Canadians getting dangerously fatter, study says
From: http://www.cbc.ca/

Canadians are having a hard time cutting the fat, so much so that the rate of the most dangerous form of obesity has risen to its highest level in 13 years, a new study suggests.

The number of morbidly obese Canadians increased from 0.3 per cent to 1.3 per cent between 1990 and 2003, according to the study by researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.

The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal released Tuesday.

Health Canada measures obesity with the body mass index (BMI), which is calculated using weight and height. A person is considered overweight if the BMI is over 25, and obese if it exceeds 30.

According to Statistics Canada, about 5.5 million adult Canadians (or 23 per cent of the population) and 500,000 children under 17 (eight per cent) were obese in 2004.

• FROM APRIL 7, 2005: Canada's obesity epidemic worsening, study finds

Obesity itself is divided into three categories:

• Class 1 - BMI of 30-34.9
• Class 2 - BMI of 35-39.9
• Class 3 - BMI of 40+

The 225 per cent rise in the number of people in Class 3 over the 13-year period is likely conservative, the researchers warn, since people tend to underestimate their weight.

Obesity increases health risks such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, and costs the health-care system, warns the study.

"The rapid increase in the prevalences of Class 2 and 3 obesity will undoubtedly have a significant impact on our health-care system," notes the report.

Obesity cost the medical system an estimated $1.8 billion in 1997, or 2.4 per cent of direct medical costs.

The researchers' study is based on data from seven national surveys conducted between 1985 and 2003.

Majority of Canadians Are Making Their Homes and Cars Smoke-free
Survey Results Released by Canadian Cancer Society

TORONTO, Jan. 12 /CNW/ - When asked if anyone has smoked in their homes in the past week, almost four out of five (78 per cent) Canadians reported that their homes had been smoke-free.

This included 48 per cent of homes with one or more smokers and 94 per cent of homes without smokers.

These results come from a new national survey released today by the Canadian Cancer Society on the eve of National Non-Smoking Week (January 15 to 21). The survey also found that the majority of Canadians don't allow smoking in their vehicles.

Seventy per cent of Canadians who have one vehicle say they never allow smoking in the vehicle.

This includes 37 per cent among households with one or more smokers and 90 per cent among households with no smokers.

"It's heartening to see that Canadians, both smokers and non-smokers, are increasingly taking steps to protect others from tobacco smoke," says Cheryl Moyer, Director, Cancer Control Programs, Canadian Cancer Society.

"Second-hand smoke is a serious health risk. It contains the same 4,000 chemicals as smoke that is directly inhaled, including approximately 50 cancer-causing chemicals. Health Canada estimates that second-hand smoke is responsible for 1,000 tobacco-related deaths annually, including 300 from lung
cancer."

Professional Services sector facing business challenges in 2006 
Human resources, increased competition and client demands present obstacles

TORONTO and HALIFAX, Jan. 12 /CNW/ - The first major study measuring the success and risks facing Canada's Professional Service industry, a key economic sector, forecasts ongoing success, but also points to warning signs that must be addressed if the sector is to capitalize upon its present momentum.

According to a study conducted by Research Dimensions and released by Grant Thornton LLP, Canada's law firms, engineering firms, architectural firms, consulting, marketing research and advertising firms are showing signs of stress from increased competition, lack of skilled employees and increased customer demands.

The study explores senior executive opinions about the economic outlook, expectations, best practices and business challenges facing professional services firms today and in the future. Results indicate that business as usual will not be enough for the players to sustain growth and maintain a competitive edge within the sector.

Professional Services Insights 2005 reports that Canada's vibrant professional services sector is strong, with growth expected to continue. At the same time, the sector is facing significant challenges as workforce availability tightens up and clients increase demands for better performance.

Canada's multi-billion dollar professional services sector includes engineering firms, architectural firms, consulting, marketing research and advertising firms. According to Grant Thornton partner, David C. Blom CA, TEP, "In many ways this sector represents the leading edge of the Canadian economy because it is the source of advice, strategy and insights that management use to enhance competitiveness, to innovate, and ultimately, to spur growth."

Corporate Canada Keeps Lid On "Glass Ceiling"
Only 4.6 Per Cent of Top Executive Officers Are Women, Search Firm Finds

TORONTO, Jan. 18 /CNW/ - Fewer than 5 per cent of the top-paid executive officers in Canada's largest publicly-traded companies are women, according to leading executive search firm Rosenzweig & Company.

"We've heard a lot of talk over the past decade or so about women breaking through the glass ceiling," says Jay Rosenzweig, Managing Partner of Rosenzweig & Company. "But clearly these numbers speak volumes as to how much action - or inaction - has occurred in filling the highest executive positions with women. There remains great hesitancy to give women the keys to the Top 5 executive officer jobs."

Women represent more than half the Canadian population and 46.6 per cent of the workforce.

Aspirin protects women from stroke, men from heart attack
Report based on: Journal of American Medical Association

Taking aspirin can reduce cardiovascular risks, but protects men more from heart attack and women more from stroke, according to a research led by Dr. Jeffrey Berger, of six randomized clinical trials of aspirin involving over 95,000 patients.

The results showed that aspirin use lowers women's risk of suffering a stroke by 17% while reducing men's chances of a heart attack by 32%."

Taking aspirin protects men and women in different ways.

Taking aspirin does significantly reduce cardiovascular risks, but protects men more from heart attack and women more from stroke, according to a new analysis.

Researchers led by Dr. Jeffrey Berger, a cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, North Carolina) in the U.S., combined results from six different randomized clinical trials of aspirin, involving more than 95,000 patients with no prior heart problems.

The trials all involved comparisons of the effectiveness of taking low-dose aspirin as a placebo. The report was published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The results for 51,342 women showed that aspirin use resulted in a 12 percent reduction in all cardiovascular events and a 17 percent reduction in stroke risk. But there was no significant effect on heart attacks or deaths from cardiovascular events among the women.

"This is good news," Dr. Berger said, "because many of the past studies of the effect of aspirin in preventing cardiovascular events looked only at men, so physicians were reluctant to prescribe aspirin for women because there was little data."

The results for 44,114 men showed a 14 percent reduction in all cardiovascular events and a 32 percent reduction in heart attacks. But there was no significant effect among the men for the risk of stroke.

Currently, the American Heart Association recommends that both men and women at moderate risk of cardiovascular problems take low-dose aspirin on a daily basis.

Dr. Berger cautioned that while aspirin has clear benefits, it also carries potential risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, and should "never replace other ways of reducing cardiovascular risks, such as eating a proper diet and exercising.