Stairway to [Health] Heaven

by William Etal

ASMALL SWISS STUDY has preliminarily found that using the stairs, rather than elevators or escalators, reduces the risk of dying prematurely from any medical condition by 15%. Less than half of healthy Europeans and Americans meet public health guidelines by undertaking moderate intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days each week. This failure comes despite widespread knowledge that physical activity levels are inversely associated with risks of cardiovascular disease.

“The challenge remains to develop successful population-based interventions, which promote physical activities that can be easily integrated into everyday life,” says Dr Philippe Meyer, from the University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland, the principal author of the study. Since most adults spend half their waking hours at work, Meyer felt that this setting offered the greatest potential for encouraging physical activity, specifically walking up and down stairs.

Thus, the Meyer team of researchers from the University of Geneva studied 69 hospital workers (77 started the study but 8 failed to finish) at their university for a period of twelve weeks. Each participant was considered a low-exercise person, meaning that they exercised less than two hours each week and climbed less than ten flights of stairs each day.

Over the study period, the subjects did not use the elevator or escalator but instead exclusively used the stairs to get from one floor of the hospital to another. They increased their usage of stair-climbing, on average, from five flights of stairs to 23 each day.

The conclusions of the study—very important to the health of all people—are that after the twelve-week period the participants showed lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol measurements, and high lung capacity.

In addition, the participants lost weight, reduced their body mass index (BMI), and reduced the size of their waists. Plus, the researchers found that the capacity of the participants to perform aerobic exercise also improved. Overall, the researchers concluded that the participants reduced their risk of dying prematurely by 15%.

The article concludes “Simply using the stairs instead of taking elevators at work improves fitness, body composition, blood pressure and lipid profiles. This suggests that stair climbing can have major public health implications.”

Since the study was performed on a small number of subjects, the research team will now conduct a larger study to verify their conclusions.

N E W S  N U G G E T S  1

Thinking People Eat Too Much—Intellectual Work Found To Induce Excessive Calorie Intake. A Université Laval research team has demonstrated that intellectual work induces a substantial increase in calorie intake. The details of this discovery, which could go some way to explaining the current obesity epidemic, are published in the most recent issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

The research team, supervised by Dr. Angelo Tremblay, measured the spontaneous food intake of 14 students after each of three tasks: relaxing in a sitting position, reading and summarizing a text, and completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer. After 45 minutes at each activity, participants were invited to eat as much as they wanted from a buffet. The researchers had already shown that each session of intellectual work requires only three calories more than the rest period. However, despite the low energy cost of mental work, the students spontaneously consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text and 253 more calories after the computer tests. This represents a 23.6% and 29.4 % increase, respectively, compared with the rest period.

Blood samples taken before, during, and after each session revealed that intellectual work causes much bigger fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels than rest periods. "These fluctuations may be caused by the stress of intellectual work, or also reflect a biological adaptation during glucose combustion," hypothesized Jean-Philippe Chaput, the study's main author. The body could be reacting to these fluctuations by spurring food intake in order to restore its glucose balance, the only fuel used by the brain.

"Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact that we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesity epidemic currently observed in industrialized countries," said Mr. Chaput. "This is a factor that should not be ignored, considering that more and more people hold jobs of an intellectual nature," the researcher concluded.

A little exercise goes a long way—toward helping severely obese individuals improve their quality of life and complete important daily tasks, according to researchers at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.

In a pre-program assessment where patients reported, on average, just under one hour of exercise per week, individuals who were more active reported better overall-quality of life. They also reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks as measured on a physical functioning scale.

"Things that many people take for granted like tying one's shoes, getting dressed, or simply moving around were easier for those who reported routine exercise," says Martin Binks, Ph.D., research director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, a residential weight loss program at Duke University Medical Center. He presented the research, which included more than 1,200 participants, at the Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting in Phoenix AZ.

Other quality of life improvements associated with higher activity levels included the ability to complete basic daily tasks, such as getting up from chairs, using the stairs, dressing and undressing, and improved physical symptoms like feeling short of breath.

"These folks weren't reporting high levels of activity yet they still felt better," he said. "This supports what we've been teaching for years - no amount of exercise is too little to have an impact. And it's beneficial no matter what you weigh." That's important news for the severely obese population, in which the benefits of exercise have not been studied as extensively as in mild or moderately overweight populations. At the same time, Binks hopes news that even a little activity offers benefits may spur some severely obese people to be more active.

"When you are 100 pounds overweight, as the average participant in our program is, people often feel defeated. They have trouble moving, and they think 'why bother.' This study shows why they should bother. It shows the value of starting to move no matter how overweight you are."

Becoming even more active can lead to greater weight loss success, overall health, and better quality of life, says Binks, but he stresses, "every little bit counts when it comes to quality of life improvements."

Adapted from materials provided by Duke University Medical Center.

Thin Kids Will Cost You

T

IFFANY KING HAS MADE PROGRESS. When the 5-foot-tall 12-year-old arrived at Camp Pocono Trails in June, she weighed 354 pounds. By Sunday’s weigh-in at the weight loss camp, she had lost 37 pounds. She hopes to get down to 304 by the time camp ends next week. Whether she does or not, Tiffany is already one of the lucky few. Her family could not have afforded camp if Tiffany had not won a scholarship essay contest.

There are nine million overweight or obese children in the United States. And although the prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled since 1980, there are few comprehensive or affordable programs to treat them. Summer weight loss camps are usually profit-making and can cost more than $1,000 a week. Most insurance does not cover that cost.

For Dr. Walter J. Pories, a well-known gastric bypass surgeon, the dearth of government and insurance financing for such comprehensive weight-loss programs is “the single most frustrating problem in dealing with childhood obesity.”

Christina Benson, Tiffany’s mother, knows all too well that insurance coverage is spotty. She works for a health insurance program in Durham, N.C. “I work in the health care industry and I think it is really a disgrace, a disadvantage to our members, that we cannot offer this kind of program under reimbursement,” Ms. Benson, a widow since Tiffany’s father died, said.

Several national groups are pressing for government financing or insurance reimbursement for more intensive weight loss treatment for children, including weight loss camps. In the meantime, many children mostly have to follow Tiffany’s lead. She submitted a personal essay [download .pdf] that was well written, sad and compelling. “If I could get on my knees and beg for this campership, I would, because I want to feel good about my life,” she wrote. “Sometimes, if I’m walking down the street, I can hear people talking about me and staring at me.” She compared herself to a “plump caterpillar” waiting to break free of its cocoon.

As she prepares to enter the seventh grade, Tiffany King’s weight has placed her at high risk of developing the Type 2 diabetes that runs in her family, which would make her part of an epidemic of overweight and Type 2 diabetes that is reaching into ever younger age groups.

Camp Pocono Trails is part of a chain of three New Image Camps whose other sites are in Florida and California. Pocono Trails received 173 entries to its essay contest this year — for 10 slots. (Tiffany is spending eight weeks at Pocono Trails, a session that normally costs nearly $8,000.)

Another chain of weight loss camps, Wellspring, received more than 200 applications for 35 subsidized or free stays at one of its nine camps.

Wellspring, which runs a total of two schools and nine camps in America, England and Australia, says it is seeking corporate sponsors to help provide more scholarships. Wellspring also recently helped start one of the advocacy groups pushing for insurance coverage of programs like weight loss camps, Childhood Obesity Treatment in Action.

As things now stand, depending on the insurance company, some medical and psychological components of weight loss treatments are covered, and parents can sometimes take tax deductions for fees to programs, depending on their tax situation.

At Wellspring, approximately one in three campers has received insurance reimbursement for about one-fourth of the cost — the portion that includes cognitive behavioral therapy, which is sometimes covered by mental health plans.

There are about two dozen around the country, most of them run as for-profit operations. They typically emphasize exercise and controlled meal portions while serving balanced diets. Camp directors report that children generally lose weight during their stays at camp.

The big challenge comes later, when children resume their normal routines and confront the smorgasbord that is America — food in their own kitchens and at friends’ homes, fast-food restaurants and school cafeterias.

Dr. Pories, who also heads the Metabolic Institute at East Carolina University, found that children lost an average of about 8 percent of their body weight in a program he studied over three years; but two-thirds regained all or part of their weight.

Even Dr. Pories, who has been involved in promoting weight loss camp scholarships for underprivileged children in eastern North Carolina, says, “A two-thirds failure rate is not acceptable.”

Some camps advertise better long-term results.

Critics of the camp contests worry that however well meaning, the essay competitions have drawbacks. The essays, in which children bare deeply embarrassing moments and personal problems, become the property of the camp or sponsors. Winners are sometimes encouraged to make themselves available for media interviews that generate publicity.

Tiffany King, for example, has already been featured in a television news segment broadcast by a station near Camp Pocono Trails in northeast Pennsylvania.

“There is an awful lot of exploitation, voyeurism that can go with this stuff,” said Dr. David Collier, director of a pediatric weight management center at East Carolina University, which is in Greenville, N.C.

Dr. Charles J. Homer, the chief executive of the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality, a nonprofit organization in Cambridge, Mass., said the country’s challenge was to make programs that were available to large numbers of children, continued year-round and involved their parents.

“Many of the more effective treatment programs involve the entire family,‘’ Dr. Homer said, “not just the kids.”

A few critics have said that publicity, including an MTV documentary called “Fat Camp” that featured Camp Pocono Trails, runs the risk of making a spectacle of obese children.

Tony Sparber, the owner and director of Camp Pocono Trails, said that he welcomed publicity because he had faith in his program, and that many of the children were eager to be interviewed by the media.

“Most of the kids we deal with these days are very excited about being on TV and the newspapers and representing the camp,” he said. “They are very proud of themselves for the weight they have lost and the strides they have made.”

The Camp Pocono Trails essay contest does not require that winners be financially needy — judging is based primarily on the quality of the essay — but Mr. Sparber acknowledged that many of the children could not otherwise afford to attend.

“I get a phone call every day from people in need,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

As camp neared its close, Tiffany King said she worried about the challenges she would face when she returned to her normal environment. “I wish I could take the camp with me,” she said.
:: S. Saul, NYT

State Fines Fat Workers

O

BESE WORKERS IN ALABAMA are facing a state-imposed ultimatum: Lose the fat or pay a monthly fine.

Health insurance for the state's 37,527 employees is currently free, and it will continue to be for healthy workers. However, obese people will be forced to pay $25 a month for the same insurance if they don't lose the weight by 2010, the Associated Press reported.

Alabama is the first state to penalize workers for obesity. Some other states give workers added incentives to shed pounds and stay healthy.

The state turned to solving the Deep South obesity rate after successfully reducing the number of workers who smoke. It fined them until many kicked the habit. According to the report, the State Employees' Insurance Board agreed on a plan to make workers pay fees if they don't submit to free health screenings.

If results from the screenings indicate medical concerns such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose or obesity, employees will be given one year to visit a doctor for free, begin wellness programs or show progress toward improving their health. If workers fail to comply, they will be charged the extra fee for health insurance. State worker Robert Wagstaff serves on the insurance board. He said Alabama wants employees to take better care of themselves.

"We are trying to get individuals to become more aware of their health," he told the AP.

However, some state employees believe the fee is a form of discrimination.

Not all state employees see it that way.

"It's terrible," Chequla Motley said. "Some people come into this world big."

Computer technician Tim Colley has already been hit with a $24 monthly fee for smoking. He said he disagrees with the state's method of combating obesity. "It's too Big Brotherish," he said.

80 Year Old Victorian Sets Marathon Record!

BETTY JEAN MCHUGH SET A WORLD RECORD Sunday at the 29th Royal Victoria Marathon—and that's not even the most interesting part of her story.

She ran for four hours, 36 minutes and 52 seconds, and pushed through the finish line to loud cheers from the crowd and the booming voice of the announcer. The real kicker? She's 80 years old.

"I just run because I like it, I don't keep good records at all," said McHugh, a mother of four and grandmother of four.

"I knew I was feeling good and running well. I knew there was a possibility [for a world record] but I didn't push myself. I probably could have done better, but one of my friends said, 'Just keep it at a certain rate.'"

With more than 13 Canadian and world records to her name, McHugh is a well-known dynamo in the running world. Sunday's record was for all women 80 years and older on a 42.195-kilometre course. McHugh took 13 minutes off the record of Helen Klein, who ran the New York City Marathon in four hours, 49 minutes and 52 seconds in 2004.

McHugh, a retired nurse from North Vancouver, has been running since her 50s. But she wasn't even sure she'd make it to this year's Victoria race after she was tripped and injured twice by dogs last year while out training.

That temporarily limited her training regime, which starts at 5:45 a.m. three days a week and concludes with a long run on the weekend.

But McHugh said the support of her entourage—a group of six or seven female friends who help her run and organize her events—made participating in the Royal Victoria Marathon possible. "They actually deserve a medal," she said. "It was a world record for them too."

Next in her sights is the Honolulu Marathon, in Hawaii on Dec. 14. By then she'll be 81.

"I'll see how I feel," she said. "I won't be pushing it."

There's also a half-marathon in Vancouver in June that's on her radar, and a long-term goal to be at the New York City Marathon next November.

But McHugh said Victoria's event stands out for its great organization, good people and—sometimes, like this year—fine weather.

"Today I feel great," she said yesterday, while recuperating at her North Vancouver home.

"My joints are a little sore but I'm walking upright.

"As I told my family, it beats staying in the kitchen cooking a turkey."

N E W S  N U G G E T S  2

Marathoners Go Green!—Competitive running is cleaning up its act.

Biodiesel buses. Biodegradable cups. Organic T-shirts. Trophies made from recycled bicycle parts.

Yes, the great green phenomenon has come to marathons too. The November issue of Runner's World magazine ranks the 10 greenest races. The Austin Marathon wins, with its finish-line farmer's market, Porta Potty toilet paper made from recycled materials, and biodiesel support vehicles.

In the Portland, Ore., marathon, finishers get a tree seedling.

In the Great Lakes Endurance trail-running race, participants must carry their own water.

All of this, of course, goes well with the runners' image of themselves performing an inherently green activity. What is running, after all, but a communion with nature (O.K., city streets and treadmills, too), and a minimum of equipment?

But as the blogger Blaine Moore and even Runner’s World have pointed out, racing is not always the most environmentally friendly sport.

Most marathons involve an astounding number of cups or plastic bottles. When I ran the Boston Marathon this year, I stopped for Gatorade or water nearly every mile.

Like the 22,000 other runners, I hurled all of my cups into the street. By my very rough math, that makes for some 400,000 cups or bottles that kindly volunteers must pick up. With the addition of gel packets, candy wrappers, orange peels and other refuse, marathons generate a sizable contribution to the nation’s landfills—even if some of these goodies are biodegradable.

And of course, there is the gargantuan amount of food one must eat to get into marathon shape, not to mention the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions associated with thousands of would-be competitors flying or driving to the event to compete.

Still, if the marathon industry is pushing giant water fountains to obviate the need for water bottles, and deploying pacer bicycles rather than cars to help runners along the way (as did the OBX Marathon in North Carolina), the footprint of any particular marathon runner (sorry), is likely to be shrinking.

You Simply Must Try the Alkali!—RESEARCH SHOWS STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL IS HIGHLY ACIDIC. In addition to decreasing your consumption of acidic-foods, managing your stress levels is also important for a healthy pH. During periods of stress, the body releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a key player in the production of abdominal fat, and promotes the production of inflammatory chemicals and free radicals. To reduce your risk, try to take deep breaths throughout your day and practice yoga and meditation regularly. (Maurer, et al. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2003)

5 Food Tips for becoming more alkaline:
  1. When choosing veggies, go for colour! Spinach, kale, pumpkin and squash are not only highly alkaline-forming, they're Fall-fresh too.
  2. Each week, replace an animal protein with a vegetarian option such as tempeh or organic tofu.
  3. More H₂O. Try sparkling water with lemon and a touch of honey instead.
  4. Raw nuts and seeds do a 'pH-body' good. Try adding chopped walnuts to your salad, or enjoy a handful of almonds as a mid-morning snack.

Dry red wine and dark beer get the alkaline 'thumbs-up'! Research shows dry red wine contains alkalinizing minerals and the antioxidant Resveratrol, which helps prevent cholesterol build-up. This may explain why the French have low levels of cardiovascular disease, despite consuming more fatty foods than other nations.

Beer-drinkers, there's good new for you too! Micro-brewery beers that are made without additives also contain alkalinizing minerals. In fact, the darker the beer, the more minerals.

Regardless of the one you choose, moderation is key!

Western diet to blame for 35% of heart attacks—A Western diet rich in fried foods, salt and meat accounts for 35 per cent of heart attacks worldwide, researchers say. The findings support evidence that animal fat and junk food can lead to heart attacks.

"This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world," says the study's senior author, Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton.

For the study in Tuesday's issue of the journal Circulation, Yusuf and his colleagues surveyed 16,000 people in 52 countries, and analyzed 5,761 cases of heart attack.

Prudent diet reduces heart attacks

Participants gave blood samples and filled in detailed diaries on what they ate between February 1999 and March 2003. Depending on what participants reported, they were divided into three dietary groups. After adjusting for known risk factors, the researchers found:

• People who consumed the "prudent" diet of more fruits and vegetables had a 30 per cent lower risk of heart attack compared with people who ate few or no fruits and vegetables.
• People who consumed the "Western" diet had a 35 per cent greater risk of having a heart attack compared with people who consumed few fried foods and little meat.
• The "Oriental" diet, which is loaded with tofu but also high in salty soy sauce, showed no relationship with heart attack risk.

The results clarify that it's the eating of Western food that drives up the risk of heart attacks, rather than other lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, Yusuf and his colleagues say.

Also a series of reports published in the medical journal the Lancet concluded that worsening diets and unhealthy habits in China are contributing to a looming health crisis in the increasingly wealthy country.

"The pace and spread of behavioural changes including changing diets, decreased physical activity, high rates of male smoking and other high-risk behaviours has accelerated to an unprecedented degree," one report says.

The journal said 177 million Chinese adults suffer from hypertension, which it blamed in part on high salt consumption. Yusuf's study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research; the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario; the International Clinical Epidemiology Network; and unrestricted grants from several pharmaceutical companies.

Immigrants' heart risks rise over time, study shows—New immigrants tend to have healthier hearts than native-born Canadians, but that changes sharply the longer they live here, says a study to be released today.

The study, sponsored by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, examined the cardiovascular health of newcomers from China, India and Europe and found their chances of developing heart disease rise with each decade they stay in Canada. Over time, the risks can actually be higher for immigrants than they are for those born in Canada, the study concludes.

"It might be a case of the challenges associated with settling in a new country," says Scott Lear, a kinesiologist at Simon Fraser University and the study's lead author. "The implications are huge for Canada because we're now becoming a country that's growing because of immigration."

The findings, to be presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Toronto, reinforce existing research that shows newcomers to industrialized countries initially tend to be in better physical shape than the native-born population. Over time, however, the health of these immigrants deteriorates sharply. The result is true even after other factors affecting health, such as age, education, income level and medical history, are considered.

Because heart disease and stroke are linked to stress, smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, researchers are paying closer attention to the lifestyle upheaval that immigrants face once they arrive in a new country.

"They may have trouble finding the foods that they were used to back home, or they may not participate in physical activities to the same level that they did in their home countries," said Dr. Lear.

The findings suggest more emphasis needs to be placed on promoting heart health among immigrants, said Dr. Lear. They also need help finding family doctors, who in turn must pay closer attention to the health needs of their immigrant patients, he said.

"Doctors may want to take note that many immigrants have greater challenges in maintaining their health than somebody who's been in Canada all their life."

Welcome to Canada!

Overweight Kids have Middle-aged Arteries

 :: Canwest News Service

THE ARTERIES OF OBESE CHILDREN may be aging 30 years faster than normal, new research suggests. These findings raise fears of a generation heading toward early heart disease.

A study of 70 boys and girls found obese children and teens with abnormal cholesterol had thicker carotid arteries, the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.

Thickened neck arteries are a sign of fatty buildup of plaque within the arteries feeding the heart muscle and brain.

The neck arteries in the obese children, aged 13 on average, "are looking like those of a 45-year-old," says Dr. Geetha Raghuveer, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, and cardiologist at Children's Mercy Hospital.

Given the scope of the obesity crisis, the findings suggest a generation of children is at risk for premature cardiovascular disease.

"Kids almost never have heart attacks, no matter how high their risk may be," Raghuveer says. What's more, "I'm hoping they don't have hard calcified plaque like older adults. I'm very hopeful we may be able to reverse this process."

"But it is very possible that these kids — especially the cohort of obese kids we've been seeing in the last decade or so — may grow up to be young adults who may well have premature angina or heart attack, even as early as their 30s."

The children's "vascular age" surprised doctors in Canada.

"I thought they would be at increased risk, but I didn't think that it would be that bad," says Dr. Brian McCrindle, professor of pediatrics and staff cardiologist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

"We know that kids with cardiovascular risk factors and obesity have thicker lining to their carotid arteries than kids without those conditions," McCrindle says.

"What this study does is, it actually gives it an age."

Autopsy studies showed decades ago that fatty streaks and narrowing of the arteries can develop in the late teens and early 20s, says Dr. Geoff Ball, assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

But the new study used ultrasound to detect subtle changes in the main arteries, he says. "These small changes are early steps in the genesis" of cardiovascular disease.

The study was small, and it's not clear if the ultrasounds are picking up early, or advanced lesions.

But, "it's one more piece of evidence that if we don't start taking this childhood obesity epidemic seriously, we're going to wind up with health problems that could potentially swamp the whole health-care system," McCrindle says.

Overall, about 75 per cent of the children in the study plotted "advanced vascular age", Raghuveer says.

The effect was strongest in children with a high body mass index and high triglyceride levels.

"Their arteries and their hearts are probably behaving like that of middle-aged adults," Raghuveer says. What's not clear is whether "they just advance, advance, advance, or do they plateau out?"

Her group hopes to look at whether diet, exercise or medication can have an impact on the children's artery wall thickness.

Goin' Down to 'Healthy Town'

TOWER HAMLETS IN LONDON has been selected for transformation into one of Britain's nine "healthy towns". But what does this mean for the residents of the UK's third most deprived borough?

With below average life expectancy, low exercise rates and unhealthy eating habits, Tower Hamlets is at the heart of what the local primary care trust calls an "obesity epidemic". So the award of £4.7m in government cash to tackle the problem, plus a further £6m in local funds, has been widely welcomed. The aim is to turn the borough into a "healthy town" where people will find it easier to exercise and choose healthy food.

The plans include extending walking and cycling routes, food co-operatives
and moves to limit the harmful effects of fast food outlets
through planning and incentives.

A healthy food award scheme will target fast food shops, restaurants and cafes along the route of the 2012 Olympic Park in the high street.

Among the incentives being considered are free nutritional advice, official recognition of restaurants as healthy food outlets and free business advice and advertising.

But will it work?

Angelo and Joe Mascia have been selling home-cooked meals from their family cafe, Mr G's, on Mile End Road for 30 years. Over the years they say they have seen children getting fatter. They blame lifestyles, the lack of choice and concentration of fast food restaurants.

"Tower Hamlets is the worst borough going for planning," said Angelo. "How can you let nine fried chicken shops open in the space of 200 yards? There's something wrong there. They should start with the fast food shops, they're the ones to target."

Joe added: "For most people it's the lifestyle. They haven't got the time, and most haven't even got the ability to cook anymore. We don't really have to offer or bribe our customers to eat healthily, we've got vegetables and salad and already offer that sort of food."

Sidoul Islam, assistant manager of neighbouring fast food restaurant Real Taste, said he would be happy to sign up to a healthy food scheme. "We did once try to sell healthier sandwiches but it didn't work out, so we went back to fried food," he said. "Most likely kids wouldn't buy vegetables. They need to be educated at school about it from year two or three, or nursery if they can."

Father-of-three Musthak Ahmed said he used to eat fried chicken three or four times a week but has now cut down to once a month. The National Health Service worker said: "There's definitely a problem with obesity in this area and one of the main causes is eating fast food. It's very unhealthy. I'd like the council to put some restrictions on the sort of food the fast food restaurants can provide."

Tower Hamlets council says the funding is "fantastic news" and gives the borough a "real chance" of turning its fortunes around.

Department of Health figures show 15% of borough children aged 10 to 15 ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day compared to a 23% national average. Children also did less exercise, with 28% being active for 30 minutes a day for six or more days compared to a 38% national average.

The borough's joint director of public health, Dr Ian Basnett, said: "People often find it difficult to take exercise as part of their daily lives and eat a healthy diet, so levels of obesity, particularly in children, are very high. "This will mean more people suffer from diabetes, heart disease, strokes and cancers in the future."

The council plans to extend its cycle routes with two miles of well signed and lit paths, introduce a "bike to school" scheme and train children to cycle to get them exercising. Library supervisor Jusnara Khanam, 28, said: "I'd like to see more cycle routes. It's a fun way of exercising. It would encourage me to get on a bike, but the routes would have to be well lit or I wouldn't feel safe."

Other schemes planned by the council include food co-operatives where affordable fruit and vegetables are provided for residents who do not have ready access to fresh food shops.

But for local resident Jan Jaap, 25, from Bethnal Green, getting to grips with obesity means addressing a more fundamental problem. "It's more about education and serving healthy food in school," he said. "It should come from the parents and not the council — but a lot of parents don't educate their kids properly."

Hoodia — not safe or effective enough for Unilever

by Yoni Freedhoff, Weighty Matters
visit Weighty Matters website »

Hoodia, a cactus that grows in the Kalahari desert that was catapulted to fame by 60 minutes in 2004 as a potential weight loss aid and now a fixture on health food and pharmacy store shelves, was dropped yesterday by Unilever.

Unilever, a product manufacturing giant who had already sunk in over $40 million in the development and research of hoodia as a weight loss aid and who were reportedly grooming their Hoodia product to become a flagship $600 million a year brand reported yesterday...

"Data suggests using the extract would not meet our safety and efficacy standards",

...leading me to firstly marvel that Unilever has safety and efficacy standards for supplements and secondly to wonder whether or not this will have any impact at all on sales of hoodia in health food stores.

This report also proves something very important — the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries spend a tremendous amount of money researching any potential weight loss supplement leads and were they able to prove that a product were safe and effective, it'd land up in prescription form and they'd literally beat down the doors of doctors' offices to try to convince docs to prescribe it.

Editorial note: as if this article isn't disincentive enough... »

Simple statement here — if you're considering a "natural" weight loss supplement, if your doctor doesn't prescribe it to you then it's safe to say it hasn't yet been proven to be both safe and effective.

Translation — if there really were magic, I'd prescribe it.

Oh, and Unilever didn't disclose the data that led it to abandon its $40 million investment but I think it's a good bet to suggest that if you are taking Hoodia, it's probably in your best interest to stop.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff: Obesity expert and medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa, Dr. Freedhoff is one of Canada's most outspoken nutrition watchdogs and appears regularly in national media to advocate for healthier living.

Dr. Arya Sharma: Widely recognized as one of Canada's leading obesity experts, Dr. Sharma was recently appointed Professor of Medicine & Chair in Obesity Research and Management at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Dr. Sharma passionately believes in educating the public on this chronic disease.

Speakwell has obtained permission from both of these Doctors to reproduce some of their material in our WELL Newsletter. Please visit their sites.