Diabetes
Study To Help Contain 'Epidemic'
Original Publication Date: Saturday October 2, 2004
People who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes now
have the opportunity to be involved in a unique study
in Ontario. With three sites in the province, the Canadian
Normoglycemia Outcomes Evaluation (CANOE) study will evaluate
the benefits of combining healthy living and lifestyle
intervention with a pharmacological therapy that is currently
used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The study seeks
to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by identifying
Canadians in Ontario at high risk of developing the disease
and preventing its onset.
"Currently, people who are at risk of developing
type 2 diabetes are advised to prevent the onset of diabetes
with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. Unfortunately
this has been shown to only delay and not prevent diabetes,"
say Drs. Bernard Zinman and Stewart Harris, Co-Principal
Investigators of the CANOE study. "What the CANOE
study hopes to demonstrate is that the introduction of
pharmacological therapy in addition to lifestyle changes,
will indeed prevent type 2 diabetes and its debilitating
complications."
In an effort to work within the real world situation,
participants in the CANOE study will be involved in sessions
designed to encourage moderate increased physical activity,
healthier eating habits and weight loss. Participants
will maintain their program through one-on-one sessions
during the first year of the study to assess their understanding
of health and nutrition followed by continuing encouragement
from CANOE staff, newsletters and a study Web site for
the remaining years of the study.
Residents of Ontario who are interested in participating
in the CANOE study can contact Angela in Toronto (416-586-3116)
or Nicole in Sioux Lookout (1-800-507-7701). Study centres
are located in Toronto, London and Sioux Lookout. All
potential study participants must be 30 years old or over,
with the exception of Native Canadians who should be 18
years old or over.
Different racial and ethnic groups in developed countries
are at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and
people of Aboriginal descent are three to five times more
likely than the general population to develop type 2 diabetes.1
It is for this reason that CANOE is also designed to look
at the diverse Canadian population and aims to have an
inclusion rate of 40 per cent Native Canadian participation.
Donna Lillie, Canadian Diabetes Association director of
Research and Professional Education, says, "As the
number of people with diabetes continues to grow, it is
imperative to understand effective prevention strategies
for type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions; it is for this
reason that researchers in Ontario are looking at ways
to help prevent the disease. According to the Ontario
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, approximately 20,000
new cases are diagnosed annually in Ontario, and another
300,000 Ontarians do not know they have diabetes.
It
is estimated that $13.2 billion is spent annually by the
Canadian health-care system on treating people with diabetes
and its complications. A person with diabetes incurs medical
costs that are two to three times higher than those of
a person without diabetes. By preventing the onset of
type 2 diabetes, health-care costs may be significantly
reduced and Canadians can live healthier lives.
New
Survey Finds Half of Canadian Parents Spend Less Than
10 Minutes a Day Providing Homework Support - Half of
All Children Doing Homework in Noisy Environment
TORONTO, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - Half of Canadian parents (51%)
spend less than 10 minutes a day helping their children
with homework, a new survey has found.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos-Reid for Kumon Math and
Reading Centres, also found that half of all children
(50%) are doing homework in a noisy environment because
either people are talking, the TV is on, music is on,
or pets are making noise.
In addition, the survey found that the favourite room
for doing homework is the kitchen (45%), followed by the
dining room (22%) and the bedroom (16%).
Almost all children (91%) are doing their homework at
a desk or table, but more children in the higher grades
(7 to 9) are doing it on the couch, floor and bed.
"It's understandable that most children do homework
in the kitchen. This is often the hub of the house, where
busy parents can monitor and support their children while
running their household," says Dr. Donna McGhie-Richmond,
Educational Specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centres.
"But the kitchen can be noisy so parents need to
minimize distractions so their children can concentrate.
Parents can help focus their children by providing a well-lit,
clutter-free work area with the tools they need to complete
their homework." More at
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2004/12/c8802.html?view=print
Fad
dieting dangerous, Atkins warns
- 58% of Canadians say they've regained lost weight after
reverting to old habits -
TORONTO, Oct. 12 /CNW/ - On the day after Thanksgiving,
with many Canadians renewing vows to lose weight, Atkins
Nutritionals Inc. today issued a public health warning
about the dangers of "fad dieting," sounding
the alarm over eating plans that promise quick results
without making permanent changes in eating habits.
"People who go on short term, quick fix diets to
lose weight quickly and then revert back to their old
eating habits are not just fooling themselves, are actually
putting their health at risk," said Dr. Stuart Trager,
M.D., Medical Director of Atkins Nutritionals Inc.
Dr. Trager said that without a lifelong nutritional approach,
fad dieters risk becoming "yo-yo dieters" who
could increase their chances of developing heart disease,
stroke or other serious health problems as a result of
repeated cycles of weight loss followed by weight gain.(1)
"The yo-yo is a big no-no. Riding the diet rollercoaster
can really make you sick. Only through a lifelong approach
to healthy eating can people achieve and maintain an ideal
weight, along with the health benefits that go with it,"
Dr. Trager said.
Dr. Trager noted that statistics show that of people who
lose weight through dieting, only 15 per cent will have
kept the weight off two years later. And a recent national
survey by Ekos Research Associates found that among Canadians
who have lost weight and gained it back, 58 per cent say
that's because they reverted back to their old eating
habits.
"As soon as you go back to the poor eating habits
that got you into trouble in the first place, you're going
to put the weight back on," added
Dr. Trager. "People need to follow a nutritional
plan that's designed to be a way of life, and not a short-term,
quick fix".
Recent studies have found that fad dieting may negatively
impact one's health, which in turn can lead to weakening
the immune system and the development of chronic illnesses
such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
"Canadians need be concerned about their health,"
said David C. Lau, M.D., president of Obesity Canada and
a leading Canadian endocrinologist with the University
of Calgary. "Nearly 50 per cent of Canadians between
the ages of 20 and 64 are overweight, and many of these
people engage in fad dieting to accomplish rapid weight
loss, which may be detrimental to their health."
Despite the increasing evidence of the dangers, a new
survey on diet and health issues among Canadians shows
that awareness could be higher. Sixty-six per cent of
respondents to the Ekos survey, conducted in August said
they are aware of the links between yo-yo dieting and
heart disease or stroke -
but one-third of Canadians do not fully understand the
risks.(3)
Dr. Lau further states, "Keeping a healthy weight
and lifestyle is essential for disease prevention and
longevity. Canadians should actively engage in a life-long,
healthy nutritional approach and lifestyle, especially
those who are at risk for developing chronic illnesses
such as cardiovascular disease, Canada's number one killer."
Evidenced-Based Research
------------------------
- A 2001 report in the Journal of the American College
of Cardiology found that yo-yo dieters had seven per cent
lower levels of high-density lipoprotein, the good cholesterol.
Researchers found that the degree of reduction was "directly
proportional to the amount of weight cycled," and
was not connected to the subjects' level of physical activity
or individual obesity.(3)
-
A study published in this June's edition of the Journal
of the American Dietetic Association found that a group
of women who had repeatedly gained and then lost weight
had significantly lower levels of natural killer cells
in their blood. These natural killer cells are an essential
part of the immune system, killing virus and leukemia
cells. Low natural killer cell activity has been associated
with higher susceptibility to colds and infections, and
has even been linked to increased cancer rates.(4)
- Researchers in Italy found that women who were yo-yo
dieters (defined in this study as losing 10 pounds or
more and regaining it, in at least five attempts over
a five-year period) and who had more excess weight around
the waist than at the hips - in other words, a tendency
to be more "apple-shaped" than "pear-shaped"
- were almost eight times as likely to have high blood
pressure, a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease
and stroke.(5)
About
The Atkins Nutritional Approach
-------------------------------------
The Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA) is a scientifically
validated nutritional strategy for weight control and
better health based upon controlling carbohydrate consumption.
This nutritional strategy stresses nutrient-dense carbohydrates
as part of a balanced eating plan that includes
a variety of protein and good fats, while restricting
carbohydrates that have the greatest impact on blood sugar.
The ANA provides each person with the information that
they need to find their individual level of carbohydrate
intake, below which weight loss is achieved and above
which weight gain occurs.
Fad
Diets & Health Risks: By the Numbers
Obesity in Canada - Obesity is the most common metabolic
condition in industrialized nations and is reaching epidemic
proportions in North American men, women and children.(6)
- Almost
one-third of Canadians are at increased risk of disability,
disease and premature death due to obesity.(7)
-
Nearly 50 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 20
and 64 years are overweight.(8)
- There
is an 80 per cent likelihood that a child will become
obese if both parents are obese. This is due to a combination
of genetic and lifestyle factors.
- It
is estimated that the total direct cost of obesity in
Canada in 1997 was more than $1.8 billion. This corresponded
to 2.4 per cent of the total health care expenditures
for all diseases in Canada in 1997.(9)
Taking it Off
- One in three Canadians is currently trying to lose weight.
Women, baby boomers (45 to 64 years old) and people who
say their health is poor are the three top sub-groups.(10)
- Of
those who are trying to change their weight, almost one
in five has tried a popular diet in the past year.(11)
-
One in four Canadians who are trying to change their weight
are doing so to become more attractive. Disease prevention
is also a motivator for a large proportion of Canadians
trying to lose weight:
- Improve
general health - 69 per cent
-
Heart disease risk reduction - 29 per cent
-
Diabetes risk reduction - 18 per cent(12)
-
38 per cent of Canadians are trying to lose weight by
dieting.
Post-Diet Weight Gain
- 58 per cent of Canadians who have lost weight through
dieting and then gained it back say they regained because
they reverted to their old eating and lifestyle habits.
-
Reasons why Canadians say they revert to old habits:
- Diets are too hard to follow (18 per cent)
- Tired of feeling hungry (12 per cent)
- Lack of physical activity (11 per cent)(15)
Even though...
- 89 per cent of Canadians agree with the idea that fad
diets can be dangerous to your health.(16)
- 73 per cent of Canadians know that yo-yo dieting may
weaken the body's immune system against illness and infection.(17)
- 66 per cent of Canadians are aware that yo-yo dieting
may increase risk of developing heart disease and stroke.(18)
