Consumption of takeaway and fast food by young adolescents is no longer confined to the developed countries; it has spread to the developing countries as well. The culture of fast food consumption has replaced the traditional meal among university students and is a great public health concern. Excessive consumption of fast food is responsible for obesity epidemics and the cause of a dramatic increase of obesity-related diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart diseases etc). A cross-sectional study was carried out from March to April, 2013 among students attending in four established private universities of Bangladesh situated in Dhanmondi, Dhaka: Daffodil International University, United International University, World University of Bangladesh, and State University of Bangladesh. The aim of the present study was to examine the preference, prevalence and pattern of fast food consumption among the students. The prevalence of fast food consumption among those students was 98.5%, and 43.3% of their pocket money was spent on its purchase. The important factors for the preference of fast food include good taste, easy accessibility, increased convenience, and pocket friendly in nature. Approximately 22% of the respondents mentioned that they consumed fast food 4 days per week and more than one-fifth had the meal every day. Fifty four percent of the respondents skipped their breakfast due to a variety of reasons including class pressure and had fast food after finishing their classes, either from varsity canteens or other fast-food outlets. Though 98% of the students were well informed about the negative effects associated with excessive fast food consumption, they were still profoundly addicted to it. Specific health education programs, dietary guidelines and effective public awareness campaigns could be initiated to address the unhealthy lifestyle of university students and improve their health.

Abstract:Fast food consumption leading to excess calorie intake coupled with lack of adequate physical activity has increased the risk of obesity among the world population for the past few decades. A cross-sectional study was carried out from March to April 2014 among four hundred twenty six students selected by the use of systematic random sampling attending in an established private university of Bangladesh. The objective of this study was evaluating fast food consumption and prevalence of obesity among university students. The overall prevalence of fast food consumption was 55.9 % and 44.1 % for males and females, respectively. Approximately 56% of university students went to fast food restaurants at least once per week and 44 % went regularly (≥2 times/wk). Status of obesity was found to be significantly associated with frequenting fast-food restaurants; students going two or more times per week were more likely to be obese (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.3-3.9). Obesity was detected among 56.2 % of those students going two or more times per week in fast food restaurants showed significantly high prevalence (X 2 =7.82, p<0.05). This study provides evidence of increasing trend in obesity among university students consuming fast foods regularly. A combined initiative from family, universities, public health experts and government is much needed to tackle this public health problem.

<p>Fish possess an extremely strong cultural attachment considering irreplaceable animal food source in Bangladeshi diet beset with nutritional importance. It has been getting endangered by abominable practice of formalin in marketing leaded by some deceitful traders counting profit beyond ethical attainment and endangering public health. This paper outlines the formalin extremity with a several years practice in fish marketing involving almost 5% city markets with a petty heterogeneity comprising contrastive and potential strategy with formalin access. Regardless, this formalin corruption affiliated with deleterious health aggravations both for traders and consumers, comes out with impotency in workforce contravening economical influence on overall national prosperity.</p>

BACKGROUNDSmoking is an increasingly prevalent habit in Bangladesh, particularly among men with low socioeconomic status.AIMThe aim of this study was determining the prevalence and pattern of smoking among bus drivers of Dhaka city, Bangladesh.METHODSA cross-sectional study was carried out from 15 to 26 March 2013 among four hundred bus drivers of Dhaka city, Bangladesh aged between 18 and 50 determining the prevalence, pattern, and socioeconomic determinants of smoking. Data were input into a pre-designed access database with data management and analysis using standard statistical tools (SPSS-15) to assess significance through cross-tabulation.RESULTSThe overall prevalence of smoking among bus drivers was 93%, and 20% of their daily income was spent on smoking. Though most (32.3%) of the drivers started smoking before involving in driving profession, but excessive smoking had been promoted by occupational and environmental stress experiencing hectic work schedule. Individuals with no education were three times (odds ratio (OR) 2.8; 95% CI 1.2–6.13) more likely to be smoker. Smoking was detected among 53.2% of smokers aged 26 or above (χ2 = 8.30, P < 0.05), and they showed significantly high prevalence. The reasons behind smoking were almost exclusively habit (38.1%), peer influence (26.8%), and thinking of stress relief (25.3%). Smoking can also worsen poverty among users and their families because most of the drivers reported chest pain (34.4%), heart disease (25.8%), and other health complications caused by smoking depriving families of much-needed income and imposing additional costs of health care.CONCLUSIONInterventions and preventions by policy makers, public health experts, and other stakeholders should be introduced considering high prevalence of smoking among Bangladeshi bus drivers with detrimental health sequel.

Ahstruct.During the years 1960 to I970 inclusive, six conjoined twins were delivered out of a total of 403 441 deliveries including 3 276 twins and 37 triplet deliveries, an incidence of 1 in 67241 deliveries and 1 in 655 twin deliveries. A seventh cilnjained twin was delivered in late January 1971: inclusion of this case as well as the deliveries in January 1971 would lead to an incidence of I in 57 975 deliveries and I in 546 twin deliveries. Four of the twins were thoracopagus. one craniopagus, one dicephalus tripus tetrabrachius and one syncephalus. One of thc thoracopagus twins occurred in a triplet pregnancy. All except two were delivered alive; four died within a few hours to a few days. One t h x u p a g u s survived till 3 months of age; surgical separation was then attempted resulting on one survival whr, has developed normally and is now 7 years old. Antenatal diagnosis is necessary if the siirvival rate is to be improved.Conjoined twins have fascinated both physician and layman over the centuries and many excellent papers have been written about them. In 1952. Sebastian Munster (12) reported on a case of craniopagus alive a t the age of 6 years. About 400 to 500 cases of conjoined twins have been reported (3). Because of its extreme rarity. many papers have been in the form of case reports a n d / o r reviews of the subject. From available literature. only one series of conjoined twins has been reported from a single hospital ( I I); this is because the condition is so rare that a single case may not occur for many years. As a result, the incidences reported are a t best very approximate (8).I t is the purpose of this paper to present a n analysis of the cases which occurred in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore during the last 11 years. MATERIALFrom 1960 to 1970, six cases of conjoined twins were encountered out of 403 441 deliveries giving an incidence of I in 67 241 deliveries. One of the twins was delivered before arrival at the hospital, but as the total deliveries in the hmpital include all such cases (born before arrival), this does not affect th-calculation of the incidence. This is compared with an incidence of 4 in 25 OOO (11).3 in X.5000 (10) and 2 in 100000 (18). More recently.Compton (2) reviewed five cases (from 2 h3spitals) OCcurring in a period of 20 years, during which t h m were about 250000 deliveries. an incidence of I in 50000. During this same period. 3 276 twins and 37 triplets were delivered: the incidence of conjoined twins c>mplicating twin gestations is therefore I in 655 and that for conjoined twins complicating triplet pregnancies is I in 37. Compton (1971) found an incidcncc of I conjoined twin in 900 twin deliveries but as the incidence of twin pregnancies for a single year was projected over 20 years to arrive at the total number of twins delivered during this period. the incidence must be considered to be only approximate. In the present paper. thc total number of twins delivered were actually taken frdm th-records. The incidence with regard to triplet pregnancies ...