Analyzing A Health Article

For the last blog in this semester, I will analyze an original research that relates to the issue of healthy weight in children. My chosen article is " Weight status and health characteristic of rural Saskatchewan children". The research was done by Professor H Bilinski, D Rennie of University of Saskatchewan and Professor W Duggleby of University of Alberta. In Canada, there is great concern that the rate of obesity and overweight in children goes up significantly. Children are on the way to shape their health behaviors that influences their weight status as well as their patterns of living as continue into adolescents. Recent national studies suggest that most of Canadian children do not meet the requirement for daily physical activities, get involve too much in "screening time" and do not eat the recommended daily serving for dairy, fruit, or vegetables. The youth populations in rural settings are reported to be more overweight and obese than their counterparts in the urban area. Saskatchewan is the province that ranks fifth for the prevalence of childhood obesity and there are limited data on the health characteristics of rural Saskatchewan kids. In order to promote healthy pattern of living for children in specific area, this study explores the health behaviors and weight status in children of rural Saskatchewan for further information.

                Method:

                This investigation was approved by the University of Saskatchewan's Behavioral Research, Ethics Board, the Director of Education and Principle of participating school. The cross - sectional health questionnaires were based on the portions of the Health Behavior of the School Aged Children to gather self - reported information about children's physical activities, sedentary behaviors, dietary patterns and perceptions of health. Students completed the questionnaire with the help of parents or guardian. There were 194 questionnaires provided to participants and 99 of them were returned completely. Heights and weights were measured individually and collected by researchers to calculate the BMI. Children were classified by their BMI as a healthy

 weight or unhealthy weight based on the international standards for calculating childhood obesity.

                Result and Discussion:

                This study found that there is a high proportion of boy being categorized as unhealthy weight compared with the opposite sex. There are 42.9% of boy and 25% of girl were classified as being overweight or obesity. The population of unhealthy weight children also rises by age. Interestingly, almost all children considered themselves as being very healthy despite their weight status. Boys were reported to spend more time playing computer games. Children living in town spent more time watching television compared with rural kids. Boys and girls participated in different kinds of sport; however, there is no significant difference in the attendance in physical activities between rural and urban area. This finding supports a previous study conducted in Ontario where a significantly greater prevalence  of obesity in boys. Moreover, there are limited data on examination the health behaviors between farm and non- farm areas

                However, there are some limitations. The data collection method was not efficient that results in the low response rate ( 51%) and inaccuracy self - report information. Furthermore, the HBSC questionnaires was initially designed for adolescents, so it increases the possibility of children`s potential lacking of fully understanding. The BMI is also a limitation because it is not a very good indication compared with the other method (e.g. body composition).

                As we can see, this finding suggests that the health status of children in rural Saskatchewan is influenced by physical inactivity. That might lead to the very high risk of overweight or obese in childhood and even adulthood after. In addition, boys are at greater potential for childhood obesity.  It confirms that there should be an urgent health promotion effort for each specific genders in the rural settings to slow down the rate of overweight kids in rural Saskatchewan as well as many rural regions in Canada.

Reference:

H Bilinski, D Rennie and W Dugggleby (2011). Weight status and health characteristics of rural Saskatchewan children.  Rural and Remote Health 11:1699. (Online) 2011

Should Obesity be treat by Bariatric Surgery?

 Today, I will continue the main theme of my blog with a debatable issue. Should the Bariatric surgery be encouraged to help to the obese attain healthy weight and decrease risks for other diseases?  For a normal gene person, achieving and maintain a healthy weight is not very difficult. Nevertheless, Obesity which a chronic problem that is hard to simply treat by diet and exercise , stomach surgery can be an excellent solution. 

Stomach is digestive machine inside the body where all the nutrients ( vitamins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, protein and water) are processed and release wastes material out of the body. Bariatric surgery is known as the removal of certain part of a patient’s stomach and the remaining part does the digestive role. When the surgery is performed, the food intake is restricted so that patient must make a significant change in their diet. Therefore, there will be a promoting of weight loss and reduction of risk for diabetes Type II.


To be eligible to the Bariatric Surgery, according to DiabetesResourceSpost adults must have the BMI (Body Mass Index) which is equal to or over 30 and also suffer from problem linked to obesity such as heart disease, diabetes.... For youth, family should consider to perform surgery after trying losing weight at least 6 month but not succeed; the patient must meet these criteria: extreme obesity (BMI > 40 ), e their adult height (usually at age 13 or older for girls and 15 or older for boys) and have serious health problems linked to weight, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea, that may improve with bariatric surgery.

There are 4 common types of the Bariatric Surgery: AGB, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD-DS), and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG).

 I will describe briefly the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, which is one of the most common surgeries. According to University of MarylandMedical Center

1) The stomach is divided, , and a small pouch, which limits calories that can be taken in on a daily basis to less than 1,000, is formed as simultaneously the majority of the stomach is sealed off.

2) A portion of the small intestine is then divided and sewn to the newly created small stomach pouch. This process limits the body’s ability to absorb calories

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Healthy Weight Forum states two different opinions for this issue:

Bariatric surgery can help patients to lose achieve healthy weight faster, as a result, they can improve health and increase longevity. Moreover, they can stay away from some diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. That can also decrease the cost for the health care system in the future.

 Besides, there are people going against with the idea of Bariatric surgery. They argue that the surgery is really dangerous and complicated. Patients must suffer from at least one side effect as well. The cost for each Bariatric surgery is extremely expensive that government cannot afford. These kinds of stomach surgeries are not as effective as the healthy diet and exercises. Moreover, patients can easily gain weights and being more obese than before because it is just the "quick fix".

From my personal point of view, bariatric surgery should be encouraged but should not be taken a lot of advantages. If patients suffer from serious obesity, stomach surgery should be the best solution to attain healthy weight which is really difficult to reach because of their genes and daily habits.  As a result, their self-confidences in social life can improve significantly because the appearances are fixed. They will not be teased or discriminated by weights anymore. That can also help the government to lower the cost for health care  as the amount of people with serious diseases declines. However, there are some people think that stomach surgeries are miracle that help them lose weight fast and do not need to go on strict diet anymore. After the operations, they could not  maintain healthy-living lifestyles. Consequently gain the weights back and even more serious. In conclusion, people should know how to take good advantage of the surgery so as to improve their quality of lives and be able to run happily with their grandchildren in later life

Miracle Pills for a Healthy Weight?

       In a very few minutes searching the Internet, we can find so many miracle products that help to reach and maintain healthy weight. People can easily lose 18lbs in the first month without any training. Is it really magic? 
            Many people get involve in very difficult training and diet in order to reach their healthy weights. It is a very long and hard process that requires participants to be persistent. Personally, I do not think that those pills and drinks can totally replace the process. For my second blog, purposefully, I want to investigate one of these "miracles" before reaching to any conclusion.

           There is a product called Proactol Plus which is clinically tested, registered and easy to use. That sounds like a magic pill. However, there is much incredible information that can be found on Proactol: 

1)   Clair Brentwood is an author. She gives out so much information and professional analysis about Proactol, but we never know about her profession. Moreover, there is no exact time on overall website. Is it credible for a healthy product?


2)   There is an obvious financial bias. From the very first time visiting the website, I can recognize many good offers for Proactol Plus such as: 180 days Money Back Guarantee and Quick Delivery. They try to sell their products with many kinds of bonuses as well.

Screen Shot: Exercises & Diet Proactol

3)   The evidences provided are invalid and awkward. They show some certificates and studies in order to prove that Proactol is 'Effectiveness AND safety is a very rare combination when it comes to weight management products’ (Evidence & Certificate, proactol).        'Pilot Clinical Study These results suggest the effectiveness of Opuntia ficus indica patented fibre complex with regard to helping reduce fat absorption of meals rich in fat content.'(proactol) Which institute conduct this research? What is the evidence for this clinical practice?       According to a reliable research on Opuntia, its principle uses are for diabetes and hangover. Furthermore, it can help to treat stomach problems, fatigue, and shortness of breath, easy bruising, prostate enlargement, and liver disease.There are no real studies suggesting that Opuntia help to reduce fat absorption in stomach and avoid food craving.        Moreover, they show off a lot of certificates but most of them are small and unclear. It is impossible to get access to have more information about these papers properly. Screen shot: evidences & certificates, proactol 4)    The author says that Proactol is highly recommended by Doctor worldwide. This information seems to be reliable. One of the Doctors is Dr. Ikram Abidi. He is a physician, fiction writer, health feature wordsmith, researcher and marketer. I wonder that could we believe in a person who has major in many different field. However, we have no information about the top University that he graduated. So that, I strongly believe that his recommendation is not eligible. 5)     They have contrast information. It is so attractive and credible with ' Before & After' images and comments of some customers.          'I decided to give Proactol™ a go, and I am so glad I did! I have been taking 2-3 tablets after each meal, doing a normal amount of exercise and eating as healthy as I can. In just over a month I have lost 11lbs which is incredible! '- Sophie Silva, UK, housewife. (Testimonials, Proactol).         However, there is advertising about Proactol stating that customers can eat freely but still losing weight. Where should future customers believe in?  Popout

Diet supplements might really harmful to individual health. According to FDA, such diet pill is just fairly understood and need further study although it is said to be proved by experimental research. If one takes these pills with medications or substituting for prescription medicines, it could result in life –threating. Proactol is claimed to be totally safe and has no side effects. It is really dangerous for customers who take it without any consideration. They might lead to severe consequence.         For the purpose of my research, I strongly recommend people, who want to reach and maintain healthy weight, should give up on these dietary pills. Doing exericises and eat healthily are the best way to live a real and fulfilled life. It might take a long time to achieve. However, the result must be definitely pleasurable than any miracle pills.

Introduction

Hi! Everyone

            My name is Vy.  I am an international student from Vietnam. After graduating high school, I came to Fraser International College to start my new journey.  This is my third semester here and I hope to transfer to Simon Fraser University in summer term.  I love adventures and learning about new things in life so I would like to make new friends and enjoy life as much as possible.  I am currently a business student with a strong interest in health issue.  Taking Kinesiology this term ,I hope that I can know how to live a healthy and purposeful life while doing my degree in a brand new environment.

             This is my first blog for Kinesiology class and I will talk about healthy weight.  From my point of view, maintaining a healthy weight is really important for people in order to be able to keep track with a fast-paced life.  Healthy weight helps people stay fit so they can participate in many activities outside their work life.  However, this blog is aiming at young adults that are around my age and struggling with their weights.  I used to be overweight and I did not know how to go on a right diet.  It took me a long and enduring time to get back in shape.  During that period, I tried to limit eating while taking some pills to help reduce weight.  As a result, I suffered from serious stomachache and lack of energy to study.  Hence, I learned that keeping healthy weight does not mean to be skinny.  There are so many young adults skipping meal and over-exercising in order to lose weight to have a perfect shape as fast as possible.  Consequently, they might get into some problems such as lack of energy or sore muscles.

         By doing this blog, I hope to learn more about maintaining a healthy weight through appropriate dietary ways and exercises.  It is very important for young adults to stay healthy and being in good shape in order to participate in more daily activities and have more endurance with pressure from school and work.  We are in the stage of growing so it is very important for us to maintain a very healthy life because it will allow us to have more energy for studying and pursuing our dreams.  Last but not least, in doing this type of research, I hope to improve my skill in finding the right information from vast media.  I hope that people that read my blog will pay more attention to their health instead of trying to be skinny.