The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Politics of Obesity Obesity and other unhealthy lifestyles are definitely in the realm of politics, especially in Canada with our national health care system and its insatiable demand for cash. As the Baby Boomers retire, some reports say their longevity will be less than the previous generation because of obesity and a much more sedentary lifestyle. In fact the major diseases Ð heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and cancer Ð are said to be noticeably on the increase in this group. Governments and political parties now recognize the problem and have taken at least some steps to turn the tide. Manitoba has a Healthy Living Minister, although the average voter would be hard pressed to recall anything this person accomplished. There have been a number of announcements about coming proposals to get at least young people more active, recognizing that obese youngsters turn into obese adults. Some have advanced the idea of daily physical education classes in schools, with more rigorous activities, and the elimination of fattening sugar drinks and fast foods in school cafeterias. A casual look at pictures of this writer's generation, while teenagers and young adults in Flin Flon, show how thin we were. There were really very few obese kids. With no TV, computers or video games, and lots of hockey, curling, basketball, swimming and walking, one would have to be genetically inclined to be overweight, which is certainly not the case today. There are numerous research projects and opinions from experts on how to solve this growing problem in North America. One from Harvard cites the fact that many families do not sit down for regular dinners anymore and blames this deficit to be contributing to childhood obesity, substance abuse, poor academic performance and increased stress. With fewer family dinners there is more fast food eating, leading to a bad diet and more weight. A recent report from Washington University says that as you get older you can stop significant weight gain by taking food supplements, especially multivitamins, b6, b12 and chromium. Apparently they suppress appetites for carbs. A series of reports just published in science journals claim that soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks are a culprit in obesity. Researchers from Harvard and Yale claim that sugar drinks are the "cigarettes" of obesity" Ð as the noxious weed is the main cause of lung cancer and other things, sugar drinks are a main cause of obesity. Some are advocating a "fat tax" on fast food and drinks. Researchers back up their claim with some interesting statistic, saying soft drink consumption increased by 60 per cent among adults from 1977-97 and doubled among children. In this period of time, obesity also more than doubled. A study at Harvard of over 50,000 nurses compared the periods of 1991-95 and 1995-99 found that women who increased their consumption of soft drinks had bigger increases in body fat than those who drank less or the same. Researchers also claim that calories from sugar-sweetened drinks have a different effect on the body than those from food. The corn syrup used apparently increases fats in the blood and can lead to heart problems, diabetes,and increased cholesterol. Another claim is that the soft drinks may trigger poor eating habits and increase cravings for fast foods. A different health hazard, relayed in a new book called "Sleepless in America," claims children and teens are not getting enough sleep. The author claims that babies need 14-18 hours per day; toddlers 13; pre-schoolers 12; school-aged kids 10; and adolescents 9.25 hours. The book suggests parents cut out their kids' caffeine, avoid evening roughhousing and exercise, encourage naps, wake up teens by 10 a.m., turn out the lights, and develop a bed-time routine for younger children such as reading or storytelling. Should and will governments get involved in the obesity problem? The Harper government did promise in the campaign to give a tax credit or grant to families with kids who play sports. Roger's Right Corner runs Wednesdays.9/6/06
