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January 11th, 2011

On the topic of new year’s resolutions

In yesterday’s National Post, an article titled “America is losing the war with itself” spun out a number of topics we’ve been discussing here related to the obesity problem that Canada is facing (I first wrote about this here, then again two days later here, and then because the comments gave me so much food for thought, a third time here.)

Of particular interest to me is the connection that the author, George F. Will, makes between North Americans’ waistline and individual self-control. Sure, it sounds obvious … if you can enact self-control over what you put into your body, then you don’t become obese. But in a country where there is just SO MUCH abundance, one needs to use an insane amount of self-control each and every day. From, as Mike Goad pointed out in the comments section, the constant advertisements in the media to eat-eat-eat to the easy credit urging you to buy-buy-buy, to the lack of anticipation that Javamom notes and which this article links to the appearance of microwaves in the kitchen.

The oven is emblematic of the plummeting effort required per calorie ingested. One estimate is that Americans’ per capita caloric intake has increased 22% since 1980, and the number of diabetics has more than quadrupled.

Microwaves, processed foods and drive-thru dining … food is all around us and so easy to consume. And even when you’re not burning a single calorie as you sit on the couch, your television will call out to you to dial-in some pizza or gobble down some chocolate and ice cream. It would seem, then, that someone in North America’s level of self-control has to be much grander in scale than someone living in an environment where food and water is scarce.

But how many times can we say “no” and do the right thing and resist? Most of us cave — at least here and there. And here’s why, posits Will’s article: self-control is like a muscle and like any muscle, it gets fatigued. In fact, the article concludes with this:

Did you tell lots of people — did you blog about — your New Year’s resolutions? Akst [author of the book We Have Met the Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess] knows why you didn’t: “self-control fatigue,” which is as American as microwaved apple pie.

But, silly me, I did blog about my new year’s resolutions ….

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Here’s a quick check-in on my personal resolutions for 2011 (which I detailed here).

#1: Make time for girlfriend time

I have two girlfriends in particular (Kathryn and Girlie M — are your ears ringing??) who I’ve been wanting and meaning and planning to get together with since well before Christmas. But we haven’t managed it yet. So, with them, I have failed. But I did get in a last minute date with Trish to see the film The Black Swan and it was a fantastic film with fantastic company. Also, my girlfriend Jacquie is always a phone call away and has, thankfully, joined me again for Boot Camp.

#2: Get fit and stay fit

Yes, I started up Boot Camp again last night. I feared that all the insane overindulgence of Christmas feasts over the holidays would land me back to my starting point … but happily, no. My body seems to have rebounded nicely to the exercise again. And, I actually think it’s much happier when I force it to sweat than when I simply wrap it up in flannel and feed it red wine. Strange.

#3: Learn to enjoy winter

Nothing to say here … moving along ….

#4: Say “yes” more

Well, er, let’s just say I was invited to go cross-country skiing and skating at least three times and “yes” was not the answer (refer back to #3).

#5: Give myself the gift of anticipation

I am thrilled to say that I am really, really anticipating a big trip now! I am going to South Korea for one week in February. Not only will I have the natural anticipation of getting to see (and hug!) my sister Megs again, who has been living in Seoul for two years now, but I’m going to pick up some books to learn more about the culture and really ramp up the anticipation even higher. Woohoo!

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So, did you end up making any resolutions this year? How’s it going so far?

4 Comments »

January 9th, 2011

Consumption to the point of destruction

Okay, so I’ve spent two posts complaining (first that the “obesity epidemic” in Canada was not really an epidemic, and second, that if it is really an epidemic, it’s downright embarrassing when you put it in perspective to other epidemics around the world) and now I think it is probably time to do something helpful.

Your comments on my post have been particularly insightful and have given me lots of food for thought (pardon the pun!). Many of you, like Ads, agreed that the obesity epidemic, while certainly a problem worth tackling, does need to be put into perspective. Krista, who lives on the African continent and knows first hand the struggles to get basics such as food, water and electricity to her home, noted how North America is undertaking “consumption to the point of destruction.” I cannot agree more wholeheartedly.

And both Krista and Meg rightly pointed out that this kind of overconsumption does affect the rest of the world — from the environment and availability of resources to the “force-feeding” of our junk into third world nations – and so it is important to talk about it and, by extension, try to do something about it.

But when I think about this … which I do a lot …. I can get overwhelmed. Where to start? And can my small actions actually make a difference when the issue is so systemic? Well, we’ve got to start somewhere, right? And where better than in our own homes and with our own buying power.

So I thought I could use this blog to raise and discuss some of this. However, I need your help. I’ve got a couple of ideas brewing for posts, but I want to know what things irk you about our over-consuming nature? Tell me (either in the comments or by emailing me directly) and together we can look at those things and dig a little deeper into them.

As always, thanks for being here and chatting with me. Your coffee pal, Julie

15 Comments »

January 7th, 2011

The obesity epidemic: Maybe I’m just embarrassed

In my last rant post, I belittled the obesity problems that we are facing in Canada. I can certainly acknowledge that the prevalence of processed foods in Canadian diets, with ever-growing package sizes and salt and sugar quantities, is concerning. I can also acknowledge that most of the children I know likely do less physical activity that what is considered the healthy norm. But throwing the term “obesity epidemic” about just feels wrong to me.

I had a few dissenters in my comments (which I love – thank you for sharing your views!) on that post and it made me question why exactly it feels wrong … Is it because I don’t want to acknowledge the issue? Or perhaps I am embarrassed about crunching the numbers and realizing that this “obese” category being discussed is actually a category into which I fall?

I’ve decided that it is indeed because I am embarrassed. And here’s why:

33.4 million people live with HIV/AIDS worldwide, the vast majority of whom are in low- and middle-income countries. An estimated 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2008 (source: WHO).
1.5 million children under the age of five die each year from unsafe water and poor sanitation. That is more than 4,100 deaths per day (source: WaterCan).
Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death among children under five globally. Nearly one in five child deaths – about 1.5 million each year – is due to diarrhoea. Today, only 39 per cent of children with diarrhoea in developing countries receive the recommended treatment, and limited trend data suggest that there has been little progress since 2000 (source: UNICEF/WHO).
In 2008, malaria caused nearly one million deaths, mostly among African children. Malaria is preventable and curable (source: WHO).
In 2010, the number of children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to reach 25 million – equivalent to the number of people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, over 15 million children have been orphaned by the pandemic (source: World AIDS Orphans Day).

I sit back and imagine … if I lived in a community facing one of the above epidemics, how would I feel about reading a headline from Canada about an “obesity epidemic”? I can’t answer this question, since I’ll never know how it feels to face such life-threatening and difficult life circumstances. But I can tell you that if I was sitting beside this same person who was reading that headline, I’d definitely be embarrassed. Shamefaced, actually.

7 Comments »

January 5th, 2011

Canada’s has an obesity epidemic on its hands!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

If you believe the headlines, Canada is in the middle of a serious epidemic. One of such enormous proportions that 1 in 4 Canadians is already affected – and the number is rising!

*yawn*

Yeah, that’s right, I’m tired of hearing about our so-called “obesity epidemic.” From public service announcements, to newspaper headlines to CBC’s latest “Live Right Now” series … please! Sure, we might be a little heavier than the generation before us, but is it really an epidemic – a word associated with the rampant spread of disease?

If 1 in 4 Canadians is now obese – and weren’t just a generation ago – wouldn’t that mean that 1 in 4 of us could no longer sit in an airplane seat? That all of our cars would need to be built with larger seats? That king-sized mattresses would make queen-sized mattresses obsolete? Or worse, that 1 in 4 of us is suffering from illnesses linked to obesity?

I would think that if one out of every four people in my community was obese, I’d see a whole lot of very large people waddling about my neighborhood. But I don’t. I just see the same old mix of people I’ve always seen.

And the same thing goes for children. We hear so much about how this ”obesity epidemic” is impacting our children the hardest. But where are all these poor children because when I look at the class photos of the children I know, I see maybe one or two slightly larger children in each class. But this has existed since the beginning of time – there’s always a few bigger kids, a few smaller kids and a bunch in the middle. Wasn’t it like that when you were a kid too?

So what does “obese” really mean anyhow? I’ll tell you what it means. It means anyone who scores a BMI of higher than 30. Which is me. Yep, by the BMI, I am obese.

But I would never refer to myself as obese. Sure I’m no bikini model, but by medical standards, I am perfectly healthy: blood pressure, glucose levels, cholesterol … you name it.

Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s important to try to restrict processed foods, eat junk only on Halloween, and do some physical activity every day. I just don’t think it’s worthy of headline space and the term “epidemic.”

Do you agree that this issue has been blown out of proportion or am I sorely deluded? Tell me!

12 Comments »

October 20th, 2010

Today is World Osteoporosis Day: Should I Care?

I know, I know … there are so many causes with “days” that it’s hard to keep track. (And kind of makes you want to dismiss them altogether.) But I was sent some information on osteoporosis that peaked my interest and made me want to look into it a bit more.

Before I share it with you though, let’s define osteoporosis. It’s a condition that causes bones to become thin and porous, decreasing bone strength and leading to increased risk of breaking a bone. I’m sure most of us have heard this sort of general definition before. But as I get older, and as my parents get older, the following facts seem to have hit me harder than before.

Here are some facts (source: Osteoporosis Canada):

1 in 4 women and at least 1 in 8 men over 50 have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis causes 70-90% of 30,000 hip fractures annually.
Each hip fracture costs the system $21,285 in the 1st year after hospitalization, and $44,156 if the patient is institutionalized.
23% of patients who fracture a hip die in less than a year.
The lifetime risk of hip fracture is greater (1 in 6) than the 1 in 9 lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

Some tips for reducing the risk (source: Health Canada):

Calcium: People over the age of 50 need 1200 mg of calcium each day, so make sure you’re getting enough.
Vitamin D: Calcium is not easily absorbed by the body without vitamin D. If you’re over the age of 50, it’s recommended that you take a daily supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D, in addition to a healthy diet.
Weight-bearing activity: Bones become stronger with increased activity (which is pretty amazing, really), and it’s recommended daily. Weight-bearing exercises include dancing, walking, hiking and tennis.

How do you know if you have osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis largely goes undiagnosed until it’s too late. Your bones can be losing density without you knowing it and that’s why the condition is sometimes called “the silent thief.” A confirmed diagnosis is possible through a test called Bone Mineral Density test — a safe, painless test apparently.

What can you do if you have osteoporosis?

Unlike when my Nana fell, broke her hip, had to live in care, and died shortly afterwards, there are a number of treatments available today. I’m no expert on them, of course. But if you have any of the risk facts listed here, it’s good to know that you’ve got some options.

So … all this to say that someone emailed me asking if I would help raise awareness for osteoporosis. I really didn’t think I cared about osteoporosis, but maybe I should.

For more information, here are some websites: Health Canada (government), Osteoporosis Canada(non-profit, with government and Caltrate — a calcium supplement – as sponsors), International Osteoporosis Foundation (non-profit, non-government), and the organization that had contacted me in the first place and got me thinking about osteoporosis is On the Go Women (run by a Canadian pharmaceutical company called Novartis).