NOTES - MY ARGUMENTS

Critical periods

I am ready to believe that there are critical periods for obesity, however I think that we always have to take care of our health. If we cannot allow this when we are young due to parents’ control and that we are too young to understand what needs to be eaten and done to maintain health, I suggest that it is never too late to start adjusting our habits as recommended. It is preferable to go ahead step by step with changes in order to not hurt too strongly our old habits then to return back to these due to difficulties met on the way.


Genetics

I find difficult to account genetics for the half of obesity problems. I am surprised that this factor would have increased over the last decades. I believe that when we are at gestation stage, there are family genes that are incorporated into us, nevertheless we are all unique and health relies on oneself. Why genes would become more important in nowadays life? Would genes be changing over time?


Nutritional

Many researchers advance that birth weight is related to later obesity. Maybe they are right. It is certainly a good start. But I would rather agree with Seeley when she affirms that the level of fat intake plays a major role in obesity development. But, according to me, it is not only the fat intake that leads to obesity but also the total intake calories that are higher than the calories expenditure.


Prevention and environment

Jeffery is right when he expresses that the environment has to be changed to lose weight. The environment includes changing our habits when we go to the restaurants, when we eat meals with our family, when we sit down and watch tv, the snacks should be modified. Although physical activity would be preferable instead of staying relax on the sofa.


Socioeconomical

For the low-income family, I believe this factor is well researched. But I would add that it is possible to eat as recommended by the Canadian food guide for maintaining a good health at low cost. I would instead think that the low level of education from parents would account for the principal socioeconomic factor. If parents do not have sufficient knowledge of food intake, they will not properly chose the right food to eat.


Physical activity

All studies seem to correlate that physical activity is a major factor that relies on whether a child will be normal weight or not and I cannot deny this fact which I feel very important. Although, it is difficult to allow enough time to practice a sport in our today’s life, we have to make regular efforts to do so. Being tired or not having time is not a reason to not do physical activity because health is what is said being the most important in life and a span-life without the healthy feeling is a difficult life to go through.


The new Canadian guide food

This new guide version is well done, however they still do not state how many portions versus height and mass of individuals. I assume they take an average height for every age and sex. So, if we are under this height, we should eat fewer portions than recommended. For portions, they report generally ½ cup of food. But this ½ cup of food is meant a larger portion for a child than for an adult. On the other hand, they lowered the quantity of portions for youngest. Health Canada assumes that for their given quantity portions, people should do 30-60 minute-physical-activity on a regular daily basis. Otherwise, it is understood that less intake portions are required and are still difficult to measure for any individual.


Labelling

The articles from the FDA and by Paula Kurtzweil are well done and explain how to use labelling. I will consult it for the labelling part of my work.