Wednesday June 18 / 2008

Wednesday June 18th / 2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.

12:12: It’s about raising hope, awareness and research funding for pediatric brain tumours through a unique event - Bunzl blading for b.r.a.i.n.child.
Guest: John Howlett, Senior Vice President, Bunzl Canada and the champion behind Blading for b.r.a.i.n.Child.

12:20: Have YOU ever considered a cosmetic enhancement treatment? The options are ever-expanding and the information available can be confusing. How do you best treat age spots? Are injectables safe? What do lasers really do? A new, first-of-its-kind Canadian online resource has just been launched to answer these questions. It’s called the FACE Institute (www.FACEinstitute.ca)
Guest: Dr. Fred Weksberg, Toronto-based Cosmetic Dermatologist and member of the FACEinstitute.ca Editorial Board.

12:35: Over at McMaster, there are some pretty fine tuned athletes. Here at Rexall Radio Health Matters, mmmmmm, maybe not so much. So, why not tap into a great resource and grab some information from professionals who are connected and in the know.
Guest: Steve Lidstone, Strength and Conditioning Co-ordinator, McMaster Athletics & Recreation.

12:45: Rexall Radio Health Matters segment.
Guest: Irene.

Obesity- The New Epidemic

The number of Canadians who are overweight or obese has increased dramatically over the past 25 years. Obesity is a risk factor in a number of chronic diseases. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce the risk of those diseases and improve overall health. The increase has occurred in all segments of society, regardless of sex, race, age or education level. The prevalence of overweight children is especially alarming. Since obesity is a major contributor to many preventable causes death, the importance of controlling it can not be overstated. Many factors have contributed to the increasing rates of overweight and obesity. Changes in society, work and leisure have affected activity and eating habits and patterns, has lead to the rise of overweight and obesity. There has been a shift towards less physically demanding work, as well as in increased use of automated transport and passive activities such as television viewing and playing video games. Many children and youth have fewer opportunities to be physically active at school as physical education classes and time spent being active at schools have been reduced. There are also fewer children walking to and from school. In 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese. (World Health Organization). They predict by the year 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. In addition at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years will be overweight. In Canada the problem is increasing among children and adolescents is advancing at an even more rapid rate than adults. 2% to 10% among boys and from 2% to 9% among girls aged 2 -17 years. Changes in our food environment, including consuming larger portion sizes and the availability of a wide variety of inexpensive food, have also made it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. The body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference ( WC) measurement are two tools used by health professionals to help asses your risk, of developing health problems associated with being overweight and underweight. The WC measurement of 102cm ( 40 in) or more for men and 88cm ( 35in) or more for women is associated with an increased risk of developing health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. As the cut-off points are approximate, a WC just below these measurements should also be taken seriously. Your age, family history and the presence of other health conditions, such as cholesterol, high blood pressure or high sugar levels can all interact with being overweight or obese to greatly elevate your risk of developing a wide range of chronic diseases. Poor eating habits, physical inactivity and tobacco use not only contribute to the development of these conditions, they can further exacerbate their burden on your health.

Nadine Janacek Rexall #0202 Blog Reporter