Animal welfare: the five freedoms and the free market

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 45-49
Author(s):  
A. J. F. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Free Market ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Normal Behaviour ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Five Freedoms ◽  
Health And Well Being

AbstractIn a free market economy the consumer and not the producer usually dictates the product and the means of production. Meat production however involves, as a third party, the animals themselves whose rights are not protected by the free market. To ensure and improve the welfare of farm animals it is necessary first to define and analyse the factors that contribute to an animal's sense of health and well-being. The first stage of analysis can be embraced by the five freedoms which define standards of nutrition, comfort, health, security and normal behaviour. Right action to ensure the five freedoms requires research, legislation and education. This paper suggests reasons why the contribution of research and legislation to improved welfare has, so far, been small. It further suggests that proposed future legislation may be too crude an instrument to ensure improvements in something so complex as an animal's perception of the world. The most promising approach is to educate the consumer towards an understanding of animal production that is more in tune with reality and less susceptible to imagery, be it the false ‘farm fresh’ image of the producers or the ‘factory’ image of the anti-farming lobby. My simple plea is for honesty in animal production, an honesty that recognizes the realities of pain and death but which allows both the farmer and his animals to live with dignity.

Dysphagia-Related Caregiver Burden: Moving Beyond the Physiological Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1282-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha E. Shune ◽  
Ashwini Namasivayam-MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Family System ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Perceived Support ◽  
Entire Family ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose The biopsychosocial ramifications of dysphagia are widespread. However, its influence on informal caregivers and families is often overlooked. Ultimately, the health and well-being of an entire family is central to care provision. This tutorial introduces readers to the current literature on dysphagia-related caregiver burden and third-party disability, illustrates the consequences of such burden on both caregivers and patients, and suggests strategies for better supporting patients' informal caregivers. Conclusions It is essential that speech-language pathologists recognize that the consequences of dysphagia are not limited to the impairment itself and acknowledge dysphagia's substantial impact on the entire family system. More general health care literature suggests that asking caregivers individual questions, modifying the language used to talk with them, providing them with targeted education and resources, and organizing support groups may all be beneficial for increased perceived support and self-efficacy. Ultimately, in order to best meet the needs of our patients with dysphagia, we must also better meet the needs of their families and other informal caregivers.

scholarly journals The Philosophy of Perceiving the Human Environment from the Perspective of Environmental Social Psychology and Environmental Sociology (Implications for Sustainable Environmental and Health Security)

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-222
Author(s):  
Mariusz Ciszek ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Psychology ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Sociology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Well Being

Environmental issues constitute more and more eagerly undertaken scientific issues. It is probably due to the contemporary situation, in which the threats to the environment inhabited by people are increasing. Importantly, the problems of this type are not only examined within the framework of environmental or ecological sciences but also the social sciences and humanities. There is nothing strange about it; after all, the society in which a person lives is a crucial element of the human environment. Every person’s life takes place in a particular environment, the state of which affects people, their psychophysical health and well-being, the fulfillment of life necessities, behavior, and functioning in society. Such issues are discussed within the framework of environmental social psychology and environmental sociology. This article is devoted precisely to these disciplines. The publication briefly presents the essence of these environmental social sciences (starting from the characteristics of environmental social psychology, and then moving to environmental sociology). However, their essence was shown from the perspective of a specific, concise philosophy (vision) of perceiving the human environment that can be found in these social sciences. The human environment can be understood in various ways, not necessarily coinciding with what is considered the environment in natural sciences. This vision of perception of the human environment in the publication is a useful criterion for the interpretation and division of these disciplines into two basic variants – traditional (typical humanistic and social, currently applicable) and postulated model (socio-natural). It is also able to guarantee sustainable environmental (ecological and health) security.

Diet Quality, a Term Subject to Change over Time

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Elmadfa ◽  
Alexa L. Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Functional Foods ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Health And Well Being

A high-quality diet is one of the foundations of health and well-being. For a long time in human history, diet was chiefly a source of energy and macronutrients meant to still hunger and give the strength for work and activities that were in general much harder than nowadays. Only few persons could afford to emphasize enjoyment. In the assessment of quality, organoleptic properties were major criteria to detect spoilage and oxidative deterioration of food. Today, food hygiene is a quality aspect that is often taken for granted by consumers, despite its lack being at the origin of most food-borne diseases. The discovery of micronutrients entailed fundamental changes of the concept of diet quality. However, non-essential food components with additional health functions were still barely known or not considered important until recently. With the high burden of obesity and its associated diseases on the rise, affluent, industrialized countries have developed an increased interest in these substances, which has led to the development of functional foods to optimize special body functions, reduce disease risk, or even contribute to therapeutic approaches. Indeed, nowadays, high contents of energy, fat, and sugar are factors associated with a lower quality of food, and products with reduced amounts of these components are valued by many consumers. At the same time, enjoyment and convenience are important quality factors, presenting food manufacturers with the dilemma of reconciling low fat content and applicability with good taste and appealing appearance. Functional foods offer an approach to address this challenge. Deeper insights into nutrient-gene interactions may enable personalized nutrition adapted to the special needs of individuals. However, so far, a varied healthy diet remains the best basis for health and well-being.

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