Tangled in the Plastic Loop

- November 15, 2021

A recent virtual talk I attended on the various growth issues among children took me to a totally different terrain. Among the different issues related to the topic that were discussed the mention of 'bone-age' (the degree of maturation of a child's bones) caught my attention. It was a relatively new concept for me. Though the talk did not mention much on the term or the reasons that affected it, I was intrigued.

Some days of study and research led me to writing this article, so that I can share some thoughts on it with you, children.

What are the factors affecting our growth?

Genetic factors, we all know that. But along with that there are many environmental and cultural factors like stress, exposure to sunlight, amount of physical activity and most importantly the quality of food.

Quality of Food/ Plastic Ingestion

We know we can't live with out plastics. They are there everywhere. From our favorite toys to our school bag, from burgers to shawarmas most of the things we love come wrapped in plastics

When I thought of it, an endless list flashed by my eyes: the plastic containers in which I store my grams, grains and dal, the plastic dishes I use to microwave, the bottles in which I carry and store water, not to mention the many cookie jars....

Now what about the things we carelessly dispose off?

They don't really leave us. They bounce back on to us as rubber on to glue as they get in to the water system.

Researchers sampled 259 water bottles purchased from 19 different locations in 9 countries around the world using Nile red dye to fluoresce particles in the water – the dye tends to hold to the surface of plastic but not most natural materials. They found out nearly all of the water bottles tested (93%) had microplastics inside.

Scientists ended up estimating that on average, a liter of bottled water has around 10.4 tiny plastic particles inside that people swallow when they’re drinking. Moreover, the researchers found, on average, around 315 tiny microparticles per 1-liter bottles.

We need not be an Albert Einstein to understand that even the fish and prawn delicacies we relish so much have traces of plastic in them but we need to be one to know that micro plastics are there in EVERYTHING we eat and drink.

Researchers Find Micro and Nano plastics in Human Tissue

Sunlight and Physical Exercise

You might have done activities in your science class to demonstrate how plants need sunlight to grow. But did you know we too need sunlight for our growth, to keep us healthy?

So when the weather is pleasant let's go out and run with the wind, chase a butterfly, bask in the sun, jump in the puddles left by the rain and be one with nature. Don't forget to wear a hat and gum boots when you play in the rain and jump in the puddle. Always remember to remove your shoe before you go back indoors.

When your favorite television programs and video games lure you to get stuck to your couches and chairs shake them off if the weather is fine, go outdoors. Let's not fool our body to think that we are already grannies and grandpas. If we confine ourselves to chairs and become sedentary our body might mistake us as adults who have stopped growing. So don't forget to be like children, be always physically active.

You will get all the vitamin D for free when you play outside and also have the physical exercise that is paramount to growth. Guess what! It boosts your immunity too. They are natural immunity boosters unlike the ones available in the market. Isn't it cherry on top!

Stress

Life is full of ups and downs and we grown ups are still learning. So believe me when I tell you this, things may not always come to you easily. You fumble and fall, but will certainly get up and keep going. Don't stress over a broken toy or a silly mistake. Books will tear, shoes will get dirty and sometimes you lose a couple of marks here and there. It's not the end of the world. We grown ups, mommies and daddies, do not know this too. So we might loose our calm. But you needn't worry too much over it. BE HAPPY...