Learning English Podcast - January 30, 2025
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Welcome to Learning English, a daily 30-minute program from the Voice of America. I'm Katie Weaver. And I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. This program is designed for English learners, so we speak a little slower and we use words and phrases especially written for people learning English.

On today's program, John Russell reports on proposals to change how doctors define overweight. Ana Mateo offers advice about winter tasks for gardeners preparing for spring. On the Technology Report, Jill Robbins tells about a chemical long used to fight fires in the American West. Then, the lesson of the day. But first,

a group of international experts is proposing a new way to define and identify obesity a medical condition linked to having too much body fat the change aims to help doctors better identify and treat affected individuals

The new proposal shifts attention from a highly debated method called the Body Mass Index . BMI is a calculation of a person's height and weight. The change would mean BMI would no longer be the only way to define obesity.

the method would be expanded to include other measurements such as waist size and other evidence of health problems linked to being overweight obesity is estimated to affect more than one billion people worldwide

In the US, about 40% of adults are considered obese, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Dr. David Cummings of the University of Washington was one of 58 writers of a report calling for a new obesity definition.

the report recently appeared in the publication the lancet diabetes and endocrinology the whole goal of this is to get a more precise definition so that we are targeting the people who actually need the help most cummings told the associated press

The report introduces two new groups, called categories, to help doctors identify or diagnose obese individuals. These are clinical obesity and preclinical obesity. People with clinical obesity meet BMI and other markers of obesity.

they also have evidence of organ tissue or other problems caused by too much weight such evidence could include heart disease high blood pressure liver or kidney disease or ongoing knee or hip pain

People identified as having clinical obesity would be able to get treatments, including diet and exercise programs, as well as obesity medications. People with preclinical obesity are at risk for the same conditions, but they have no ongoing illness, the report states.

bmi has long been considered a weak measure for obesity in some cases it can incorrectly diagnose obesity which is currently defined as a bmi of thirty or more but people with too much body fat do not always have a bmi above thirty the report notes

and people with a high level of muscle mass such as american football players or other athletes may have a high bmi even with normal fat mass under the new definitions about twenty per cent of people who used to be identified as obese would no longer meet that definition early data suggests

and about twenty per cent of people with serious health effects but a lower bmi would now be considered clinically obese cummings said the new definition would not greatly change the percentage of people defined as having obesity

but he explained the new categories would better diagnose the people who really have clinically excess fat more than seventy-five medical organizations around the world have supported the new definitions but it is not clear how widely or quickly the definitions could be approved

The report predicts such changes would carry big costs and have major effects on the workforce. Dr. Catherine Saunders is an obesity expert at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She also co-founded the obesity treatment company, Flight Health.

she told the a p there are some practical issues to consider in order to make the proposed changes work effectively saunders noted that waist circumference sounds simple but measurement methods differ in addition doctors are trained differently and standard medical measuring devices are not big enough for many obese people

also a decision about the difference between clinical and preclinical obesity would require a full health examination and lab tests saunders said she added that for a new system to be widely accepted it would also need to be extremely quick inexpensive and reliable

the new definitions could also be difficult for people to understand or carry out said kate bower of the university of michigan school of public health the public likes and needs simple messages i don't think this differentiation is going to change anything she said

Dr. Robert Kushner of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine said changing the definition of obesity will take some time. Kushner, a co-writer of the report, said, "This is the first step in the process. I think it's going to begin the conversation." I'm John Russell.

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health and Lifestyle Report. In many parts of the world, winter brings cold temperatures and, in some places, snowfall. For people who like planting things, gardening may seem far away. However, during winter weather, there are still things a gardener can do to prepare for the spring.

Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about such preparatory tasks for the Associated Press. We can also call these tasks prep work. First, let's talk about seeds. If you have seed packets, she suggests checking their expiration date. That is the date by which they go bad or will not grow.

Damiano says the seeds are usually considered fresh within a year of being packaged, but they can be used for longer than that. However, you cannot be sure if the seeds are still good just by looking at a date. She suggests testing them. To do this, she places several seeds on a wet paper towel.

and then puts that into a plastic container. In about 10 days, she will look to see how many seeds have sprouted. This gives her an idea of how many seeds to use to get the desired number of plants. However, if less than 50% of the seeds sprout, she throws them away.

Damiano tests her old seeds in the winter, before the busy spring gardening season. That is when seed and plant stores, or nurseries, can run out of seeds. She also inspects her gardening equipment. For example, if you use grow lights, lights especially made for plants, make sure they still work.

you might have to buy new bulbs. Damiano brings out her grow lights and inspects each bulb. If necessary, she will order replacement bulbs. That way she is prepared to plant at any time, even six to eight weeks in the future. She also makes sure she has sterile seed starting potting mix.

This is special soil for planting in containers. Damiano sharpens her cutting tools, such as pruning shears. Larger tools, like lawnmowers, should be inspected every year. Like nurseries, places that service lawn equipment might be busier in the spring. You can get ahead of the crowd by getting your tools fixed early.

Clean your gardening hand tools, like trowels and spades. Cover them lightly with oil. This will keep them in good working order. Inspect things like hoses, sprinklers, and other water systems for damage. Make a list of anything you may need to replace or repair.

Damiano says that you could wait until spring to take care of all these things. But why? Once spring arrives, you will have these tasks done. And that's the health and lifestyle report. I'm Ana Mateo. The efforts to battle widespread fires across Los Angeles included aircraft drops of a bright red and pink substance.

The material covered forests, homes, cars, and other things in the path of the wind-fueled fires. Because the substance was dropped in many residential areas, some people have wondered how safe it is. The material is a fire retardant. The kind dropped around Los Angeles was mostly a product called Fos-Check.

The substance has been used by the U.S. Forest Service to fight fires since the 1960s. Jason Cochon is a 53-year-old pilot with Heliquest, an aircraft company specializing in firefighting activities. He told the French news agency Agence France-Presse, or AFP, that using the Barbie pink material makes his job easier.

You can see it so easily. It's amazing," he said. Daniel McCurry is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Southern California. He said that in recent weeks, Foscheck had been dropped in residential areas more than ever before. That fact has led many to question its safety.

Phos-Chek is sold by fire protection equipment supplier Perimeter Solutions. It is a mixture of mostly aluminum phosphate or ammonium polyphosphate. These substances are also used to produce fertilizer. Other chemicals are added to the mixture to give it color. Perimeter told AFP, "The substance is designed to be one color.

but it can look different depending on time of day, lighting, or smoke. The bright pink color helps pilots as they try to make sure they have covered a whole area, Cahoon explained. He noted that when pilots drop water from the air, they have to search for the shine and the darkness to know where to make the next drop. The colorful retardant, however, is so much easier to spot, Cahoon said.

mccurry said another reason it is better than water is that it keeps working even after the water it is mixed with dries foscheck is made thick so the wind does not blow it away and to ensure that it covers the desired area mccurry explained the substance works by forming a coating that will not burn after the water dries up the retardant keeps working until rain washes it into the ground

mccurry said a former firefighter told him that in a high-intensity fire the substance is not much use he added that the high winds driving the fires in los angeles may have limited its effectiveness u s forest service spokesperson wade

said the agency only uses retardants that meet U.S. government rules for not being harmful to animals, humans, or things living in water. He told AFP, the Forest Service usually does not drop the retardant in waterways and areas home to endangered animals unless the fire is threatening human life or public safety.

but accidents do happen he said and the wind may blow it into such areas mccurry said he believes foscheck is likely not harmless to the environment now but he added on the other hand the human health impact is still a little unclear he noted that it would take a lot of retardant to poison say a large body of water but he said that as firefighters battled the los angeles fires

the substance was dropped on a lot of neighborhoods in unprecedented amounts. McCurry said, "Foscheck is more often used further from populated areas or in lesser amounts." So who knows, he added. I'm Jill Robbins. VOA Learning English has launched a new program for children. It is called Let's Learn English with Anna.

The new course aims to teach children American English through asking and answering questions and experiencing fun situations. For more information, visit our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. My name is Ana Mateo. My name is Andrew Smith. And I'm Jill Robbins.

You're listening to the lesson of the day on the Learning English Podcast. Welcome to the part of the show where we help you do more with our series, Let's Learn English. The series shows Ana Mateo in her work and life in Washington, DC. In lesson 22 of the series, Ana talks about her new show for children with her producer, Amelia. Together, they start to plan for the new show.

So, Anna, what's the plan for the show? First, we're going to introduce the subject. Then, we can show pictures and video. We can show tons of video. Right. We can interview children and have guests, too. Kids can ask us questions. Great idea. Finally, we can read the questions and tell them where to learn more. Okay, let's try it. Let's do it.

Hi there and welcome to... Amelia, we don't have a name for the show. We'll think of a name later. For now, we'll call it "The Show." Next, they start talking about fun things you can do in the summer. Ana and Amelia think they can include these in the children's show.

Hi there and welcome to the show. Today we are going to take you on a summer vacation. You will see popular things to do on vacation. One is camping. When you go camping, you cook, sleep and play outdoors.

When I go camping, Anna, I like to go hiking and fishing. Me too! Those are fun things to do when you go camping. These people are hiking. Okay, let's talk about the next vacation.

Another popular summer vacation is going to an amusement park. At an amusement park, you go on rides and eat lots of fun food. I love cotton candy. And roller coasters! This show is going to be a lot of fun. I know. This is riding a roller coaster. What is the last vacation?

One of the most popular summer vacations is going to the beach. I love the beach! When I see that blue ocean, I want to leave Washington, D.C. immediately and go to the beach. That is a lot of fun activities. And it's fun to talk about. Well, having fun. So, Andrew, I'd like to ask you, what do you like to do for summer vacation? I really like summer.

And I like to do some of the same things Anna and Amelia talked about. I really like to go hiking in the mountains. And we should explain that British English uses the word trekking to mean the same thing as hiking. Hiking basically means walking in natural areas such as forests, mountains, and fields or beside rivers and lakes.

It's kind of interesting that on the one hand we say go for a walk on the beach and on the other hand go for a hike in the mountains. We don't usually say hike on the beach. That's true. I guess that's because walking on the beach is usually done in a relaxing manner, but hiking makes people think of longer or harder walks that take more energy.

There's more we could say about hiking, but let's go back to what you like to do for summer vacation. Well, I also like to go to the beach, and I like to go swimming, and I like to play tennis, and when I have enough time and money, I like to visit friends in other parts of the U.S. or travel to other countries. How about you, Jill? I love swimming at an outdoor pool.

I also enjoy traveling to visit my family. Sometimes my brothers and sisters and I all get together in the summer. And I love going to beautiful places and painting them. I paint with acrylics and I'm learning to use watercolors. That sounds like an interesting thing to do in the summer. I think I would like to try that. We can use the verb like in three ways to talk about things we enjoy doing.

First, we can say "like to" plus the base form of the action verb. For example, we can say "I like to read." Second, we can say "like" plus the -ing form of the action verb. For example, we can say "I like reading." The -ing form of the verb here is called the gerund.

And third, we can say like to plus the verb go plus the gerund. We can hear this third form when Amelia and Anna talk about camping. When I go camping, Anna, I like to go hiking and fishing. Me too! Those are fun things to do when you go camping. Here are some activities where you can use the verb go plus the gerund.

Go camping, go swimming, go hiking, go fishing, go dancing, go shopping, go sightseeing, go biking, go running, go jogging, go skiing, go ice skating, go roller skating, go sailing, and go surfing. That was a big list, and I noticed that most of those activities involve some kind of movement or motion.

And that makes sense because the verb "go" makes us think of moving from place to place. But for almost any activity, we can say "like to" plus the base form of the action verb. For example, we can say either "I like to go swimming" or "I like to swim." And the phrase "I like to" is something that's easy to say quickly, like this: "I like to swim."

When we say it quickly, the word "to" is pronounced /t/. I like to. I like to swim. I like to bike. That's how it sounds faster. Ba-da-da-dum. Ba-da-da-dum. That's the rhythm or beat of the phrase. Now listen to this chant where we use that beat. The phrases go by very quickly, but don't worry if you can't understand every word.

Ready? Listen. There's so many things that I like to do. I like to run. I like to walk. I like to read. I like to talk. I like to teach. I like to learn. I like to dance. I like to sing. I like to sing and dance. There's so many things that I like to do. I like to cook. I like to eat. I like to cook. I like to eat. I like to eat. I like to eat. I like to eat. I like to eat. You really like to eat. Yes, I really like to eat.

I like to watch TV. I like to read a magazine. I like to listen to the birds. I like to look at the moon. I like to walk in the hills. I like to swim in the sea. I like to lie in bed and rest my head. There's so many things that I like to do.

I like to run. I like to walk. I like to read. I like to talk. I like to teach. I like to learn. I like to dance. I like to sing. I like to sing and dance. There's so many things that I like to do. I like to watch TV. I like to read a magazine. I like to listen to the birds. I like to look at the moon. I like to walk in the hills. I like to swim in the sea. I like to lie in bed and rest my head. There's so many things that I like to do. There's so many things that we all like to do.

There are so many things that we all like to do. There are so many things that we all like to do. So write to us and tell us what you like too. We know that was fast, but we want you to hear the rhythm of English and also just to have some fun with the language. Having fun helps you learn. So you can play with the English language. For example, you can try to make up your own chants.

And in the Let's Learn English series, Amelia and Anna know that it is helpful to have fun. Let's listen to them one more time.

Okay, let's talk about the next vacation. Another popular summer vacation is going to an amusement park. At an amusement park, you go on rides and eat lots of fun food. I love cotton candy. And roller coasters! This show is going to be a lot of fun. I know.

Jill, before we go, maybe we should mention the difference between the words "fun" and "funny." Something that is funny is something that makes you laugh, like a good joke or a special situation. Something that is fun is like an activity that feels enjoyable, like you are playing a game. Jill, I have to say, doing this podcast with you is a lot of fun. Thanks, Andrew. It's a blast.

It's a blast is a nice expression that means it's really fun. And we hope you've had fun listening to the lesson of the day. You can learn more on our website, learningenglish.voanews.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. And thank you for listening to the Learning English Podcast. I'm Andrew Smith.

And I'm Jill Robbins. And that's our show for today. But join us again tomorrow to keep learning English on The Voice of America. I'm Katie Weaver. And I'm