During a recent medical conference, I learned the unfortunate statistic that physicians have the highest rates of suicide out of any profession, apparently having supplanted dentists. It was jarring to think that these professionals, often idolized in television dramas, and envied by the general population are often struggling with depression, anxiety, and mental and physical burnout. Although the medical profession may be associated with the highest levels of depression and suicide, mental health issues are…

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It is hard to believe, but as of this month Obesity Panacea is 10 years old.  There has been a lot of change in that time. When we began, Peter was a year into his PhD, and I was only halfway through my MSc.  At the time we were sharing a small office (and our lunches) at Queen’s University.  The past 10 years have seen several moves for both of us, and we’re now wellllllllll…

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Screens are not good for kids’ physical or mental health.  To me, the research is pretty clear.  A systematic review led by Dr Val Carson in 2016 concluded that kids with higher levels of screen time (and especially TV time) were more likely to be overweight, have worse metabolic health, lower fitness, less self-esteem, and exhibit less pro-social behaviour.  There is also a wealth of research suggesting that screens in the classroom can impede learning, mostly…

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Exciting news from the folks at the Canadian science blogging network Science Borealis – Obesity Panacea has been named a finalist for their 2018 People’s Choice Awards for Canada’s Favourite Science Blog. If you are so inclined, please feel free to go vote for  any of the deserving blogs at Science Borealis. Thanks to Science Borealis and the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada for promoting Canadian science communication.  

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Yes, that’s me in the photo above. Pretty damp from a mud bath I was in about 15 minutes before. And mere moments before I tore a healthy hole in my shorts on one of the barbs. Thankfully, I was wearing tights underneath. One of the goals I had for this year was to do something physically challenging. I had been intrigued by obstacle course racing for some time, but was somewhat apprehensive due to…

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As most of my friends, family, and colleagues can attest I am essentially a teetotaler. When I was younger and alcohol was forbidden and exotic, I experienced my share of recklessness and fun inevitably followed by illness and headaches. After a few such episodes, I swore to myself that I would never drink that much again. And over the past two decades, I can probably count on two hands the number of times I was…

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Over the years there has been a push to limit the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Various jurisdictions have attempted to levy a tax on these products, including Mexico, Finland, Hungary, France, and parts of the United States. Recently, provincial governments in Canada were kicking the tires on a potential pop tax, including the Northwest Territories and Alberta. Any efforts to throttle mass consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage must be backed by irrefutable evidence that these drinks…

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Over the past 5-7 years research on the health impact of sitting has absolutely exploded.  When I began my PhD there were only a handful of studies that looked at what sitting does to our metabolic health (blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides, blood pressure, etc).  In a systematic review published in 2012, we found just 5 studies on sitting and metabolic health.  Most of the studies up until that point had focused on really extreme forms…

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Today’s post comes from Ms Holly Livock, a recent MSc graduate from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.  You can find more on Holly at the bottom of this post. Electronic devices are a common phenomenon in today’s society. We use them wherever we go – in our cars, our homes, at work or while we exercise. Television is currently the main sedentary activity in both adult and pediatric populations, with the average…

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I’ve written about my love for my Chariot jogging/biking/skiing stroller a few times in the past. I put 800 km on the stroller just taking my son to and from daycare last year, all of which would have otherwise been done in a car. After a few years in the Chariot my son is getting big enough that he wants to be out on a bike himself, but he’s not quite big enough for a…

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