Avoid dying early...

superior source of protein, plus the added bonus of an ingredient in fish, Omega-3 fatty acids, the oil that protects the heart, besides the brain. And many of us do not seem to accept the fact that smoking maims and kills, alcohol damages our liver and brain, and that daily physical exercise, besides the low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-carbohydrate and highfiber diet, is vital for a healthy lifestyle, to maintain good health and well-being.

In the name of love

Some of us may be shortening the life of our children without realizing it, unintentionally, unwittingly, all in the name of love, but nonetheless devastating to them when they reach middle age and beyond. Allowing them to live an unhealthy lifestyle, to be hooked on cigarettes, alcohol, soft drinks (which are poison), is loving our children to death.

“Love not our children to death” is the message in my coffee-table book on disease prevention published in the United States and in the Philippines, entitled “Let’s Stop ‘Killing’ Our Children,” which could be previewed on www.philipSchua.com.

Alarming statistics

Obesity in children has doubled the past couple of decades, and tripled the past 30 years. If the trend is allowed to continue through our parental neglect, inaction, or indifference, it is conceivable that obesity will quadruple in another ten years. And since obesity increases the risk for diseases like hypertension, diabetes and other metabolic illnesses, heart attack, stroke, and cancer, longevity would obviously suffer. All the gains mankind has achieved the past six decades through the advances in medical science and technology –preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic –could simply go to waste for this segment of the world population if wisdom does not prevail.

Today, among the affluent people around the world, including those in developing nations, obesity afflicts about 20 percent of children ages 6 to 11, and more alarmingly, about 10 percent of those ages 2 to 5 are obese. Among those between ages 12 and 19, 18 percent are also obese.

Benefits of exercise

The amazing benefits of regular physical exercise, even brisk or moderate walking (not jogging, which injures the joints in our hip, knees, and ankles), protect not only our cardiovascular system but also our brain (lowering the risk for Alzheimer’s). It also reduces our risk for cancer. The most fit animals in the wild are the ones who are physically most active. Those who are caged or who are in captivity are the ones prone to develop diseases like ours.

The Philippines is obviously not immune from these preventable deaths reported by the World Health Organization. It behooves our national, provincial and city governments to implement policies that will help cut down these deaths. It’s time we adopted one.

Equally essential, if not more, is for each and everyone of us to make that wise decision, the choice to live a healthier lifestyle.

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The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health.

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/ author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali and Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.con; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

7’s Football League to host international tournament in the Philippines

By Donnabelle GatDula-arevalo AJPress

THE 7’s Football League (7s FL), headed by Filipino American football icon Anton del Rosario, is kicking off two major first-of-its kind sevena-side football tournaments.

Del Rosario, in an interview with the Asian Journal, said the league will hold its first international tournament in the Philippines from April 21-23, 2023, with title sponsor BPI AIA Life Assurance Corp.

The BPI AIA Asia 7s Football Championship, which will determine the best in the continent in terms of seven-a-side football, will feature teams from the Philippines, India, Brunei and Japan.

Gaining popularity as more sports enthusiasts around the world are getting hooked to it, the seven-a-side football is one of the mini variations of football. From the usual 11-a-side, it is played among seven players in each team consisting of one goalkeeper and six outfield players. The pitch of seven-a-side football ranges from 50-65 yards in length and 25-50 yards in width, respectively.

Another first-ever event with a hefty prize pot, he said, is going to be held in the United States.

“We also have a competition in the U.S. We are already preparing for it. It’s a $1 million winner-takesall tournament,” he said.

This seven-a-side football tournment will be held in North Carolina on June 1-4, 2023.

Around 32 teams from all over the world are expected to join in this exciting tournament. There will be a $20,000 registration fee each team.

Del Rosario is thrilled as this is going to be an event where a “very interesting community of football players getting together.”

“Our team will be consisting of captains and old national team players of countries across Southeast Asia. It will be composed of Filipinos and other Asian ethnicities, primarily Southeast Asian. Specifically, we will have three Filipinos, two Indonesians, one from Guam and another from Thailand,” he said.

Some of the teams that will be participating are top class, del Rosario said. One of which is owned by actor Ryan Reynolds. His team Wrexham, which has grown extremely popular from the Hulu documentary, “Welcome to Wrexham,” will be fielding their top team.

Eva Longoria will also be sending her team from Mexico’s top league, Necaxa.

We can also expect legends of the U.S. Men’s National Team and Legends of the U.S. Women’s National Team to participate.

“For this tournament, we are putting together a team of international players from across Southeast Asia to compete and win $1 million, and to extend seven-a-side football across Asia. That’s our story and that’s our goal,” del Rosario said.

He is optimistic that this tournament will also gain a lot of support from sports and football enthusiasts as the players who would be participating are quite popular and have a lot of online followers in social media.

“All of these players are quite influential,” he said. “Our player from Indonesia has 1.5 million followers. Our teammate from Thailand has 1.3 million followers. Our teammate from Philippines has 150,000 followers. Our teammate from Malaysia has 350,000 followers. So we are