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Article: Fat ousts tobacco as a threat to life
KAREN PALMER PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER Fat is the new tobacco, according to the canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. "Obesity is the greatest threat ever to the public's health in this country," Dr. Anthony Graham said yesterday as he unveiled the organization's annual report card on heart health. "It has reached such a critical mass that this health risk now compares to where we were 30 years ago when half of Canadians smoked." Graham called for a harsh crackdown on the food industry, one that mirrored the anti-smoking lobby's tactics against tobacco, including restrictions on advertising aimed at children, better labels and more transparency on the calorie counts on fast foods. "The number of Canadians who are overweight or obese has reached epidemic proportions," Graham said. "The Heart and Stroke Foundation is not exaggerating when we say that fat is now the new tobacco." While heart experts have focused on the dangers of smoking, successfully driving smoking rates across Canada down to just under 25 per cent, they've lost major ground in dealing with obesity. In fact, smoking rates have dropped by 53 per cent since the 1970s, while the number of people with a body mass index of more than 30 has increased by 50 per cent. "On the one hand, we've made significant progress in reducing the amount of cigarette consumption over the past few decades," said Graham, a cardiologist. "At the same time, we've seen this steady and progressive increase in obesity, such that it's now equal to where we were three decades ago with tobacco." Obesity is linked with chronic conditions from heart disease to heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Data from Statistics Canada cited by the Heart and Stroke Foundation yesterday show one of every two Canadians is overweight or has a body mass index of more than 25, while one in seven is obese. The numbers reflect a society surrounded by super-sized fast food portions, yet starved for exercise options. One suggestion is to super-size the salad instead of charging more to replace the fries that already go with the meal. "I think it's pretty easy to slip into a pattern where you keep packing on the pounds and you don't quite realize it," said Sandi Peroff, whose weight dropped down to 110 pounds (50 kilograms) after she lost 49 pounds (22 kg.) following double-bypass heart surgery in October, 2001. Working as a nurse at St. Michael's Hospital and chasing after three children kept her busy enough that she rarely had time to exercise and sought quick, convenient meals. However, after doctors discovered a 95 per cent blockage in her left coronary artery, she attended a cardio rehabilitation clinic and began exercising at least 40 minutes, four or five times a week. "We eat very healthy now, but it is difficult. There are a lot of foods out there and we get swayed by a lot of advertising," she said. "It really takes time to read the food labels and to know how to read food labels." "It's our society and the lifestyle we have. Everything's so fast-paced, you're in a rush to make meals," said Dr. Peter Katzymarzyk, an epidemiologist at Queen's University. "Unless something is done quickly, this trend will continue and the number of Canadians at risk will continue to grow," he said. "The outlook for the health of Canadians and the Canadian health-care system is bleak." While the Heart and Stroke Foundation suggested federal, provincial and municipal governments should pay more attention to promoting physical activity, Graham also suggested food makers need to modify their products to contain fewer fats. He also called for more stringent labelling requirements that will clearly spell out how much fat and calories a product contains, but said there are no plans suggest that we take a page from the anti-tobacco book and adorn fatty foods with gruesome pictures. He said a recent Heart and Stroke Foundation survey found 70 per cent of Canadians were in favour of restricting food advertising aimed at children. "I think the industry needs to think about that every seriously," he said. Despite the similarities to the anti-tobacco campaign, Katzymarzyk said focusing solely on the food industry won't solve the problem. "Everybody needs to eat, but not everybody needs to smoke. We all go out and buy groceries, it's just a matter of making healthy food choices. ``It's not fair to regulate that," he said. "We recognize it's not just about what you eat: it's also about helping people increase physical activity and achieve a healthy weight," Graham said. "Unhealthy weight is becoming firmly entrenched in our society. We must turn this growing epidemic around for the sake of future generations. "If not, all the progress made in reducing death and disability from heart disease and stroke over the past three decades will be lost." -- Diva ****** There is no substitute for the right food |
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