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1. The article describes that there is a positive association between weight gain and light exposure during sleep for women. The article claims lights turned on during sleep are risk factors for women.
2. 43,722 women who took part in Sister Study, a study aimed at discovering environmental risk factors that breast cancer were each asked how much they are exposed to artificial light at night (ALAN). This allowed the women to be split up into four groups: 1. no light, 2. small night-light in the room, 3. light outside the room, and 4. light or television on in the room. The participants also reported their weight, height, and hip/weight circumference at the start of the study. They were then followed up after on average about 5.7 years, and it was discovered that women who slept with light or television in the room had 17% more risk of gaining 5 kg (11 lbs) or more compared to women who slept with no lights. They also had a 13% higher risk of their BMI increasing 10%, and overall the risk of being obese was 22 to 33% higher for them.
3. I can say that I am quite susceptible to this risk because I am guilty of sleeping with the lights on (I forget to turn them off when I am tired) and when I do turn off the lights, I often am on my phone in the dark until I get sleepy. When I wake up, I don’t feel refreshed at all- I am always tired.I knew there are other risks associated with scrolling through your phone before you sleep, but I did not know that it is linked to obesity as well. Diabetes runs in my family (both of grandmothers had it), so gaining weight can significantly increase the risk. The other thing that I thought about when I read the article was about the social determinants of health. The article mentions that people who live near cities may not have control over the amount of light they are exposed at night. It made me think about the possible disparities between the wealthier and poor areas- in poor areas, people may not be able to afford high quality curtains that block the lights from outside, which increases the risk of obesity and they have very little control over it. I don’t have to worry about this problem, but it makes me think about how social status affects health in different ways.
4. I drew from my personal experience and what happened to my family members to determine the risk. I mentioned that I wake up tired, and I have noticed myself resorting to sugary drinks or foods to try to get that boost of energy. As we all know, sugar consumption is linked to diabetes. I also binge on caffeine, which creates a downward spiral of poor sleep. My grandmother used to be overweight, and developed type 2 diabetes. She did not live for very long after that. My other grandmother has been bedridden for about a decade now, and before every meal she has to inject insulin/get her blood taken by punching a hole in her finger. I could never directly look at the process because it looked painful.
5. Slovic’s work applies to my perception when he mentions the idea that we become extremely frightened by things we perceive as uncontrollable or catastrophic (such as a nuclear power plant and the risks of radiation) but we are rarely scared of risks we think we can control but are actually riskier (driving cars). I thought the same at first; I thought that lights are such a trivial thing and that is not a big issue. But as I thought about it more, I realized that the “trivial” effect can be detrimental if it is done repeatedly. Slovic concludes by mentioning that policy makers should improve their interaction with the public, but it made me feel like I have to be the one searching for the right information rather than wait for people to change for me, especially regarding health.

References

Hewings-Martin, Y. (2019, June 13). Artificial light during sleep puts women at risk of obesity. Retrieved June 17, 2019, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325450.php

https://www.businessinsider.com/chronic-depression-after-heart-attack-tied-to-increased-risk-of-death-2019-6

Rapaport, Lisa. (June 12, 2019) Chronic depression after heart attack tied to increased risk of death. Business Insider. Available at https://www.businessinsider.com/chronic-depression-after-heart-attack-tied-to-increased-risk-of-death-2019-6 (Accessed June 18, 2019)

a and b. This article discusses the findings of a study that assessed the risk of premature death in patients who suffered from (a) chronic mood disorder(s) following a heart attack. Researchers evaluated the emotional distress of about 58,000 patients who had just suffered from a heart attack over a period of time. Patients were evaluated two months post heart attack, again one-year post heart attack, and then followed for at least four years post heart attack. 21% of patients reported psychological distress during both evaluation periods (after two months and a year post heart attack). The study showed that those who reported emotional distress during both evaluation periods were 46% more likely to die due to a cardiovascular cause and 54% more likely to die from other causes compared to those who did not show signs of emotional distress. 15% of patients experienced emotional distress after two months but reported no emotional distress after one year. The study found these people didn’t have a higher risk of mortality compared to those who reported no emotional distress during either evaluation periods. 11% of people reported no emotional distress after two months but did report emotional distress after a year. This group had a 46% greater risk of dying from causes other than cardiovascular.

c. For my age range, the likelihood of me suffering from a heart attack is slim. I have no previous history of cardiovascular issues and my doctor hasn’t voiced any concerns about my cardiovascular system. If I did suffer a heart attack I would be slightly alarmed because I do have anxiety. But I know that there are resources to control anxious thoughts. Consequently, suffering from a heart attack would not cause me to panic about mortality. The article states that there is some evidence supporting that treating depression and anxiety would improve survival rates but more research needs to be done. I’m not severely impacted by this health risk so I’m not overly concerned about its effects. Furthermore, heart attack aside I still wish to reduce anxiety levels.

d. While I don’t plan on having any cardiovascular issues in the near future, it does put into perspective how my mental health impacts my physiological health. My reasons for reducing anxiety was primarily to improve my mental wellness. I didn’t think mental thoughts could pose a long term effect on other biological processes. I thought once the anxiety is gone, that is it; there are no other biological impacts other than those experienced in that moment of anxiety. After reading this article and I realize anxiety can have long-lasting effects on my physical and mental health. Anxiety can be difficult to manage but is important to manage. To interpret the numbers I mentally grouped people into the categories the article described and thought about how mental illness affects people’s choices. For example, those with chronic mood disorders post-heart attack may have died because their mood disorder perpetuated poor lifestyle choices that increased their risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e. not wanting to cook a meal and instead opting for a fast food meal).

e. Slovic’s work does apply to my own perceptions of the risks that I read in the story. As I stated previously, I feel I have some control over my anxiety levels. I know that there are multiple resources available to help me cope with and reduce anxiety. Furthermore, society has made improvements towards destigmatizing mental illness; mental illness isn’t a foreign concept that people are scared to talk about. With this information, I am less worried about being affected by this condition. If I suffer from a heart attack, my solution would be to work towards reducing anxiety levels, something I am in control of.