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.

-------------------
Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]


To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT the subject header --  to [log in to unmask]
SIGNOFF SDOH

DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.

To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.
SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname

To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]
Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.

For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]

To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to [log in to unmask]
SET SDOH DIGEST

To view the SDOH archives, go to: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html