Poorer children more likely to age faster than affluent counterparts, study finds
"Biological disadvantages may be shaped in first decade of a child’s life depending on family affluence"
"Academics at Imperial College London looked at data from 1,160 children aged between six and 11 from across Europe, for the study published in the Lancet. The children were scored using an international scale of family affluence, which is based on a number of factors including whether a child had their own room and the number of vehicles per household."
"Children were split into groups of high, medium and low affluence groups, and blood samples were used to measure children’s average telomere length in white blood cells, while the stress hormone cortisol was measured from urine.
Telomeres are structures found within chromosomes that play an important role in cellular ageing and DNA integrity, and their degradation is linked to ageing. Telomeres become shorter as humans age.
Previous studies have suggested a link between telomere length and chronic diseases, and that acute and chronic stress can reduce telomere length."
Did you eat vegetables and fruits 2-3 meals per day?
Were you warm in winter, cool in summer?
Did you learn to read, sing, create, draw, imagine, express yourself
Did you have friends
Did you have family
Did you get to visit and travel away from home
Did you spend time in nature, around trees, outdoors
Etc etc
"Would you be so kind as to tell us the way to the union depot,” the chairman asked a policeman. It was the first time a flongboo ever spoke to a policeman on the streets of Philadelphia.
“It pays to be polite,” said the policeman.
“May I ask you again if you would kindly direct us to the union depot? We wish to ride on a train,” said the flongboo.
“Polite persons and angry persons are different kinds,” said the policeman.
The flongboo’s eyes changed their lights and a slow torch of fire sprang out behind where his tail used to be. And speaking to the policeman, 223he said, “Sir, I must inform you, publicly and respectfully, that we are The Committee of Sixty Six. We are honorable and distinguished representatives from places your honest and ignorant geography never told you about. This committee is going to ride on the cars to Medicine Hat near the Saskatchewan river in the Winnipeg wheat country where the blizzards and chinooks begin. We have a special message and a secret errand for the Head Spotter of the Weather Makers.”
“I am a polite friend of all respectable people—that is why I wear this star to arrest people who are not respectable,” said the policeman, touching with his pointing finger the silver and nickel star fastened with a safety pin on his blue uniform coat.
“This is the first time ever in the history of the United States that a committee of sixty-six blue foxes and flongboos has ever visited a city in the United States,” insinuated the flongboo.224
“I beg to be mistaken,” finished the policeman. “The union depot is under that clock.” And he pointed to a clock near by.
“I thank you for myself, I thank you for the Committee of Sixty Six, I thank you for the sake of all the animals in the United States who have lost their tails,” finished the chairman.
From
"How the Animals Lost Their Tails and
Got Them Back Traveling From
Philadelphia to Medicine Hat"
Carl Sandburg, Rutabaga Stories
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