First Health Post

I really want to learn about how the environment impacts our heath, specifically how pollution over the Olympics in Beijing. Pollution in China these days is everywhere and impacts every aspect of many people's lives. For example, last year in 2008, the Olympic Games were nearly cancelled or delayed due to the massive amount of smog and chemical pollution inside the city. Many of the athletes from other countries refused to train within the city for fear of a drop in performance as a result of the smog. When the athletes were not competing, most coaches had their competitors wear face masks or respirators. In March 2008, Belgian tennis champion Justine Henin said she probably would skip Beijing entirely because of fears the air would aggravate her asthma. Other athletes were also worried that they could suffer a severe asthma attack and not be able to get medical attention on the field. American athletes trained offshore on South Korea’s Cheju island in an effort to avoid harmful air pollution. In March the IOC (International Olympic Committee) worried that the Chinese air quality could reduce the potential for world records and peak performances in all sports. Unfortunately, there's little that the Chinese government can do to improve the vast amounts of pollution that still hovers over the city, according to a new study. Unfortunately, many athletes did boycott the 2008 Olympic games due to the poor air quality, as well as the intense heat and humidity. This proves that while industry is good for a countries economy, pollution is an awful side effect that not only effects the people living there, it also effects visitors as well.