe, the Quadrifoglio could be induced to kick its tail wide in Race mode. But to avoid understeer, tighter, flatter corners are best taken by pivoting weight to the rear and outside.

Settled, sporty and spacious

Settled and confident through Langhe’s demanding elevations, fast straights and switchbacks including steeply dipping corners immediately followed by sharp inclines, the Quadrifoglio’s masterful suspension set-up and adaptive dampers makes it feel like a smaller, lower and leaner car. Superbly flat through corners despite its ride height and 1830kg weight the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s lateral control is taut, while vertical control remained settled and buttoned down on sharp dips, crests and on rebound. Stable and refined at speed both through winding routes and on high speed straights, the Stelvio’s sporting abilities simply belie its SUV designation and defy expectation.

Luxuriously sporty inside, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s leather and carbon-fibre swathed cabin features an alert, involving and versatile driving position with driver-focused instrumentation, logical layouts and well-adjustable steering wheel with column-mounted singe-piece aluminium gearbox paddle shifters. Seats are comfortable and supportive, while optional carbon-fibre spine sports seats are lighter and more provide more side support.

A practical SUV in terms of manoeuvrability, boot space and convenience and safety systems, the Stelvio’s cabin proved well-packaged. Well-accommodating in general, the Stelvio’s front and rear headroom was unexpectedly good for taller drivers, given its rakish roofline. This was particularly so in non-sunroof specification.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.9-litre, twin-turbocharged, in-line V6-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 86.5 x 82mm

Compression ratio: 9.31:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Rev limit: 7400rpm

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive, electronic limited-slip rear differential

Ratios: 1st 5.0; 2nd 3.2; 3rd 2.143; 4th 1.72; 5th 1.313; 6th 1.0; 7th 0.823; 8th 0.64

Reverse/final drive: 3.456/3.7

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 503 (510) [375] @6500rpm

Specific power: 174BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 443 (600) @2500-5000rpm

Specific torque: 207.5Nm/litre

0-100km/h: 3.8-seconds

Top speed: 283km/h

Fuel consumption, urban/extra-urban/combined: 11.7-/7.5-/9-litres/100km 

CO2 emissions, combined: 210g/km

Fuel capacity: 64-litres

Wheelbase: 2818mm

Track, F/R: 1622/1675mm

Overhangs, F/R: 866/1018mm

Ground clearance: 200mm (approximately)

Wading depth: 480mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficient: 0.34

Cargo volume, min/max: 499-/1600-litres

Weight: 1830kg

Weight distribution, F/R: 53.8/46.2 per cent

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 12.1-metres

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone/multi-link, active dampers

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 360 x 32mm/350 x 28mm

Brake callipers, F/R: 6-/4-piston

Tyres, F/R: 255/45R20/285/40R20

Losing weight is, for most people, the easy part. The bigger challenge is trying to keep it off for more than a year.

New research helps explain why people in this second stage are so much more prone to failure.

In a nutshell, people who have shed a significant chunk of their weight are hungrier and have a stronger desire to eat for at least a year after transitioning from weight loss to weight-loss maintenance. And even when their hormones send loud satiety signals to the brain after a meal, they still do not feel full.

The new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, falls in line with a growing field of research that explores the body’s tenacious and multi-pronged response to weight loss.

In a bid to ensure that lost weight is regained, the human body has been found to reset its thermostat to burn fuel more efficiently, to economise in calorie-burning movements and to rev up the impulse to find and eat food.

Researchers believe these responses evolved to protect humans against wasting away during times of famine. But in societies where calorific foods are never in short supply, these adaptations have worked to the detriment of dieters.

Moreover, in people who have become obese, there is growing suspicion that these responses become harder to override. In recent years, researchers have found evidence that obesity makes the brain more “deaf” to some of the gut’s satiety signals, and more keenly attuned to signals of hunger.

The new research offers some validation for that surmise.

To study the effects of weight loss in 35 severely obese subjects, Norwegian researchers helped them lose close to a tenth of their weight. They provided dietary advice, exercise coaching and psychotherapy during several three-week stays at a wooded retreat in eastern Norway. All the subjects had a body-mass index greater than 42 (a BMI over 30 is considered obese) at the outset of the study.

At one year, when subjects had lost an average of close to 11 kilogrammes, they returned to the retreat to map out maintenance plans.

Every six months from enrolment to two years out, researchers checked in to conduct a series of tests. Before and for three hours after meals, they gauged subjects’ subjective feelings of hunger, fullness and desire to eat, and asked how much food they planned to consume. And they measured circulating levels of five separate hormones that regulate appetite to see how they responded to the prospect of a meal or a meal just eaten.

What they found was the body’s reaction to weight loss shifted over time.

In the short run — four weeks after their exercise-and-weight-loss regimens got underway — the subjects had lost an average of 3.5 per cent of their body weight. Their levels of appetite-boosting hormones had risen rapidly — probably a response to their getting roughly three-hour-and-a-half hours of exercise per day while at the retreat.

But they did not report increased hunger or desire to eat. And with rising levels of satiety hormones, they were feeling more full in the wake of eating a meal.

As they met their weight-loss goals, however, things changed.

At the end of a year of dieting and exercise, the study’s participants had lost about 7.4 per cent of their weight and had improved their fitness considerably. But they reported to researchers a significant increase in their hunger and desire to eat. And the sensations of fullness they reported after meals had plummeted.

Two years after enrolling in the study — and a year into their weight-maintenance programmes — the subjects had, on average, kept the weight from coming back. But they continued to report levels of hunger and desire to eat that were just as high or higher than at the end of Year One. And they reported feeling no more full after a meal.

At both time points, their hormone levels continued to show increases in appetite-stimulating compounds, as well as those that would signal fullness. Though they lost the weight and — with the study’s unusual level of support — managed to keep it off, they were hearing the loud cries of their hunger-boosting hormones. The fullness ones, not so much.

The good news, according the researchers: A sustained and supportive programme of dietary restriction and physical activity does induce weight loss and can help very obese patients keep the weight off.

The bad news: “Patients with severe obesity who have lost significant amounts of weight… will have to deal with increased hunger in the long-term.”

If these patients are to beat the odds and sustain their weight loss, professionals working with them will have to find ways to help them cope with that, they added.

Frankenstein in Baghdad

Ahmed Saadawi

Translated by Jonathan Wright

New York: Penguin Books, 2018

Pp. 281

From Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic novel, “Frankenstein”, Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi plucks a metaphor for the situation of his war-torn country. The Frankenstein in Saadawi’s novel is not a scientist but a junk dealer, and the metaphor describes the physical, political and social fragmentation of Iraq, engineered by the 2003 invasion and post-war US policy, as well as the ensuing sectarian violence.

The story opens two years after the invasion, in Baghdad, “a troubled city where the demons had broken out of their dungeons and come to the surface all at once”. (p. 64)

The truly unsettling thing is that no one knows exactly who these demons are, or who is behind the daily car bombs and other forms of explosions and violence — some targeted and some seemingly random. Saadawi does a masterful job of creating the atmosphere of fear and terror that prevails and showing how it impacts on the human psyche: What does it mean for human behaviour if one does not know whom to trust or what will happen next? 

The heart of the story unfolds in a neighbourhood which may once have been respectable, but is now crumbling from old age and war, peopled by some unscrupulous characters who take advantage of the chaos to enrich themselves, while most are just trying to survive. One of the latter is Hadi, the junk dealer, who loves to tell stories whenever he can get an audience. He seems like a rather ordinary guy until, after a particularly destructive car bomb, he begins to assemble a corpse. He is initially motivated by outrage: “I wanted to hand him over to the forensics department because it was a complete corpse that had been left in the streets like trash. It’s a human being… I made it complete so it wouldn’t be treated like trash, so it would be respected like other dead people and given a proper burial.” (p. 27)

But what begins as an attempt to redress the devaluation of human life induced by so much violence, soon becomes more complicated as the reconstructed corpse takes on a life of its own, something like Dr Frankenstein’s monster in Shelley’s book. Consisting of dead body parts, it must be constantly replenished as some parts decompose totally and fall off. Soon, terrible new crimes are being committed. What is their motive? Who is responsible? Is it Hadi’s creation, or criminals or terrorists? And who can tell the difference? 

The creature sees his mission as avenging the death of the victims of whose body parts he is composed, so that they may rest in peace. Here one sees how the Frankenstein metaphor aptly expresses the self-perpetuating cycle of killing and raises existential questions about the violence that is tearing society apart: The creature “knew his mission was essentially to kill, to kill new people every day, but he no longer had a clear idea who should be killed or why. The flesh of the innocents of which he was initially composed, had been replaced by new flesh, that of his own victims and criminals”. (p. 200)

Eventually, he begins taking revenge on those who insult him, widening the circle of violence. He attracts a following which resembles a cult or gang or militia that perpetuates and glorifies violence. Different followers have different perceptions of the creature. One thinks he is a saviour; another, the Angel of Death; yet another, the model citizen the Iraqi state has so far failed to produce — “made up of body parts of people from diverse backgrounds —ethnicities, tribes, races, and social classes”. (pp. 146-7)

But in the end, he admits he kills simply to keep going. Killing has become a way of life just as in many protracted conflicts where few other jobs are available to the poor.

Steeped in irony, black humour and surreal interludes, Saadawi has created a powerful anti-war novel showing the cruelty, tragedy, destructiveness and ultimate absurdity of war. There are many other characters, themes and subplots; the Frankenstein metaphor is only the most shocking and pervasive. The other most prominent theme is exposing the dangerous consequences of sectarianism. All the elements of literature are carefully crafted into a chilling whole; the very structure of the novel is disorienting, reflecting the security situation. 

Saadawi was born in Baghdad and still lives there. Besides his obvious writing skills, this may explain why his story rings so true, even when it tips over into the surreal and fantastic. In 2014, he was awarded the International Prize for Arabic Fiction for this book, which paved the way for its translation into English. A novel about the Iraq war from an Iraqi perspective is a much-needed antidote to all the lies that have accompanied this war. While the creature may be an urban legend, Saadawi’s story is in essence all too real.

Relationships and Couples Therapist

If you feel apprehensive about couples therapy, rest assured you are not alone. Many couples reserve going to therapy as a last resort. Even when they finally reach out to a therapist to save their marriage, they are often looking for quick fixes with the least effort and time involvement.

Repairing a troubled relationship needs a lot of effort and commitment from both of you. I always compare it to going to the gym: your personal trainer can only guide and help you reach your goals through her knowledge and expertise. But to get that healthy toned body, your full commitment, effort and dedication are of absolute necessity. Likewise, couples therapy, if approached correctly, has not only the potential to strengthen your bond and your relationship, but can also lead to each partner’s individual growth and personal development as well.

False expectations that can block success 

‘The therapist will decide which of us is right and which of us is wrong’

A therapist is not a judge to tell you who is right and who is wrong. The therapist is a “process consultant” who will help you both identify the habits and patterns that keep each of you stuck and lonely in the relationship and will help you eliminate them.

‘The therapist will 

fix my partner’

It is no secret that most couples come into therapy secretly hoping that the therapist will fix their partner and this will solve their problems in the relationship. The truth is that both of you co-created the problems together and both of you will need to change to improve your relationship. So, instead of merely focusing on the changes your partner needs to make, you need to focus on yourself and the changes you need to make to improve your relationship.

Obstacles to therapy

Waiting too long before starting therapy

The average couple waits seven years before reaching out for help. Some even 15 years and that is really a long time living together in distress. Addressing issues earlier will prevent them from becoming deeper and more stubborn to treat. Do not expect your therapist to be able to quickly and swiftly undo what took years to create; work with the therapist and accept that it will take a while to get back on track. 

Keeping secrets

Often couples enter therapy where one or both partners are keeping secrets, such as having an ongoing affair, or dealing with an addiction. This will sabotage therapy and prevent real change. You can start by telling your therapist about those secrets and she or he can help you decide how to proceed, but definitely do not keep secrets from your therapist.

Not following through

Some couples are very enthusiastic about beginning therapy. They work hard with their therapist to identify areas they get stuck in and agree with the therapist on what needs to be done to get unstuck. But then they fall short on following through and applying those newly learned insights and techniques in their day-to-day interactions. Truth is, spending 90 minutes weekly with your therapist is not enough to bring about real change. You need to apply what you learned in the therapy session to your daily interactions with your partner to see sustainable improvement. 

‘Ghosting’ therapist

Often people start therapy with the best of intentions but discover that they are not ready or able to continue. No matter what your reasons, it is better to share them with your therapist instead of abruptly ending therapy, withdrawing from all communication. For one, the therapist might be able to help you by referring you to a different therapist if you feel there is a personality clash. This conveys respect and keeps the door open for you to easily resume therapy with your therapist in the future. 

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine