Myths about piling on pounds go belly up in study
WINNIPEG — A University of Manitoba study on obesity debunks some myths about piling on the pounds — it seems big people are not taxing the health-care system as much as one would think.
And folks who are simply overweight — but not obese — don't seem to have any greater risk of ill health than those who are of normal weight, according to a 182-page report released Friday by the U of M's Centre for Health Policy.
The study also had bad news for people who are tied to a desk for more than 30 hours a week: you're at higher risk of becoming obese — even if you live an otherwise active lifestyle.
Researchers studied the health and health-care system use of 35,000 Manitoba adults over 20 years.
Dr. Randy Fransoo, the study's lead researcher, said his group was "very surprised" to learn that obese Manitobans are not visiting their doctors, going to hospital or taking prescribed medications substantially more often than thinner people. They visited the doctor only 15 per cent more often than other folks.
"Yes, there's a bit of a burden coming for the health-care system, but it's not going to be an avalanche," Fransoo predicted.
He said the fact that people who are considered overweight had no more health risks than those who are normal weight may cause health officials to redefine these categories. For instance, Fransoo said that at five foot nine and 173 pounds, he is considered overweight by current standards. "It's surprising how low that cutoff is."
Manitoba Health Living Minister Jim Rondeau said the study provides valuable insights that will help the government develop policies to keep people healthier.
An interesting but not-so-surprising conclusion of the study is that workers who are chained to a desk are at greater risk of becoming obese.
Rondeau said this shows that employers and employees need to come up with strategies for increasing physical activity during work hours.
Employers can help by providing shower facilities that will encourage workers to ride bikes to work or go for a run during the day. Workers may also choose to take a bus to work instead of driving.
Winnipeg computer animation whiz Dennis Tam, who has an international clientele and whose work is featured in the opening of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada telecasts, often spends 10 hours a day at his computer.
To prevent back problems and be more active, he uses a yoga ball instead of a desk chair, and he's even set up a computer on a customized slow-moving treadmill. The yoga ball forces him to sit upright and to use several different muscles. "Anything that can keep me moving a bit (helps) tremendously health-wise," Tam said Friday.
But Fransoo said it is concerning that the biggest increases in obesity in Manitoba are among young adults age 18 to 34. It means that they may be exposed to weight-related risks, such as hypertension and diabetes for much longer periods in their lives.
Fransoo agrees that there are a lot of things that people — even those chained to a desk — can do to avoid being obese.
The key is to be more active doing everyday tasks, Fransoo said, such as walking over to a colleague's desk at work instead of shooting them an email or getting off the transit bus a stop or two before your destination.
"It's not about body building and it's not about running half-marathons, but just having an active lifestyle and not being sedentary. That seems to be the (study's) real finding," he said.
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發表於 2011-10-22 08:12
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