Don’t be Fooled, We’re not Safe!

The face of Canada has changed in recent years. We may not realize it so much, but I bet our parents and grandparents do. The truth is: we are getting fatter!

But what has happened to change everything?

Here are some numbers to give you a better idea of how things have changed within the past thirty years. Back in 1978/79, the Canadian obesity rate was 13.8%; whereas, a 2004 survey found 23.1% of Canadian adults to be classified as obese (Tjepkema, 2008).

What is even scarier is that an on-going study of grade 9 students is finding that most already have at least one major risk factor for heart disease and stroke! We may have thought of heart disease as something we might face in our middle-age, but maybe we should reconsider that notion. Researchers found the rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity in this group of 14 and 15 year olds to be very troublesome, especially since these numbers are only likely to increase (Heart & Stroke Foundation, 2009).

So where does that leave everyone else? How is our health doing?

I guess this is proof that just because we are young, we do not need to worry about such problems. We do! This is definitely not something that we should ignore nor is it something that we should try to fix with some pills. What people may not realize or choose to ignore is that we can control and take charge of this problem and acutally do something about it. Will you?

A Magic Pill?!

If only it was as easy as taking a once-a-year pill to take fix our problems.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could find that one magic pill that will take care of all problems?

A recent survey found that 71% of Canadians regularly take natural health products, which include vitamins and minerals, herbal products, and homeopathic medicines (Health Canada, 2009); but my question is why? The health food industry has been growing over the past few decades. However, I wonder whether more people are taking natural health products in hopes that these items will be some magic remedy or are they genuinely interested in their benefits? If people are taking these items in hopes they will “fix” their problems, then they are likely just wasting their money.

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill that will cure all of our problems. Instead, we need to put in a constant effort in order to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. There is currently an abundance of nutrition information available to help us, but are we listening and actually using it?

One new study in the American Journal of Medicine had found that despite knowing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the number of Americans following a healthy lifestyle is actually decreasing (King et al., 2009). This is somewhat surprising because you would think more people would be opting to follow a healthier lifestyle since now there is so much information about the negative consequence related to obesity. Although, these results relate to Americans, Canadians are largely influenced by Americans, so I am curious to know if there is a similar Canadian trend.

What do you think?

Why do you think the health food industry is growing? Are people buying these products because they are legitimately interested in their healthful effects or are they hoping they will be a quick fix? Do you think fewer Canadians are following a healthy lifestyle?

Let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing your opinions!

Always on the Go? Why You Should Take the Time to Sit Down to Eat

We have probably all experienced a time when we just grabbed a slice of pizza and a pop from the cafeteria because we felt so rushed we could not waste a moment to sit down and eat.

As students, it seems like we are constantly on the go and busy with something. This makes it hard to take the time to sit down and eat a proper meal. Recent research found that many young adults do enjoy sitting down to eat in a social setting with others. However, 35% of males and 42% of females in the study reported lack the time to sit down and eat a meal (Larson et al., 2009).

Why is this important? Those young adults who took the time to sit down ended up eating a better diet, which included more fruits and vegetables. Whereas, those who ate on the run consumed higher intakes of soft drinks, fast food, total fat and saturated fat (Larson et al., 2009).

What does this all mean? Taking the time to sit down to enjoy a meal can help young adults eat a healthier diet containing less calories, fat and sugar. What is even better is that eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables can also help overcome stress and boost the immune system.

Think twice next time you feel you are too busy to sit down to eat. Your body will thank you later for taking the time!