Lack of exercise and poor diet are among the main reasons for the prevalence. Last year my family and I moved into an apartment building with a small gym. There are treadmills, an elliptical trainer, an exercise bike, and dumbbell sets – enough equipment for a full workout. It’s almost like having a private gym…
Despite Taiwan’s success in treating hepatitis, the prevalence of liver illnesses continues to rise. Taiwan has made great strides treating liver disease, especially the inflammatory condition hepatitis, which is usually caused by viral infections but may also result from alcohol or drug abuse or autoimmune diseases. If left untreated, hepatitis may permanently damage the liver,…
An ongoing study suggests environmental factors in Taiwan are contributing to a rising number of cases in otherwise healthy non-smokers. After four doctors at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) had suddenly collapsed on the job during the previous two years – with one of them failing to recover – the hospital in the second half…
As consumer interest in organic foods grows, major food companies are entering this market segment. Around the world, consumers are expressing greater interest in healthier diets that include more natural and organic ingredients without artificial additives and preservatives. Global sales of organic food have surged 200% over the last decade, according to research institutes, and…
Article 23 of the School Health Act (SHA) prohibits schools from using raw or fresh foods that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients and primary processed products. However, this provision, which was adopted in 2015 in the amended version of Article 23 of the SHA, prohibits schools from serving GM foods that have been fully accredited…
On January 1, 2017, Taiwan implemented Phase 4 of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). In accordance with Phase 4 of GHS, Taiwan will require chemical companies to make full disclosure of health hazards on a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). However, while many of Taiwan’s global counterparts require chemical companies…
Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has set a target of reducing the mortality rate and premature death rate from cancer by 25% by 2020, in line with World Health Organization objectives. In its position paper in the recently released 2017 Taiwan White Paper of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, the Chamber’s…
Taiwan’s population is rapidly aging, challenging its vaunted healthcare system to continue supplying quality, affordable healthcare to all citizens. In just 24 years, between 1993 and the end of 2017, Taiwan will have gone from an “aging population” with some 7% of the population 65 years old or older to an “aged society” with 14%…
The government’s Health Promotion Administration seeks to reduce the toll from noncommunicable diseases. Communicable diseases such as Zika, dengue fever, and Ebola may grab headlines and inspire fear, but in developed countries such as Taiwan, it is slower-moving but highly destructive noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that are the biggest threat to both lives and the economy….
