Information is spreading on social networks that Kazakhstani health bloggers and influencers are being asked for money to talk positively and film reels about the single time zone that was adopted in Kazakhstan in March.
For example, a psychologist and nutritionist under the nickname @galiya_aubakir (32.7 thousand subscribers on Instagram) published a post in threads in which she said that she was offered to talk about the benefits of a single time zone for money. She also attached screenshots to her post: correspondence with a certain Adina, a representative of the agency [name blurred by the author] and more than 40 more news and entertainment accounts.
Later, the psychologist's post disappeared from threads. The reason is unclear.
The Kazpress information portal published a post on its Instagram account titled “Expert says single time zone will reduce sleep quality and academic performance issues for children.” In the comments under the post, many Kazakhstanis said it was “paid for.”
The Telegram channel "NEKhabar" also published a post with a "medical scientist" who talks about biological rhythms. Some commentators also suspected that the scientist's comment was "paid for".
What else is known
It is known that today at a round table with scientists and experts, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sayasat Nurbek said that “the transition to a single time in Kazakhstan is our chance to finally restore mental activity and improve health.”
"Modern life is filled with stress and a huge flow of information, which the human brain is not able to cope with in a constant wakefulness mode. With the transition to a single time, Kazakhstan returned to the correct biorhythms based on the sunny day. This is not just a change in the regime, but an opportunity to restore mental activity, improve concentration and overall well-being," the head of the department believes.
According to the minister, scientific research shows that switching to a single time zone helps improve sleep and reduce stress levels.
Also during the round table, Kazakhstan's chief oncologist Dilyara Kaidarova explained the connection between the natural time zone, circadian rhythms and their influence on the risks of developing cancer.
According to Dilyara Kaidarova, according to the Universal Time Coordinated Scale, UTC+5 is the natural time zone for most major cities in Kazakhstan, such as Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Karaganda, Semey and Taldykorgan.
The oncologist explained that circadian rhythms (biological clocks) regulate many physiological processes, including sleep, metabolism, immune response, and cell proliferation. “Thus, synchronizing circadian rhythms with natural time reduces the risk of developing cancer,” Kaidarova added.
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