TAPESCRIPT PART 1 E = Examiner P = Presenter M = Max E You’re going to listen to a radio interview with a sports writer called Max Wilson about luck in sport P What is it that makes a champion? How mu[.]
TAPESCRIPT PART E = Examiner P = Presenter M = Max E: You’re going to listen to a radio interview with a sports writer called Max Wilson about luck in sport P: What is it that makes a champion? How much is sporting achievement down to the ability you’re born with and how much to effort? And what part does luck play in the difference between winning and losing? To discuss these questions with me is sports writer Max Wilson What’s the answer, Max? M: Most top sportspeople claim that their success is down to dedication, ambition and long hours of practice Luck is rarely mentioned, unless they happen to lose, and that’s sometimes blamed on something they couldn’t control, like the weather P: One thing that’s clear is that records go on being broken year after year But is this because athletes are bigger and stronger than they were twenty, fifty, a hundred years ago? Or is it because sportspeople are getting more talented? M: Well, experts say physical changes develop over a much longer time span So it must be that people are practising longer and harder, and striving to achieve more Sure, improvements in running shoes, tennis rackets and other technological advances play their part, but they can’t account on their own for the differences in standards P: Could it be that sportspeople are able to achieve more these days because their talent is recognised and nourished at a younger and younger age? M: That’s certainly true of incredibly successful tennis clubs like Spartak, in Moscow In recent years, this club’s created more top twenty women players than the whole of the United States But a seemingly exceptional natural talent in a young child is often only the product of hours and hours of expert tuition and practice, and the child is unlikely to continue to make progress at such a fast rate P: This is something that’s discussed in Matthew Syed’s book, Bounce, I believe? M: Yes, he examines the relationship between talent, success and luck Matthew was a British number one and top international table tennis player during the late 1990s He lists several factors which he believes contributed to his success and which had very little to with his own talent Matthew says his first piece of good fortune was that when he was eight, his parents decided to buy a full-size, professional table-tennis table, which they kept in the garage, as a way of keeping their boys occupied and out of trouble Matthew says he was also lucky that his older brother loved the game as much as he did and was happy to fight out endless battles in the garage P: But he was also a member of a really good club M: Absolutely Matthew and his brother were lucky enough to be spotted by one of the leading table tennis coaches in the country, Peter Charters, who ran the Omega club He also happened to be a teacher at Matthew’s primary school The Omega club wasn’t a big or well-known club in those days but the tiny group of members could play whenever they liked, day or night, even though there was only one table and it was freezing in winter and incredibly hot in summer P: I see So how important was the Omega club in Matthew’s success? M: Very important The Omega club members began having considerable success and started to attract a lot of attention The street where Matthew lived, Silverdale Road, contained an astonishing number of the country’s top players, including both the men’s and women’s future Commonwealth champions Was this inevitable, given the quality of the coach, the talent of the players and the location of the Omega club, or was it, as Matthew argues in the book, just a combination of lucky events? If he hadn’t lived in Silverdale oad, he would have gone to a different school and he wouldn’t have met Peter Charters, nor become a member of the Omega club P: Do you think Matthew Syed is right about the importance of luck? M: Interestingly, a ten-year investigation into what makes people lucky or unlucky has concluded that people make their own luck Obviously, Matthew couldn’t have succeeded without some raw talent, but he also took full advantage of the opportunities given to him, and this is what ultimately made him so successful Lucky people are better at taking chances and finding ways to improve their situation Unlucky people are less likely to take risks and don’t like change If there are lessons to be learnt … PART Thanks for that lovely introduction, Helen You are doubtless aware that obesity – being grossly overweight – is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century The instances of this have tripled since the 80s and continue to rise at an alarming rate, affecting around one in four citizens in Europe and the USA As well as causing physical and psychological problems, excess weight drastically increases a person’s chances of developing serious illnesses Which is why ministers from the European Union convened a meeting this week, specifically to address the issue of healthcare and how long governments will be able to afford to fund this, given the mounting cost of obesityrelated diseases It’s actually not so much overweight adults that’s the issue for me; it’s the young people who are growing up eating so much junk food In my view, it’s the advertisements for all this stuff that are partly to blame because they target kids They should be banned! Obese 12-year-olds are eighty-two percent more likely to be obese adults Which is why the quality of school dinners must also be addressed Most of you will be shocked when I tell you that this government spends four times more per head on prisoners’ meals than on those for kids in school – that’s how much of a priority they’ve been! Thank goodness something is finally being done to improve this situation Although this does involve spending more, it will save us money in the long run In order for obesity to be reduced, it is clear that supermarkets also need to take more responsibility for the contents of the products they sell True, there is much more availability of low-fat food on the shelves these days Now the World Health Organization has issued new guidelines suggesting that we cut the amount of sugar we consume daily by as much as a half to bring it to a recommended limit of 25 grams per day Which is less than the amount you will get in just one can of some fizzy drinks or ready-prepared meals People often ask me how come the French manage to remain relatively slim despite their love of high-fat cheeses and meat I’m inclined to think that the key is their approach to food Because they still tend to have proper sit-down meals, they seem to be less tempted by the high-calorie snacks that are the downfall of many other cultures Also, in my view, the fact that lunchtime tends to be the main meal in France, rather than dinner, is also a contributory fact The earlier in the day calories are consumed, the more opportunity there is to convert them into energy, so we should follow their example and try not to have a heavy meal in the evenings Moving on to other parts of the world, why is it that in Japan, for example, life expectancy is much higher than anywhere else in the world? One of the reasons could be that their diet is built around rice and fish and plentiful fruit and vegetables There is little meat, animal fat or sweets and two thirds of their calorie intake comes from carbohydrates, as opposed to the UK or the USA, where fat accounts for much more than the recommended quarter of our daily calories You would think the Inuit in Greenland had very little in common with the Japanese, wouldn’t you? And unlike the Japanese, 60 percent of the calories eaten in Greenland come from fat – even more than we consume – and they eat surprisingly little fruit and vegetables However, as in Japan, heart disease there is not that common The difference is that the fat they eat is from oily fish such as salmon and mackerel This type of unsaturated fat, called omega three, we already know has huge benefits for the bones What has only recently been discovered and is therefore less well known is that it is also said to improve mental health And for those of us who are worried about forgetting things, scientists are also suggesting that turmeric, a key ingredient of curries, may be a major factor as to why elderly Indian people are less likely to lose their memory than someone in the western world So perhaps we can learn PART Insomnia is a sleep disorder We all have trouble sleeping from time to time That’s not really insomnia Insomnia is when you are regularly not getting enough sleep or perhaps not getting a satisfying sleep If either of those situations applies to you, then you could have insomnia However, don’t go running to your doctor for medication just yet Insomnia is often a lifestyle disease and pills from a doctor will not help unless you deal with the underlying causes of your insomnia by changing your lifestyle For example, some people suffer from insomnia before something stressful like exams or a job interview They cease to suffer from insomnia after the event Insomnia can be caused by domestic factors, such as lighting, noise, and lack of privacy It can also be caused by occupational factors, such as working irregular hours – a particular problem for transport and health workers, overworking – usually 70 plus hours a week, too much travelling, or simply high stress at work Insomnia is more likely to occur as we get older and symptoms include not being able to fall asleep, waking regular during the night and not being able to get back to sleep, waking up early and not feeling refreshed after a night’s sleep Insomnia can also cause problems during the day, such as feeling tired and lethargic, wanting to sleep, difficulty concentrating, and irritability We all need different amounts of sleep so it is not the length of sleep that determines insomnia, but the quality of sleep Primary insomnia means that the sleep problem is not directly linked to any other health problem Secondary insomnia means that the sleep problem is caused by another condition such as depression, arthritis, stress, pain, worry, a serious illness, or medication Acute insomnia is a short-term problem whereas a long-term problem is known as chronic insomnia and is usually diagnosed when a person cannot sleep at least three times week for a month or longer As you may aware, doctors may prescribe some painkillers, or sleeping pills, particularly in cases of illness or physical discomfort, but for chronic insomnia, the underlying condition that is causing the problem needs to be treated As I said before, this usually involves a change in lifestyle Relaxation techniques have been proven to be extremely useful to people suffering from insomnia It is important to relax before going to bed Some relaxation techniques and alternative therapies such as TaiChi, medication and and massage may also be beneficial in getting a good night’s sleep Another thing that insomniacs should is pay particular attention to what they eat and drink and when Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the evening Avoid alcohol and stimulants like coca and coffee before going to bed Have herbal tea or fruit juice instead One of my favourite suggestions is to drink a cup of camomile tea with a little honey in it before bedtime Delicious! Although exercise is obviously good for your health, don’t exercise just before bedtime Exercise tends to stimulate the mind and the body At the beginning of the talk, I mentioned light and noise Make sure your bedroom dark and quiet Also make sure that it is at the right temperature for you – not too hot or cold Go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, with no naps during the day Follow a relaxing routine as much as possible and wind down before sleep by, for example, reading a book or listening to music Take a warm bath after exercise or before bedtime, adding a few drops of lavender essential oil It sounds luxurious and it is Finally, a word to all you smokers out there – reduce the frequency with which you light up – particularly in the evening