International Men's Day Divides People as Some Joke and Others Speak About Mental Health

 Newsweek.com -November 19 has marked International Men's Day for over 20 years, but the day has become a point of debate. Many people mocked it online on Thursday, while others made a point to highlight the reasons it began—to bring awareness to men's mental health.

Begun in 1999, International Men's Day was imagined as a way to highlight awareness for men's health and mental health, as well as to promote gender equality and celebrate male role models, according to the International Men's Day website. The website also notes that the day of recognition wasn't intended to compete with or be a response to International Women's Day.

Despite the purpose behind the day, a number of Twitter users made jokes about International Men's Day on Thursday, saying they would partake in silly, traditionally "masculine" activities. One comedian remarked that she planned on watching a Jackass movie to celebrate, while another person shared a video of a young man jumping onto a pile of barbed wire. Someone else pointed out that International Men's Day also falls on World Toilet Day, which it does.

While there were plenty of jokes and criticism to be made, many people used the day as an opportunity to encourage men to speak about their feelings and not be afraid to ask for help when struggling, especially with mental health issues. A number of people, such as London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey, highlighted that men account for most of all suicides and sought to end stigma about men discussing their problems. "We must be able to talk about challenges men face.

Related: TOP 10 REASONS THERE WILL NEVER BE AN INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY

Inuit’s High-Fat, Omega-3 Seafood Diet Healthy Due To Gene Mutations: Study

(yibada.com) - The Mediterranean diet is considered very healthy due to its olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and fish, resulting in low risks of heart attacks. A new study theorizes that the Arctic's high-fat omega-3 Inuit diet that includes seafood such as seals or whales triggered gene mutations, causing low rates of diabetes and heart disease.

The study was published September 17, Thursday, in the journal Science and was conducted by the University of California, Berkley. It examined genetic differences between Inuit, Europeans, and ethnic Chinese.

Researchers previously believed that the Arctic animals' meat's and blubber's omega-3 fatty acids protected their consumers. However, new research done on Inuit in Greenland seems to disprove that theory.

The study's findings suggest the Arctic people's genes evolved a certain way. It allows them to eat more fat than most other ethnic groups.

Researchers discovered a critical group of genes. They control how much omega-3 and omega-6 a person's body produces naturally.

Biologist Rasmus Nielsen was the lead researcher. He explained that almost all of the Inuit in the study had gene variations that could slow down the body's production of omega fatty acids, according to NPR.

The genes also seem to help lower "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease. It also resulted in lower blood sugar levels, which decreases the risk of diabetes.

In addition, the gene mutations lowered the Inuit's height by almost an inch (2 centimeters). This could be due to fatty acids affecting growth hormones, according to Phys.org.

Just 15 percent of Chinese and 3 percent of Europeans had those gene biomarkers.

Nielsen's hypothesis is that the group of genes helped the Inuit's ancestors survive the North Pole's frigid temperatures. This allowed them to live on a diet containing mostly fat and protein.

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