Kids in Fukushima Prefecture are becoming increasingly overweight, as
they are denied daily exercise in schoolyards due to the risk posed by
exposure to nuclear radiation in the area, governments’ health report
reveals.
The report argues that an increasing number of kids are weighing 20
per cent more than their standard based on their height, reported Kyodo
News.
The study was released by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Since
June 2011 more than half the public institutions in Fukushima, which is
just under 450 schools, have limited their outdoor activities during
school hours. As of September 2012, 71 elementary and junior high
schools still adhere to such restrictions, according to the prefectural
education board.
Their main concern is fear of exposure to radiation released from the Fukushima Daiichi complex.
Earlier, alarming reports of children developing potentially cancerous abnormalities have been making news as early as July.
A
report by Fukushima Medical University first published this April and
updated in July revealed that 36 per cent of Fukushima children have
unusually overgrown thyroid glands, and could be prone to cancer.
Of
38,000 children examined, 13,000 had cysts or nodules as large as five
millimeters, the Health Management Survey stated, which made doctors
around the globe rate Japan’s reaction to the aftermath of the Fukushima
disaster as “ultimately medical irresponsibility.”
On top of that, fish
caught off the coast of Japan following the Fukushima nuclear disaster
are still contaminated, bringing speculation that leakage from the
reactors has not been fully stopped. If true, it could threaten area
marine life for decades to come.
The long-term consequences of
the Fukushima disaster have yet to be estimated, and the possible
radiation spread has been a subject of continuous dispute, with official
and independent sources providing contrasting figures.
Since the day of the tragedy, Japan has seen many anti-nuclear demonstrations.
The
Fukushima nuclear plant was hit in 2011 by a powerful earthquake and
subsequent tsunami, the worst-ever disaster of its kind in Japan.
The
disaster triggered a strong reaction in Japan itself and from May to
July Japan managed to function without nuclear power plants, but later
despite widespread protests, Ōi Nuclear Power Plant was restarted.
The
disaster also had an awakening effect on several nations worldwide,
with some deciding to shelve the use of nuclear energy, including
European powerhouse Germany.