Students with daily activity requirements are physically and emotionally healthier and perform better academically
Josh Fullan is the executive director of Maximum City, a national education and engagement organization based in Toronto. He recently wrote a compelling opinion piece on the need for more physical education in schools for The Globe and Mail. Fullan outlines the physical, mental and academic benefits of regular exercise. He emphasizes the academic and…
Banning junk food advertising may have little effect on reducing obesity
A new study from the University of Alberta challenges the notion that advertising junk food is at the root of the obesity epidemic. Growing up in a low social-economic environment is more of a precursor to obesity later in life than junk food advertising, according to the report, with adults who grew up in a…
Researchers working to identify drug combinations to treat people with obesity, Type 2 diabetes
Canadian and German researchers are teaming up to identify new drug combinations to treat people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The goal is to develop personalized prescriptions that are more effective than single drugs and that can potentially replace more invasive treatments such as bariatric surgery, especially for children. “As a pediatric endocrinologist, I…
Fewer surgery complications and shorter hospital stays
Women with obesity and endometrial cancer who lose weight in advance of surgery have fewer complications and shorter hospital stays, according to preliminary study results so promising that they are already changing the standard of care. Sophia Pin, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta and physician at the…
Throwing more money into the existing system won't work
Canada’s medical system is one of the defining benefits of living in this country, but we have learned from the pandemic that our medicare is nowhere near as strong and resilient as we might wish. Waiting lists have long been an indicator that the capacity of our clinics and hospitals was insufficient to meet our…
Research explores the impact of obesity-related stigma on young people – and how to end it
“We should just keep weight out of everyday conversation with our kids.” That’s the conclusion Alexa Ferdinands came to after interviewing young people about their experiences with obesity-related stigma for her PhD in health promotion and socio-behavioural sciences in the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health. “When it comes to nutrition, there are so…
Link could hold the key to improving immune responses against COVID-19 and other viruses
A little-understood link between insulin resistance in cells and obesity could hold the key to improving immune responses against COVID-19 and other viruses, according to University of Alberta researcher Sue Tsai. “We hypothesize that insulin resistance in immune cells such as B cells is a major link between obesity and an impaired antiviral response, leading…
Active students have better grades, enhanced memory, lower absenteeism and better behaviour
The physical activity levels of our young people were already trending downward when COVID-19 hit. The pandemic made things worse. Kids around were stuck at home, forced to try to learn virtually. An online math class is one thing. A physical education class at home is nearly impossible. During the pandemic, physical education has been…
Immunology is at the centre of virtually every chronic disease
Two decades ago, Catherine Field’s University of Alberta nutrition lab showed that specific fatty acids in breast milk during the crucial first period of life could program how the immune system responds to food allergens. Her group looked at milk, egg and soy allergies – the ones babies tend to grow out of but can still…
It’s time for Canada to regulate marketing food to kids. But regulating marketing is no cakewalk
Most people would agree that protecting children should be our country’s utmost priority. Protecting children from unhealthy food products and fast-food chains has been the subject of many conversations. Ads for sugary food products geared towards children have been contested for years and some countries have opted to ban them, one way or another. The…
Josh Fullan is the executive director of Maximum City, a national education and engagement organization based in Toronto. He recently wrote a compelling opinion piece on the need for more physical education in schools for The Globe and Mail. Fullan outlines the physical, mental and academic benefits of regular exercise. He emphasizes the academic and…
