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.

Exercise oficially extends life

Following a healthy lifestyle can lead to a longer life, even among people who are already well into their 70s, new research shows.

Getting regular exercise, staying engaged with friends and family, and abstaining from smoking were all associated with longer life in a study that followed people in their mid-70s and older for close to two decades.

These healthy traits apparently added, on average, five years to women’s lives and six years to men’s.

The study is among the first to identify specific lifestyle behaviors associated with longer life, even among people with chronic health problems and those over the age of 80, researchers say.

“Our results suggest that encouraging favorable lifestyle behaviors even at advanced ages may enhance life expectancy,” concluded the researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University.

The study, published in the journal BMJ, included about 1,800 people who were followed for 18 years from the mid-1980s.

Everyone in the study was 75 years old or older at enrollment, and 9 out of 10 (92%) died during the follow-up. Half lived for 90 years or longer, with women being more likely to survive to this age than men. Those who lived longer were also more likely to be highly educated, participate in physical and non-physical leisure activities, have rich social networks, and engage in regular exercise.

Physical activity was the single biggest predictor of longevity. People who regularly swam, walked, or performed other exercise lived an average of two years longer than people who did not. Longevity in former smokers was similar to that of people who had never smoked, but 4 out of 5 former smokers quit between 15 and 35 years before entering the study.

People with the healthiest lifestyles lived an average of 5.4 years longer than those with the least healthy lifestyles. Even among people over the age of 85 and those with chronic health conditions, a healthy lifestyle appeared to prolong life by four years. The study did not include information on diet, so it is unclear how healthy and unhealthy eating behaviors affected life span.

The researchers also didn't know lifestyle behaviors prior to old age. Despite these limitations, Gisele Wolf-Klein, MD, says the findings add to the evidence that it is never too late to improve health and prolong life.

Wolf-Klein is director of geriatric education for the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“It has been known for a long time that adjusting lifestyle behaviors at any age can be beneficial in terms of health and survival,” she says. She cites as an example her mentor in geriatric medicine who was a smoker until he had a massive heart attack in his mid-70s. “He gave up smoking ‘cold turkey’ after that and began exercising on a stationary bicycle 30 minutes every day,” she says. “He is still doing it at the age of 94.”

30 mins of Exercise a day as good as 60, in some cases.

A new study at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark has found that sedentary, slightly overweight healthy young men, who worked up a sweat exercising 30 minutes daily for three months, lost a similar amount of weight and body fat as those who did 60 minutes of daily exercise.

The researchers describe the findings of their randomized controlled trial in a study reported online recently in the American Journal of Physiology.

The researchers suggest one reason for the surprising result is that the exercise felt "doable" for the participants in the 30 minutes a day group, who even felt afterwards that they could have done more. In contrast, the 60 minutes a day group probably compensated by eating more, therefore losing less weight than expected.

This second point would fit in with the results of previous research that the researchers point to in their background information. This suggests that the reason exercise often produces a disappointing amount of weight loss is because a diet-induced negative energy balance (where calories consumed aren't enough to cover daily energy needs) often triggers "compensatory mechanisms", such as lower metabolic rate and increased appetite.

Perhaps 60 minutes of exercise results in more overcompensation than 30 minutes. On average, the men who exercised 30 minutes a day lost 3.6 kg in three months, and those who exercised 60 minutes a day lost 2.7 kg. The reduction in body fat was about 4 kg for both groups.

The result is significant because 40% of Danish men are thought to be moderately overweight. Overcoming barriers to exercise in a group that does none at all should be easier if the aim is to attain 30 minutes a day than 60 minutes a day.

The study is part of an interdisciplinary trial called FINE, a Danish acronym for physical activity for a long healthy life, which has generated strong data in a group of 60 or so participants.

For the study, the researchers randomly assigned each of 62 healthy, sedentary, moderately overweight young men to one of three groups: a high exercise group (burning about 600 kcal per day with about 60 minutes of aerobic exercise), a moderate exercise group (300 kcal per day, 30 minutes exercise), and a control group that continued to be sedentary.

They monitored the men as they followed their program for 13 weeks.The participants trained every day through the study period. The training sessions were planned to produce a light sweat, but the participants were also instructed to increase the intensity three times a week.

The results showed that body weight went down by 2.7 kg in the high exercise group, and 3.6 kg in the moderate exercise group. Fat mass went down by 4.0 kg and 3.8 kg respectively.

Olympic Athlete Interview: Julia Wilkinson




Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Swimmer Julia Wilkinson has exactly 11 days to go before her first race at the London Olympic Games. No stranger to the international stage, the Stratford, Ontario native represented Canada at the 2008 Games in Beijing, where she  broke the Canadian record in the semi-final of the 200-meter individual medley and finished seventh in the final. She has represented Canada at the Wold Championships and the Commonwealth Games, as well as numerous national and international competitions. We stole a few minutes from her busy schedule to talk motivation, active kids, and yoga!

BMP: What achievements are you most proud of?

JW: Representing Canada at the Olympic Games. Even though I want to do much more than just "be there", there is no better feeling in the world than having the opportunity to represent your country at the Olympics. It's something that so many athletes dream of but so few are lucky enough to experience.

BMP: Do you think Canada’s top athletes have anything in common with the general population who want to get fit?

JW: The general population who want to get fit share something with top athletes: they want something out of exercise. We want to win. They want to get fit! It's all about having a goal, because that is where all your motivation stems from.



Photo: Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press

BMP: Are there days where you don’t feel like training? In those moments, what motivates you/what advice would you give to those who can’t seem to get motivated?

JW: Of course there are days when I don't feel like training, for any number of reasons: I am too sore or tired from my previous workout, I am distracted by other fun or stressful activities, or I just simply "am not in the mood". My goal is the first thing that keeps me going: winning an Olympic medal is incredibly hard to do, and there are lots of people you have to beat. People who are training. I try to imagine what they are doing in that moment, and that gets me out of bed fast! Also, I always know that I will feel better after I am done working out, because the guilt I will feel from not working out is significantly worse than any pain I will feel during a workout. Plus, hard exercise releases endorphins! If you are feeling like crap before you go to the gym, you will feel better after. You just need to remind yourself of that.

BMP: What are your top tips for those who want to lead a more active lifestyle but don’t know where to start?

JW: I tell people what I always tell my mom: the first workout is always the worst! Don't fall into a pattern of working out once, thinking it's "too hard", and then not going back again for another month. You will just keep repeating "workout number one", and trust me, nothing is worse than workout number one. The first time I get in the pool after a week off, every stroke is a struggle. But you have to get through it, and you will find your rhythm. You don't need to start off like a crazy person--you will burn out--but make a realistic goal about going to the gym and sticking to it. Say you will do at least forty-five minutes three times per week for a month. Then assess if you "like" working out. I think you will want to keep doing it.

BMP: What’s your favourite healthy snack?

JW: I love granola with plain yogurt and fresh berries. Sometimes I splurge and buy the freshly made, albeit super expensive, granola. This snack is great for before or after training: carbs to keep you going, protein to replenish your muscles, and antioxidants in the berries!



Photo: Deanna McCollum



BMP: Many people are concerned that our schoolchildren are not as active as they should be – if you could implement one initiative in Canadian schools what would it be?

JW: Kids should have physical education every single day in school. I can almost hear people gasping at this, but they should. Phys. Ed has been slashed year after year and now the kids are barely doing it at all (my mom is an 8th grade teacher in Ontario). Also, we have become so concerned that kids will feel "bad" about themselves if they are forced to do exercise and aren't good at it. Well, I was forced to do math, and I am not good at math. You can only get better at something if you are coached (or taught) and practice. Basketball is not all that different from math, at the end of the day: some people will be naturally gifted at it, some will have to work hard and will still never score a basket. But no one will get better if they refuse to participate! And, as someone with a degree in communication, math really doesn't play a huge role in my life (other than counting how many lengths I have to do) but exercise is something that affects everyone! Why would you take out a course that builds a foundation for a child's healthy life? Kids aren't born sedentary, they learn laziness. We can stop it before it starts.

BMP: What for you is the number one benefit to leading an active life?

JW: Obviously, leading an active life equals leading a healthy life, that is a given. But for me, being an athlete has been huge for my self-esteem, and that is something that is always in jeopardy for young kids, especially girls. Watching yourself improve and achieving a goal in sport - whether it is making the high school team or the Olympic team - spills over into the rest of your life. I believe I can do anything if I really want to, and it's because of what sport has taught me. 

BMP: What’s your favourite ‘active health’ activity to do on a day off from training?

JW: Yoga! I would do yoga every day if I had time! I used to hate it, because I was so bad at it, but then I stopped measuring myself against others and only against myself. I always feel much better after I have some one-on-one time with my yoga mat.

Olympic Athlete Interview: Nikola Girke

There have been a fair number of world class athletes who have competed in two Olympic Games, but very few who have done so in two different sports. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, West Vancouver native Nikola Girke represented Canada crewing on the two person 470 sailboat, finishing 13th.The following year, this multi-talented athlete switched to RS:X windsurfing, launching another — yet completely different — Olympic campaign for Beijing 2008. A respectable 17th place finish at those Games inspired Nikola to continue in pursuit of bringing home an Olympic Medal for Canada this summer. Nikola has competed in World Championships, Pan American Games, and European Championships alongside competitors who have been windsurfing for decades. She is the sole Canadian representative at the London 2012 Olympic Games in women's windsurfing, and the perfect inspiration for those of us who would love to master even one activity!

BMP: What achievements are you most proud of?

NG: I am most proud of having switched Olympic sports from being a crew on the double handed 470 sailboat dinghy in Athens 2004 to competing in windsurfing at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  To make that switch was incredibly daunting and a lot of hard work. Since Beijing, I’ve been relentless in my training and am a medal contender for the London 2012 Games.

BMP: Do you think Canada’s top athletes have anything in common with the general population who want to get fit?

NG: Yes, absolutely, we all are capable of getting fit. We all have goals and we make choices on how to achieve these goals. Athletes are probably tougher on themselves, disciplining themselves to endure when others wouldn’t. I like the quote by Lou Holtz: "Ability is what you are capable of. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."

BMP: Are there days where you don’t feel like training? In those moments, what motivates you/what advice would you give to those who can’t seem to get motivated?

NG: I am human after all…so that goes without saying – I don’t feel like training all the time. Training on the water when it’s cold and raining is miserable at best, so getting out of the house is half the battle. Set a time - being accountable to someone like a friend/training partner/coach or a schedule you post on your fridge is key, and know that the sooner you do it…the sooner it’s over with. Knowing how good I’ll feel after and knowing that I will have outworked my competition are all motivating factors too.



Photo by Mike Wakefield

 BMP: What are your top tips for those who want to lead a more active lifestyle but don’t know where to start?

NG: Set goals, short – medium and long term goals that are measurable and realistic so you can achieve success. Start off with a few times per week and progress from there, you want to build into a routine, not destroy yourself by leaping straight into it. And most importantly you’ve got to enjoy yourself. Pick activities that you enjoy and do them with friends.  

BMP: Many people are concerned that our schoolchildren are not as active as they should be – if you could implement one initiative in Canadian schools what would it be?

NG: I think it’s really important for kids these days to be active everyday. Each school day should include physical education, centered around healthy eating and exercise that is fun. If kids have fun, they’ll be more likely to do it in their own time too rather than turning to all the sedentary distractions like TV, video games etc. that are available.

BMP: What for you is the number one benefit to leading an active life?

NG: I like feeling fit and being healthy, and the bonus…the more active I am, the more energy I have.

BMP: What’s your favourite healthy snack?

NG: Sugar Snap Peas and all berries… but not together!

BMP:  What’s your favourite ‘active health’ activity to do on a day off from training?

NG: Days off are tough – they are supposed to be solely for recovery, however, I’m not good with just lazing around all day. If I’m near a surfing spot … I’d go surfing. Going for an easy hike, a nice walk or a bike ride with friends is a great way to get outside and move, which also helps recovery.

Follow Nikola's progress on facebook, twitter, and her website

Olympic Athlete Interview: François-Louis Tremblay

One of just two Canadian men to win five Winter Olympic medals - two in one night at the Vancouver 2012 games - François-Louis Tremblay is a speed skater who has proven that determination and talent combined can be a force to be reckoned with. Excelling in both individual and relay short-track events, Tremblay has also taken home gold from World Championships and World Cups - not surprising for someone who started speed-skating at the age of four!

He took on our BMP questionnaire last week and has plenty of inspiration that will get you up and active, even if it's in warmer conditions than an ice rink!

BMP: What achievements are you most proud of?

FLT: Obviously I am very proud of my five Olympic medals - any Olympic race is really a career highlight. But what I'm really proud of is the fact that I took a two year break from competing at the top level and then came back - no one's ever done that before. Once you drop down, there are people who don't believe you'll ever be a champion again, so proving those people wrong and showing the world I could do it was as good as a gold medal.

BMP: Do you think Canada’s top athletes have anything in common with the general population who want to get fit?

FLT: I believe that anyone can be sucessful in sport. For me it all started because I wanted to do something fun. I think if you keep holding onto that sense of fun you can achieve anything.

BMP: Are there days where you don’t feel like training? In those moments, what motivates you/What advice would you give to those who can’t seem to get motivated?

FLT: I think that the key is to think long term, about the pleasure of achieving what you've been working towards. Think of the satisfaction you'll feel at the end. For me, that feeling is incomparable - it's like a drug.

BMP: What are your top tips for those who want to lead a more active lifestyle but don’t know where to start?

FLT: Keep it simple in the beginning. Travel around on foot, or by bike. Get rid of the car for a while, you'll soon realise that the city is not that big. I would advise people who are having a hard time with motivation to avoid the gym, because it often feels like a chore, or a duty. Machines are not made to be fun. Get outside, that's really important.

BMP: What’s your favourite healthy snack?

FLT: I really like yogurt with cereal and strawberries.

BMP: Many people are concerned that our schoolchildren are not as active as they should be – if you could implement one initiative in Canadian schools what would it be?

FLT: I think that there should be more competitions. I have very strong memories of sporting competitions when I was in grade four. They motivate you to push yourself and beat people - we all have a natural competitive side. 'Play time' once per week can become boring - make kids compete and we'll see them take pleasure in being active.

BMP: What for you is the number one benefit to leading an active life?

FLT: I really see the difference physically - compared to friends my age who are not active. It gives you energy, keeps you going, and keeps you young.

Photo: Jimmy Francour

BMP: What’s your favourite ‘active health’ activity to do on a day off from training?

FLT: Often when I have a day off it really has to be a day off, so I can recover. But like a lot of athletes, I do love surfing - it's a great workout and it's a lot of fun.

Olympic Athlete Interview: Caroline Calvé

Caro Calvé on the slopes (Pictures by Olivier Krauss)

Caro Calvé is truly an inspiration. A latecomer to snowboarding, she has taken the sport by storm over the past four years, as a top ten finisher in three World Championships, a two-season Canadian Champion, and a competitor at the 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver. Her breathtaking career highlight came in December of last year, when she became the first Canadian female to take home a snowboarding World Cup. A native of Aylmer, Quebec, Caro is beautiful, smart, extremely articulate, and best of all, full of great advice for those of us who want to get moving - we couldn't ask for a better role model!  

BMP: What achievements are you most proud of?

CC: I didn’t take up snowboarding until I was 22, and nine years later I was competing at the Olympics. Before that, I was a skier, but I was very intimidated by competition. I’m proud that I took that leap, even though snowboarding was a very young sport. I am also very proud of winning the World Cup, as it is something that had never been done by a Canadian woman in that discipline.

BMP: Do you think Canada’s top athletes have anything in common with the general population who want to get fit?

CC: Athletes are all normal people! The reason we achieve what we do is that we are determined, the same as someone who, for example, earns a doctorate degree. It’s just that our goals are very physical. But it’s just like achieving anything else – I’m a strong believer that if you want something badly enough, you can get it.

 BMP: Are there days where you don’t feel like training? In those moments, what motivates you/what advice would you give to those who can’t seem to get motivated?

CC: Believe me, there are lots of times when I don’t feel like training, especially in the activities that are harder for me, like sprinting. What I’ve realized though, is that I’m most satisfied and proud when I do the things I hate doing – when I push myself harder it creates a feeling of confidence and self-assurance. I think it’s really important to challenge yourself and to try to achieve that. The harder you push, the more you get out of it. My advice is – when it’s hard and you don’t feel like it, stop looking at the big picture and think about the small steps. When you don’t feel like going for a run, just get dressed. Then go outside. Then start walking. Focus on the process.

BMP: What are your top tips for those who want to lead a more active lifestyle but don’t know where to start?

CC: My advice would be to start with things that are easy to do near where you live. Go for a long walk, then try speed walking. Concentrate on small, obtainable goals that are convenient. Also, involve people around you – that’s such a great motivator.

BMP: What’s your favourite healthy snack?

CC: I really like to eat fruits, and they fill me up and offer the vitamins I need. I also love to bake, so I’ll try to find healthier versions of the recipes I love. I make a great banana cake that has very little sugar and fat – with yogurt, bio six-grain flour, dark chocolate and nuts. 

BMP: Many people are concerned that our schoolchildren are not as active as they should be – if you could implement one initiative in Canadian schools what would it be?

Caro Calvé (Picture by Claude Brazeau)

I think kids should have a minimum of one hour a day allocated to exercise. Give them play time and they will normally run around of their own accord.

BMP: What for you is the number one benefit to leading an active life?

CC: It keeps me sane! The benefits for me are much more than physical. It clears my mind, gives me energy, and makes me more confident, self-assured and proud of myself.

BMP: What’s your favourite ‘active health’ activity to do on a day off from training?

I have a dog, so I’m often out walking. I also like mountain biking – I don’t see it as training because it’s fun. Mainly, I love doing things with the people I love to be around.

Olympic Athlete Interview: Tobias Oriwol

Tobias Oriwol was born in Montreal and moved to Toronto as a teenager. A swimmer from a very early age, he has represented Canada at World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games and Pan-Pacific Games. He traveled to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, coming in 15th overall in his event, against the most elite athletes on the planet.

Tobias also holds degrees from Stanford and Harvard University, and after the London Olympics this summer, plans to launch a career in Urban Planning. His tips on getting motivated and staying active come just as the public pools in Canada begin to open for the summer - so why not grab your swimsuit and freestyle your way to health and happiness?!

Stand up for a longer life

Are you sitting down right now? You might want to stand up.

According to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, sitting for long periods increases your risk of all-cause early death.

In the study, researchers followed 222,497 Australian adults for several years. Over the course of the study, participants who sat for more than 11 hours a day had the highest risk for all-cause mortality, followed by those who sat between 8 and 11 hours daily. Those who sat for less than four hours a day had the lowest risk of all-cause mortality.

The revelation that sitting can kill isn’t necessarily new. In the past several years, study after study has confirmed that living a sedentary life — going from your bed to your desk to the couch and back to bed every day — can damage our health in a variety of ways. In fact, it has been shown to increase risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and some cancers.

Another recent study actually found that sitting is so detrimental, its effects are almost impossible to exercise away. The study followed 27 Finnish men and women over two days. On the first day, they exercised; on the second day, they did not. When researchers measured the muscle activity and heart rate of the participants, they found that though they burned calories through exercise, it did not increase their overall muscle activity. Researchers also found that desk workers’ muscles are inactive for about 70 percent of the day — regardless of whether the day includes any fitness training.

The takeaway: Reduce the amount of time you spend sitting however possible. Try these tips to up your daily activity:

• Walk more. One of the simplest ways to offset the effects of sitting is to walk. If you can, walk or bike to work instead of driving. If you take public transportation, get off a few stops earlier to squeeze in more steps — experts recommend buying a pedometer and aiming for 10,000 daily steps.
• Stand up at work. Experts estimate that standing burns 50 percent more calories than sitting, so whenever possible, think on your feet on the job. Stand during meetings, while you’re on the phone, and depending on the type of work you do, consider adding a standing desk to your office.
• Fidget while you work. According to researchers at the Minnesota Obesity Center, fidgeting might be what separates thin people from overweight people. To increase your daily activity, make a point to get up and walk around your office every half an hour, if possible.
• Make TV time active. Instead of vegging out on the couch when you get home, add activity to your evenings by doing jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, and other fat-blasting moves during commercial breaks of your favorite shows.

McGill student wins prize for initiative to fight obesity

We are extremely proud to announce that a talented McGill undergrad has won a young entrepreneur's prize for her unique business premise.

Alyssa Fontaine Reid's idea would be impressive if it were simply aimed at fighting the worrying obesity trend, but this ambitious McGill Nutrition student has gone one step further, and hopes to address the planet's "weight problem"; namely, that a portion of the world's population is experiencing epidemic obesity, while in other parts of the globe, people are experiencing starvation and malnutrition.

Her unique goal is to help defeat both extremes of malnutrition (the overfed & the underfed) with a new concept in weight loss: those interested in losing pounds raise funds through sponsorship, and pledge those funds to a charity aimed at eliminating world hunger.
 

Alyssa believes that with positive peer pressure, people are more motivated to lose weight, and that the added element of fundraising provides another positive incentive to achieve the goal.

 In a recent interview, she said, "In my McGill University nutrition classes the teachers always talked about two extremes of nutrition: overfed and underfed. The healthy population of our world seems to be a minority. I decided to take both extreme malnutrition and create a win-win visionary solution to reduce the global epidemic of malnutrition."

 The contest, 'Start Something with Alesse' has awarded Alyssa $5,000, and will pair the young entrepreneur with a mentor who has experience in her field to provide guidance as her worthy project gets off the ground.
 

The prize money will allow her to launch her website, with an online sponsorship system that will empower those ready to push off the pounds to get started. She hopes that the online community will provide motivation and a support mechanism to those participating.

 Alyssa graduates next year as a dietician, and plans to pursue a masters degree in business.


 

Research backs link between exercise and mental health

The physical benefits of regular exercise are often the most publicised, but while taking inches off your waistline, an active lifestyle has also been proven to do wonders for your emotional well-being.

According to Boston University psychology professor Michael W. Otto and Jasper A. J. Smits, associate professor of psychology at Dallas’s Southern Methodist University, one reason exercise positively affects mental wellness is that it increases the production of serotonin. Low levels of this neurotransmitter have been linked to depression, they write in their recent book Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being.

Then there is the theory that exercise “whips your body into better shape” to handle stressors, they contend.
Exercise in itself is a stressor, forcing the body to adapt to the demands placed on it, and this kind of regular stress may help you be physiologically better at handling stress in general.

In their book, the two refer to several long-term, large-scale studies supporting the positive effects of exercise on mood.

A 2010 meta-analysis of 70 studies on the subject published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, for instance, found that adults who reported sad or depressed moods—but not at levels that were considered psychiatric disorders—reported meaningful improvements in their mood as they started doing regular exercise.
A 2007 Psychological Medicine study of adolescents found that 16 percent of those who weren’t physically active developed an anxiety disorder over a four-year period compared to half that rate among those who exercised regularly.

Another study, from 2000 and published in Preventive Medicine, found that exercise is linked to less anger and “cynical distrust” as well as stronger feelings of social integration.

Perhaps the most convincing argument in favour of regular exercise for mood is also the simplest: unlike the goal of losing weight, the benefits of physical activity on a person’s mental state are almost immediate, Otto and Smits say. About 20 minutes into a workout, you start feeling better; that effect can last hours or even into the next day.

The authors don’t discount the role that medication and talk therapy can play in the treatment of conditions like depression and anxiety, and they emphasize that suicidal thoughts need immediate treatment. However, they argue that in many cases, exercise can function as the body’s own natural antidepressant.

Exercise is one component of the Canadian Mental Health Association B.C. branch’s Bounce Back: Reclaim Your Health program. Funded by the provincial Ministry of Health, the free program is geared to people with milder mental-health problems and helps them recognize and deal with signs of stress, low mood, and worry.

Some of the coping strategies are delivered through workbook materials and telephone coaching, with one being centred on using exercise to improve how you feel.

Planned exercise has been shown to boost mood, reduce tension and anxiety, and improve self esteem. Additional benefits include fun, social contact, structure provided in the day, plus wider long-term physical health benefits.

Psychologists Otto and Smits admit that sometimes even they find it tough to get off the couch and exercise. In their clinical practice, they’ve heard every excuse when it comes to avoiding physical activity: feeling too busy, tired, depressed, or unmotivated. They offer dozens of practical strategies to put intentions into action, such as bringing an audio book to reward yourself after the fact.

Exercise, they maintain, is your chance to approach the world with “appropriate selfishness—doing what you need to do to feel better today”.

“Keep this in mind as you think about your next workout,” they write. “You are doing it to feel less stressed, less down, and more relaxed. You are doing it for the sense of energy it provides and for the sense of being in tune with your body.…The key is getting out there and making your exercise a regular part of your life.”

Another reminder of why you need to get moving!

We know you know, but here it is again: exercise is the most natural and easy way you can stay healthy and live longer. The first scientific study to show this was published in London, England, back in 1843. At that time, research had already revealed that the mortality rate of sedentary people was higher than that of those who were physically active. Now, outside of other factors like smoking, age and diet, we know that exercise considerably reduces the risks of today’s most common diseases, namely heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer... Not to mention the benefits on the most common psychological state in our times: depression. Here's a short reminder of some of the ways an active lifestyle benefits you:

Heart Disease
Overall, exercise reduces the risk of heart disease by more than 40% in terms of all major risk factors. People who are very active physically, such as marathon runners and triathletes, rarely suffer from heart disease. Exercise protects you in many ways: increased good cholesterol (HDL) and, with a lot of exercise, a drop in bad cholesterol (LDL); reduced blood pressure between 8 mm and 12 mm (sometimes enough to avoid medication) and reduced abdominal fat (the most dangerous fat for the heart). As well, exercise is a key part of post-heart attack treatment.

Cancer
Physically active people are less likely to end up with cancer than those of us who are sedentary. Should they have the misfortune of being hit with this disease, they have a greater chance of surviving, since their physical condition enables them to handle more the powerful and thus more effective treatments. The most common cancers whose risk is reduced by exercise: breast cancer (namely from the anti-estrogen effect of exercise) and colon cancer. The risk can drop by 30% to over 50%. No other prevention factor is as powerful! In the fight against obesity, exercise could also reduce the risk of developing cancers of the pancreas and oesophagus.

Type 2 Diabetes
This is the most common form of diabetes in the world. Exercise is effective prevention of diabetes, since it acts like a shot of insulin. It reduces blood sugar levels and improves the effectiveness of the available insulin. This results in the body being able to control its own blood sugar with less insulin. This hypoglycaemic effect is all the more apparent in endurance athletes. They produce up to two times more insulin than the average adult but maintain normal blood sugar levels. Moreover, when an overweight person loses weight, exercise attacks head-on one of the major risk factors of Type 2 diabetes: obesity.

Depression
Moderate aerobic exercise fights depression by letting people play an active role in improving their situation. Exercise helps make them feel more in control of their life. It is also believed that exercise affects us biochemically by freeing certain euphoric substances in the brain like endorphins and serotonin (anti-depressive effect). All in all, exercise practised regularly acts as a statin (a medication that lowers cholesterol levels), an antihypertensive, an anti-estrogen medication, a hypoglycaemic and an antidepressant. If you could put exercise into a pill, it would definitely be the most sold drug in the world, and the only one without side effects except for the odd ache or pain!

An active prescription

Good news, hot on the heels of our prize-giving events, where Dr. Steven Blair expressed concerns over physicians neglecting to recommend exercise: More and more U.S. adults are being told by their doctor to get out and get active, according to government survey released this week.

Nearly 33 per cent of adults who saw a doctor in the previous year said they were told to exercise. That was up from about 23 percent in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The report also found more women got that advice than men. And among people with chronic health problems, diabetics, were the most likely to get the advice and cancer patients were least likely.

The most dramatic - and surprising - increases were reported in patients age 85 and older. In 2000, about 15 percent were told by doctors to exercise. By 2010, almost 30 percent were getting such a recommendation. "It's very encouraging that doctors feel people at that age still have time to live and can make their health better," said Pat Barnes, a CDC health statistician who was lead author of the report.

The report was based on a survey of nearly 22,000 adults in 2010. The CDC then compared the results to similar surveys done in 2000 and 2005.

The doctors' advice may be getting through to at least some people. Other CDC data has found that about 51 percent of Americans said they exercise regularly in 2009, up from about 46 percent in 2001.

However, more than one third of U.S. adults are obese, a statistic that's held steady for nearly a decade.

Dr. Blair's tips for a longer, healthier life

January is the month when resolutions are made and broken, but we're here to help you get fit and healthy, not just for 2012, but for good.

The main objective of the Bloomberg Manulife Prize is to get important research findings to you, the public. And so we are delighted that our inaugural winner, Dr. Steven Blair has a message that is simple, effective, and easy to incorporate into your everyday life: 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day.

Sure, you've been told exercise is good for you - but here's a world-class scientist who has broken it down: if you do 30 minutes of light activity per day, you have a very good chance of reducing your mortality rate by 50%. That's it! You're decreasing the chances of dying early from heart problems, stroke, diabetes and a host of other unwelcome ends.

To make things even easier, here's a handy little video, and below, we've distilled some of Dr. Blair's advice into concrete action points so you can get started straight away:

Do it today!

• Book a regular sports activity with friends: try tennis, swimming, or badminton twice a week
• Get a dog (or offer to walk someone else's): Research shows that most dog owners get the recommended 150 minutes exercise per week just from walking their pet.
• Get off the bus one stop early or park a few blocks from work, the walk contributes to your 30 minutes a day (one study found that for every increase of 10 minutes in your walk to work, there is a 12% reduction in the likelihood of getting high blood pressure).
• Try giving up TV: A large Australian study found that TV watchers (lifetime average of 6 hours per day) live about 5 years less than those who don't watch TV.
• How about dancing? Any kind counts, but try latin favourites like Salsa and Samba to really get your heart pumping.
• You've heard it before - take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Be active around the house: activities like cleaning windows, vacuuming, and gardening can all contribute to your 30 minutes.

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/

Stand up for health and fitness

Just when you thought that if there was one place in this world you were safe it would be your favorite easy chair, a growing body of research has emerged suggesting that too much time spent sitting could be putting you at greater risk of developing cancer.

Findings presented  last month at the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. say that simple routine exercise does not negate the risk of cancer in people who live otherwise sedentary lifestyles, to the tune of nearly 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer that could have been prevented by just spending less time sitting.

Dr. Neville Owen, with the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, attributes the risk to the physiological effects of inactivity on a sedentary body. According to Dr. Owen, long periods of muscle inactivity produce biological signals known as “biomarkers” that have been linked to cancer: “It's been surprisingly consistent with what strong relationships there are between physical inactivity and these biomarkers of cancer risk.”

Other research published in 2002 found that the levels of biologically available sex hormones, the excess of which could lead to hormone-related cancers such as those of the breast, ovaries or prostate, could be reduced through physical activity. The established advice from cancer researchers has long been that we should be getting a certain amount of exercise per week (the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week), and no one is trying to invalidate that advice. However, there may be much more to staying active to curtail cancer than regular exercise.

Alpa Patel, strategic director for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-3, says that “there’s benefit in just moving around.” This “moving around” can be anything from taking the stairs to your office to getting up for a cup of water every once in a while, and every effort you take throughout the day to make your body move and respond works to reduce the risk of cancer. While it may raise alarms in the many workers who spend up to an estimated fifteen and a half hours a day sitting, Joan Vernikos, former director of life sciences at NASA, says that just standing up every thirty minutes or so can be helpful.

And think about it: now instead of sending droll e-mail to colleagues around the office, why not amble on over to their desks and give them the benefit of your charm in person, while reducing your risk of cancer at the same time? Your body will thank you for it.

Read the AICR release on this research:http://www.aicr.org/press/press-releases/getting-up-from-your-desk.html

'Fat gene' is no excuse

The study of human genomics has, aside from providing comfortable careers for writers of dystopian science fiction, led to the isolation and identification of many genes that play a part in determining the physical characteristics of the bodies in which they reside.

Among these, around thirty-two have been discovered that predispose people to being obese, which  have unfortunately been blamed for the rapidly rising rates of obesity around the globe.

But a recent study by researchers in the UK aims to put these “fat gene” myths to rest, demonstrating that regardless of whether someone carries one or more of these genes, they are entirely capable of maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and regular exercise.

By analyzing more than fifty studies of over 200,000 worldwide carriers of a particular obesity gene, the results of the study show that even those who carry the gene but live active and healthy lifestyles have a reduced risk of becoming obese compared to those who do not.

These findings are in line with a number of other recent studies which suggest that our genes are not necessarily the immutable and deterministic blueprints that the Orwells and Huxleys of this world would have us believe.

“Physical activity gives [carriers of the gene] the opportunity to lose weight,” says Cambridge University medical researcher Dr. Ruth Loos. “So it goes against the often held view that if it’s in your genes, it’s out of your control. We show that even though it’s in your genes, you still have control.”

The study strikes a blow against the usefulness of genetic screenings for genes identified as being related to obesity, which are currently commercially available and rising in popularity despite some scientists’ reservations regarding their validity and usefulness. Lennert Veerman with the University of Queensland has published a paper attacking the credibility of such screenings, citing their lack of predictive power, irrelevance to treatment options, and the way they encourage patients to focus on the genetic aspects of their condition when a focus on improving their actual lifestyle is both more tangible and more effective.

The new research demonstrates that whether you have the gene or not, the only way to effectively fight obesity is through proper diet and exercise. But the publication of the research will hopefully encourage more people to take more responsibility for their own bodies by focusing on increasing their activity levels rather than any extrinsic factors.

Is your morning commute making you sick?

A study conducted by Swedish researchers recently published in BMC Public Health suggests that those who commute to work by car or public transportation are more likely to have problems with both their physical and mental health than active commuters who walk or ride their bicycles to work.

The results are based on the findings of two public health surveys conducted in 2004 and 2008 by a team of Swedish researchers that culled data from around 21,000 people between the ages of 18 and 65 who work in Scania, Sweden. The study has found that those who commute to work by car or train are more likely to report stress, exhaustion, and generally poor health in addition to a greater number of missed work days compared to active commuters. The study also points out that the longer the commute, the worse the health complaints were reported, especially for those who rely on long commuter train rides to work every day. 

Dr. Redford Williams, professor of medicine and Director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University in North Carolina, says of the results, “We know that people who have a lot of demands and very little control over how they meet those demands are at a higher risk for negative health effects. And when you're relying on a train to get to work, it's totally out of your control most of the time."

An article by ABC News on the findings points out that while the research has not identified whether or not such a long commute to work is directly responsible for health problems, the present difficulties with finding work often do not allow job-seekers a lot of flexibility in choosing jobs that are far from where they live, suggesting that the problem is likely to persist for a while coming. 

Williams opines that, in light of these findings, those with a choice should probably choose a job requiring the shortest commute. Since the active commuters reported less stress and fewer health worries than those relying on cars or public transportation, the study’s findings seem to confirm that a good way to decrease stress and improve your overall health is to oil up that bicycle and counteract the stress of the workplace with a good blast of wind in the face on the way to work. 

The full text of the study’s findings can be found here.