Radicalism: Not so much a religious problem than a mental problem
Friday, November 20, 2015 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments

Source: Zeenews
The recent acts of terrorism around the world have once again sparked negative sentiments towards certain religious and ethnic groups. Yet while many rogues commit evil in the name of religion, religion is in fact interpreted by humans, and many religious texts do not so much as express support for murder and destruction.

However, because religion is such an emotion-evoking topic, it is often used by manipulative sociopaths to recruit followers and accomplices when they spread twisted interpretations of their faith.

The question that begs to be answered is, in this day and age when most of us have been thought to not readily accept things we see on the internet as facts, why are some people more susceptible to self-radicalism online. Some of them, who never had so much as a petty crime to their name, are citizens of relatively safe and prosperous countries. Why would these seemingly normal people give up their stable life to head to Syria, a warzone where numerous cruelties against humanity are committed everyday?

Some intellectuals who study the appeal of extremist ideologies believe that the radicalization is a mental health problem, not a religious problem. Kamaldeep Bhui, professor of cultural psychiatry and epidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, shared that following the 9/11 attacks, research was done to assess the sympathies that people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin living in the UK harboured towards terrorist acts and violent protests. A correlation was discovered between radical sympathies and “and being young, in full-time education, relative social isolation, and having a tendency towards depressive symptoms.”

Depressed and socially-isolated individuals tend to develop a pessimistic outlook towards life. Quoting Kamaldeep: “Young people finding themselves alienated from their culture of origin and not fitting host culture are unable to discern orthodox religious practice and belief from ideologies associated with cults, gangs or extreme religious movements.”

The promise of solace among likeminded individuals as well as a more optimistic future from radical organisations may be a draw. One may even entertain thoughts about how it is acceptable to eradicate the rest of the world that made his/her life miserable. Peer pressure can also play a part in redirecting paths, but the general consensus is that a person with a healthy self-esteem, good social support and knowledge about authentic religious teachings will not only be less susceptible to radicalism, but also be a positive influence on his peers.

That is not to say that all lonely, depressed and unhappy young people are potential terrorists in the making. Experts in the field concede that it is difficult to identify people who are at high risk of being radicalised. In fact, some may not be depressed or exhibit other forms of mental problems but merely believe that radical groups can fulfill their aspirations in ways that a conventional lifestyle is unable to.


However, what is certain is that depression and isolation do make people more suggestible to external influences. We have to reach out to them, or have someone with the right attitude and expertise to do so. Looking out for the welfare of our fellow men is part of total defence. It is the duty of every citizen to be vigilant and knowledgeable about safeguarding the welfare of the vulnerable, which includes those with emotional difficulties like depressive symptoms, poor social support networks, anger and aggression management issues and tendencies towards gang and criminal activities. By reaching out and caring, we can prevent a myriad of risky behaviour that stems from it, including suicide, violence and crimes.


Friday, November 06, 2015 - Posted by SunnyHealth - 0 comments


The fact that red meats like beef and processed meats like bacon and luncheon meat are not exactly the healthiest food products around has not been news to us. Health enthusiasts and doctors have harped about how fattening and threatening these delicacies are for our heart and weight. Nevertheless, many of us continue to indulge ourselves for their satisfying taste. For those who care about their health, it shouldn't be too difficult to get rid of the calories gained through a few trips to the gym, right?

But the recent announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - that there is a link between some types of meat and some forms of cancer - bowel cancer in particular, will likely prompt many meat lovers to revise their diets. After all, cancer is more challenging to manage than some extra pounds.

Before you panic and start swearing off meat completely due to this piece of news, which isn't a bad thing but could backfire if 1) you don't get sufficient nutrients 2) It's too torturous and you throw in the towel, let's get some facts right:

Red meat is meat that is dark red colour before cooking or processing. Common and obvious examples include beef and lamb. But perhaps unbeknownst to many, pork is also on the list. There are some causal links between red meat and increased risk of cancer, but the links are not definitive.

Processed meat is meat that is not sold fresh, but has undergone some form of processing like curing, canning, smoking and other forms of preservation methods to prolong its shelf life. This includes bacon, luncheon meat, sausages and ham. Frequent consumption is established to increase the risk of contracting cancer.

White meat, like chicken and fish, are not known to increase the risk of cancer and are safe alternatives. This should not be much of a surprise as they are often touted as healthier alternatives when it comes to calorie intake. So meat lovers, take heart!

As for tasty indulgences like processed meat, let them remain indulgences, but you don't have to avoid them like plague. Of course, you probably should for better health, but if that might make you go cold turkey, realise that just because you enjoy the occasional traditional English breakfast with sausages and bacon doesn't automatically make you a candidate for cancer.

Professor Phillips of Cancer Research UK has a layman analogy for it: "...think of banana skins. They definitely can cause accidents, but in practice this doesn’t happen very often. And the sort of harm you can come to from slipping on a banana skin isn’t generally as severe as, say, being in a car accident."

However, under a hazard identification system like IARC’s, both ‘banana skins’ and ‘cars’ would come under the same category – they both definitely do cause accidents.


Here is another useful graphic by Cancer Research UK to compare the probability of contracting cancer through eating processed meats and smoking tobacco. It is not uncommon to hear of smokers who smoke like a chimney yet never contract any form of cancer. 

The point of such research is of course, not to discourage people from adopting a more healthy lifestyle, but to remind readers to not develop irrational paranoia. Enjoying life in moderation and having a positive mindset remain key to good health.