Obesity and Lifestyle choices

Good article about how chronic disease in North Karelia, Finland, was drastically reduced. A successful attempt to change lifestyle:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18524861.700-interview-the-heart-healer.html?page=2

D

Interesting article on McDonalds sponsorship of Olympics, as highlighted by Sophie during Monday’s meeting:

Health doubts as McDonald’s provides one in five Olympic meals (The Guardian 07/12/09)
Health campaigners have warned that attempts to use the London 2012 Olympics to improve public health may be undermined by the announcement that one in five meals served to fans at the games will come from McDonald’s. Launching their food strategy, games organisers said that 3m of the 14m meals served during the two-week event will be prepared by the fast food chain. The British Heart Foundation and the National Obesity Forum said the policy undermined claims from Lord Coe and Tessa Jowell, the Olympics minister, that one of the main legacies of hosting the Olympics will be improved health across the nation.

For the full article: http://tinyurl.com/yz26xu9

D

Hi all, happy new year! The following articles may be of interest…David

UK: British children’s fitness levels ‘falling twice as fast as international average’ (Daily Telegraph 22/12/09)
Youngsters in Britain today are significantly less fit than they were a decade ago – with their increasingly sedentary lifestyles to blame, according to the research. Children’s fitness in the UK has declined by eight per cent, compared to an average of only four per cent for the rest of the world. The study – published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal – will fuel concerns about the selling-off of school playing fields under Labour and the health consequences for the so-called “PlayStation generation”.

For the full article: http://tinyurl.com/ydunh7f

UK: Hardly any adults do the recommended amount of exercise (The Guardian 18/12/09)
Only a very tiny proportion of men and women actually do the amount of exercise recommended to keep them fit and healthy, a comprehensive study shows today. The Department of Health recommends that adults should get 30 minutes moderate exercise, five days a week. But the annual Health Survey for England (HSE) reveals today that 94% of men and 96% of women do not achieve it. Rachel Craig, research director of the HSE, said that many people probably wrongly thought they were being more active than they are. Walking to the station, for instance, only counts as moderate exercise if you are walking briskly – that means at around 3-4mph. Walking up stairs is undoubtedly good, but does not usually take very long.

For the full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/18/exercise-recommended-health-adults-obesity

Related article:
Adults embellish exercise claims (Financial Times 17/12/09)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3656dea8-eb3e-11de-bc99-00144feab49a.html?nclick_check=1

Related report:

Health Survey for England 2008 – Physical activity
http://tinyurl.com/yl9dcsu

Back to top ^

Hi David - Happy New Year. That is quite shocking. It really underlines the idea that we are not designed for the lifestyles that we lead.

Following the Christmas break I will be picking up the thread of the various activities that came out of the briefing session in December, so I will be in touch shortly - O