Brilliant -- I love it

Date sent:              Fri, 26 Nov 2004 08:26:16 -0500
Send reply to:          Social Determinants of Health <[log in to unmask]>
From:                   Dennis Raphael <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:                [SDOH] Paradigms and Parodies
To:                     [log in to unmask]

> Here are the two stories juxtaposed.  These may be useful for discussion in
> classes and in public health unit planning sessions!
>
> "I took a recent release about the annual report of Ontario's medical
> officer and revised it.  I was hoping to achieve the fame David Gordon
> acquired from his "Ten Tips for Better Health."  :-)"
>
> 1..  Press Story - Ontario Medical Officer of Health Annual Report,
> November 25, 2004
>
> Almost half of Ontario's adults are overweight and measures need to be
> taken to reduce what has become an obesity "epidemic," the province's chief
> medical officer said Wednesday.
>
> "I am alarmed to report that almost one out of every two adults in Ontario
> is overweight or obese," Dr. Sheila Basrur said in her annual report,
> titled Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives. The report also warns that obesity
> among children aged seven to 13 tripled between 1981 and 1996.
>
> Basrur said unhealthy weights are responsible for a dramatic rise in
> adult-onset diabetes and contribute to heart disease, strokes, hypertension
> and some cancers.
>
> "Fortunately, this epidemic can be reversed," Basrur said in a release.
>
> Basrur stressed in the report that healthy, active living combined with
> sensible eating habits would improve the quality of life for everyone in
> the province.
>
> "We know that healthy weights mean healthy lives," Basrur said. "People who
> are a healthy weight feel better, are less likely to develop diseases and
> enjoy a higher quality of life."
>
> The report contains several recommendations for the Ontario government,
> including a mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of
> maintaining a healthy weight.
>
> Basrur also asked the government to control food advertising aimed at
> children, similar to measures in Quebec prohibiting advertising of some
> products to children under the age of 13.
>
> The reports also asks the government to give Ontarians better access to
> weight-loss information by providing a telephone service such as the
> Dial-a-Dietician service in British Columbia that has been in operation for
> 30 years.
>
> Basrur also suggests Health Canada act to phase out trans fat from
> processed foods and require large chain restaurants to disclose basic
> nutrition facts about the foods they serve.
>
> The report recommends that the food industry decrease serving sizes,
> especially of snack foods and increase the use of user-friendly food
> labelling on large chain restaurant menus and take-out foods.
>
> Here are some recommendations aimed at reducing obesity in Ontario in the
> annual report of Ontario's chief medical officer:
>
> A mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of healthy
> weights.
>
> Controlled food advertising targeted at children.
>
> Better access to weight loss information and counselling.
>
> Phasing out trans fat in processed foods and requiring large chain
> restaurants to disclose basic nutrition facts.
>
> Funding a national physical activity promotion agency.
>
> Providing more opportunities for people to be physically active by
> enhancing parkland and recreational areas
>
> Ensuring young children in day-care settings have healthy food choices and
> daily physical activity.
>
> Decreasing serving sizes, especially of snack foods
>
> Increasing user-friendly food labelling on large chain restaurant menus and
> take-out and deli foods.
>
> Developing a corporate culture that supports healthy eating, physical
> activity and employee wellness
>
> Developing guidelines for food available in school cafeterias and vending
> machines.
>
>
> 2. Revised Press Story - Ontario Medical Officer of Health Annual Report,
> November 25, 2004
>
> Almost 14% of Ontario's children are living in poverty and measures need to
> be taken to reduce what has become an material deprivation "epidemic," the
> province's chief medical officer said Wednesday.
>
> "I am alarmed to report that almost one out of seven children in Ontario is
> poor," Dr. Sheila Basrur said in her annual report, titled Increasing
> Poverty, Increasing Disease and Misery. The report also warns that poverty
> among children reflects poverty among their families.
>
> Basrur said early deprivation associated with childhood poverty contribute
> to increases in adult-onset diabetes and contribute to heart disease,
> strokes, hypertension and some cancers.
>
> "Fortunately, this epidemic can be reversed," Basrur said in a release.
>
> Basrur stressed in the report that healthy, active public policy consisting
> of sensible tax, housing, and income policy would improve the quality of
> life for everyone in the province.
>
> "We know that healthy public policy mean healthy lives," Basrur said.
> "People who live in societies with thoughtful public policy feel better,
> are less likely to develop diseases and enjoy a higher quality of life."
>
> The report contains several recommendations for the Ontario government,
> including a mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of
> reducing poverty, providing housing and food security and reducing
> exclusion and discrimination which is especially a problem among new
> Canadians of colour.
>
> Basrur also asked the government to provide regulated quality childcare and
> use federal monies being made available for housing, similar to measures in
> Quebec.
>
> The reports also asks the government to give Ontarians better access to
> information about poverty, exclusion, and health and illness by providing a
> telephone service such as the Dial-a-Health Sociologist service.
>
> Basrur also suggests Health Canada act to carry out health impact analyses
> to consider the effects of recent public policy changes such as the
> claw-back of the Child Benefit from families on  social assistance by the
> Ontario government.
> .
> The report recommends that public health units raise awareness of the
> broader determinants of health consistent with Canada's perceived
> leadership role in health promotion and population health.
>
> Here are some recommendations aimed at reducing child and family poverty in
> Ontario in the annual report of Ontario's chief medical officer:
>
> A mass-media campaign to increase awareness of the benefits of reducing
> poverty.
> Providing food supplements targeted at children.
>
> Better access to affordable housing and employment training for parents.
>
> Phasing out excessively low social assistance rates and raising the minimum
> wage.
>
> Funding a national healthy public policy promotion agency.
>
> Providing more opportunities for people to be economically and socially
> productive by enhancing policy development locally, provincially, and
> nationally.
>
> Ensuring young children have access to quality in day-care settings.
>
> Decreasing the need for shelters and food banks by providing more economic
> resources to families.
>
> Increasing family friendly public policy.
>
> Developing a corporate culture that supports healthy public policy and
> avoids excessive profits and tax reductions to the wealthy.
>
> Developing guidelines for family-friendly public policy.
>
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Mel Bartley
Dept of Epidemiology and Public Health
University College London Medical School
1-19 Torrington Place
London WC1E 6BT
tel: 0207 679 1707
mobile: 07746 823099
fax: 0207 813 0280

-------------------
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