Biorigin receives the gold seal of the Brazilian GHG protocol
O
Ioannis Zabetakis
Obesity kills and fish can combat that n October 11, 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released some rather worrying data: we are getting fatter and fatter at alarming rates. In detail, the number of obese children and adolescents (aged five to 19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades. If current trends continue, more children and adolescents will be obese than moderately or severely underweight by 2022. The study was published in The Lancet ahead of World Obesity Day (October 11) (Abarca-Gómez et al.). It analysed weight and height measurements from nearly 130 million people aged over five years (31.5 million people aged five to 19, and 97.4 million aged 20 and older), making it the largest ever number of participants involved in an epidemiological study. More than 1000 contributors participated in the study, which looked at body mass index (BMI) and how obesity has changed worldwide from 1975 to 2016. Obesity rates in the world’s children and adolescents increased from less than one percent (equivalent to 5 million girls and 6 million boys) in 1975 to nearly six percent in girls (50 million) and nearly eight percent in boys (74 million) in 2016. Combined, the number of obese five to 19 year olds rose more than tenfold globally, from 11 million in 1975 to 124 million in 2016. An additional 213 million were overweight in 2016 but fell below the threshold for obesity. So, adding obese and overweight people aged five-19 years old, we have a sum of 337 millions. You can stop reading this article now, and just think how many obese/overweight people under 19 years old you know. Do these people have a sports hobby? Do they exercise at all? What do they eat? How often do they eat fish? In our January 2017 article, we mentioned that the Irish Food Pyramid is full of scientific mistakes, mistakes that could promote obesity by passing the wrong message to the public. Meat and fish are not equal in terms of nutritional value and this fact has been overlooked in Ireland. What about the health authorities in other countries? Do they convey accurate diet guidelines? Fish has excellent nutritional value not only in terms of “healthy lipids” but also in calorific and nutrient contents. I am worried though that we are not doing our best in promoting these fish attributes. I would encourage introducing the fish nutritional value issue as a separate topic in all major aquaculture symposia/conferences. Eating more fish will not only make aqua companies more wealthy but will make the world more… healthy!
Further reading
Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults. Abarca-Gómez, Leandra et al. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32129-3/ fulltext?elsca1=tlpr
Currently working on Food Lipids at the University of Limerick, Ireland, focusing on feeds, food and nutraceuticals against inflammation, Ioannis is a co-inventor in two patents, has edited a book on marine oils, and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 19). He is currently writing a book on "The Impact of Nutrition and Statins on Cardiovascular Diseases" for Elsevier.
4 | November 2017 - International Aquafeed
B
iorigin strengthens its commitment to sustainability by joining the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program and has already conquered the gold seal for its first GHG emissions inventory. Biorigin (Açucareira Quatá SA / Zilor) received the Gold Seal of the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program for having disclosed an inventory of Scope 1 & 2 emissions audited by third a party, in compliance with ISO 14064-3:2007 (SGS).
The GHG Protocol is a tool used to understand, quantify, and manage GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions. In 2008, the method was adapted to the Brazilian context by the Centre for Sustainability Studies of Fundação Getúlio Vargas and WRI, in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD) and 27 founding companies, launching the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program. The results of the 2016 GHG emissions inventory of Quatá Açucareira (Biorigin / Zilor) was presented on August 10, at the Annual Event of the GHG Protocol Program held in the auditorium of FGV EAESP in São Paulo. The results are available online at the online platform of Registro Público de Emissões.