James Sallis, 2012 prize winner

Q&A with James Sallis

Location, location, location
Where we live has an impact on our level of physical activity.

Professor James Sallis, a distinguished professor in Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, is a leading expert in the field of policy and environmental influences on physical activity, nutrition and obesity. His groundbreaking work and commitment to promoting active health through practical interventions and advocacy earned him the 2012 Bloomberg Manulife Prize for the Promotion of Active Health. In advance of his visit to McGill to receive his award, we spoke with Prof. Sallis about his research and its impact.

(McGill) How did your background as a trained psychologist lead you to your current research?

(James Sallis) During the early years of my research, I was interested in understanding the role peoples’ motivations and other psychological factors play in an individual’s ability to adopt and maintain a physical activity regimen. These studies led me to conclude that a complex set of psychological and environmental factors are at play and that if we are to be successful in changing behaviour over the long term, we must modify how we plan and build our neighbourhoods. In recent years, I have focused my energies on studying how the design of our communities, transportation systems and parks can help people re-integrate fitness into their daily lives and have worked to gain buy-in for change from government agencies and industries. My goal is not to use my research to point the finger, but to point the direction to solutions.

(M) Why has our environment only recently been recognized as a contributing factor to physical inactivity?

(JS) As members of the human species, we are living the dream of our ancestors: to eliminate back-breaking work. The inventions we have made and the industries we have created have all been aimed at making our lives easier. Consider all the labour saving devices we have in our homes and the high-tech toys that provide us with entertainment. And the neighbourhoods we have built have been designed around the automobile, rather than around walking and other forms of physical activity. We have now reached a point where what we have created is literally killing us! Chronic disease related to physical activity is now a global pandemic that is responsible for about 5 million deaths every year. Since we are not going to reverse this trend by eliminating computers and washing machines, or by making other changes at our homes and workplaces, we must re-think our transportation and recreation infrastructures and make them more conducive to physical ativity.

(M) Are there communities that are successfully working to move in this direction?

(JS) Yes there are. Northern European countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland have been pioneers in developing alternatives to an automobile-centric urban infrastructure. In fact, there are now so many bicyclists that some cities are having problems with bike path congestion. Here in North America, New York City has made impressive headway. Its mayor convenes an annual summit, where various departments (Health, Parks etc.) outline initiatives that have included the creation of more parks and the introduction of protected bike paths. Even in car-dominated Los Angeles, neighbouring Long Beach has been named the most bicycle-friendly city in America.

(M) What can the average person do to help make their community more conducive to physical activity?

(JS) There are many things you can do. If your neighbourhood doesn’t have sidewalks or lacks park facilities, I encourage you to lobby your local government. And if you are a parent, you can find out what types of physical activities your children are involved in at school. If the school hasn’t already done so, suggest that it implement the SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) program, which conducts a popular series of workshops for teachers and physical activity experts. There is no one solution to the problem of inactivity, but when many people make themselves heard, change does come.

(M) What does it mean to have been named the winner of the Bloomberg Manulife Prize?

(JS) For someone involved in research related to physical activity, I consider this award to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

2011 Winner Announced!

We are delighted to announce that the winner of this year's Bloomberg Manulife Prize is Dr. Steven Blair, a leading exercise scientist who has proven that all it takes to live longer and healthier is 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day.

Widely regarded as the creator of a new area of epidemiological research linking physical activity, decreased mortality, and health benefits, Dr. Blair is a professor of exercise science at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Seen as an academic leader in his field, he has advised governments and health organisations, has published over 500 scientific papers and book chapters, and is one of a handful of people outside the U.S. Public Health Service to be awarded the Surgeon General’s Medallion.

The work that won him the inaugural Bloomberg Manulife Prize is based partly on a 40-year study involving more than 80,000 individuals. His research has some fascinating conclusions, most notably, that overweight individuals who are nevertheless fit have a much lower mortality rate than slimmer individuals who are inactive.

Today, he devotes much of his time to public health issues, promoting the importance of physical activity to lay and scientific audiences around the world. He has also been influential in helping policy makers craft physical activity guidelines that promote the conclusions of his research.

To read more about Dr. Blair and the prize, check out our website: http://www.mcgill.ca/bloomberg-manulife/

Are we being fooled by food labels?

Although nutrition and ingredient labels on food are certainly a step in the right direction, we still need to be careful about the information they present (or omit). A recent New York Times article discussed the current project undertaken by the at the School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, aimed at designing a better food label, but until their suggestions become regulation, we have to make do with what we've got.

To help you make better food choices, here's a list of the top five things you need to be aware of when reading food labels:

1. The sugar family: Not all sweet things are bad for us. Fruits and juices, for example, contain natural sugars which (in moderation) are beneficial because they give us energy. The problem is processed white sugar and artificial sweetener. These compounds are foreign to the body and seem to play a large part in the development of obesity, kidney and liver disease, and high blood pressure. Avoid fructose, the primary sweetener used in processed foods, especially its derivative,  glucose-fructose syrup.  Also watch out for aspartame, sucralose and saccharin, often used in 'diet' or 'light' products.

2. Injected salt and water: This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture finally decided that food labels should alert consumers to added salt-water solutions. This is a common practice in the meat and poultry industries, with some products now composed of almost 40% "added solution." The USDA estimates that 30% of poultry, 15% of beef and 90% of pork contain added solution, in some cases containing up to five times as much sodium as occurs naturally in that food. Proposed rules will not likely go into effect until 2014. In the meantime, look closely at labels and go for products that assure "no added salt", or ask your butcher for un"enhanced" meat.

3. Good and bad fats: "No Trans Fats" is a label we see on many products now, but be careful of "fat free" products - many fat-free foods are high in sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates, and calories. What you want to avoid are the saturated fats in things like red meat, dairy, and egg yolks, and trans fats in baked and fried snack foods. "Good fats" include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plus omega-3s, which can actually lower cholesterol and risk of heart disease. You can find these in avocados, fish, nuts and olives.

4. Serving sizes: Beware of serving sizes on food labels. Many can be unrealistically small and as much as we might study a label to see how many calories, how much fat, and how much sugar is inside, we often gloss over the amount of food these numbers refer to. A single serving of ice-cream is often just 1/2 cup, nutritional information for cereal is usually based on a 3/4-cup bowlful, and one serving of nachos can be as little as 15 chips!

5. Processed v natural ingredients: Most of Americans’ household food budget is spent on processed foods, the majority of which are filled with additives and stripped of nutrients. Choosing refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary low-fiber cereal, white rice, or white pasta over whole grains can boost your heart attack risk by up to 30 percent, and raises risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and diabetes. Processed meat, such as common hot-dog sausages, usually contain harmful chemical preservatives linked to increased cancer risk. Stick as much as possible to foods that have not been altered from their natural state.

Founders, partners and guests join to launch prize

The Faculty Club at McGill University was abuzz yesterday morning even before the arrival of the university's principal, Heather Munroe-Blum, Mr. Lawrence Bloomberg and representatives from Manulife Financial.

Guests took advantage of a healthy breakfast buffet as university staff, media and corporate partners gathered to officially launch the ambitious 10-year incentive. The morning began with a screening of our official video, which had people both tapping their feet and hopefully thinking about active health and research.

First to the stage was vice-president of Development and Alumni Relations at McGill, Marc Weinstein. He noted that "The generosity of Lawrence Bloomberg and Manulife Financial reminds us all that philanthropy encompasses far more than just dollars. It reflects a true desire to bring about positive change and make concrete impacts in society."

Next, Heather Munroe-Blum echoed his sentiments with a very personal speech, where she commended the vision and generosity of her friends Lawrence and Fran Bloomberg, and explained that this prize had a committed partner in McGill, and that it would be an undertaking that would help the university go from strength to strength.

Mr Bloomberg followed the principal to the podium, and spoke about the impetus for creating this prize fund, mentioning recent findings on the declining health of North Americans and saying, " There is so much innovative research in this field taking place at McGill and at universities and hospitals across North America. But without a vehicle to reward and publicly recognize this work, it rarely gets beyond the pages of scientific and academic journals and into the public domain, where it can have a significant impact on the population."

Speakers who followed included Dawn Marchand of Manulife Financial, and Dean Hélène Perrault of the McGill faculty of Education, who both praised the project and underlined their ongoing support. The event also marked the official launch of our online media sites: facebook, twitter, blog, YouTube and flickr.


After both co-founders were presented with commemorative plaques and official photos were snapped, a VIP group retired to a private lunch.

Check out photos from the day here