13°c Overcast
19°c Cloudy periods
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Headlines and health
What do the lessons weve learned from 2011 mean for the new year?
What do the lessons weve learned from 2011 mean for the new year? (POSTMEDIA NEWS ARCHIVES)
From a pregnant runner giving birth just hours after completing the Chicago Marathon to the revelation that cellphones are as toxic as lead or chloroform, 2011 saw a plethora of mind-boggling health headlines.
Here are a few of my top health news stories from the past year and how those developments will affect us in 2012.
Story: Back in January, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) said kids need at least 60 minutes of exercise daily. Researchers weighed in and reminded Canadians that the recommended hour of activity should be vigorous -- leaving exercising kids out of breath. A soccer game a couple of times a week doesnt cut it, said some exercise researchers, noting that kids arent necessarily constantly active, out of breath and sweating during an organized sports game.
What this means for 2012: Parents and educators will encourage kids to be more active. More exercise programs designed just for kids will pop up at fitness facilities in Winnipeg and elsewhere.
Story: In October, Amber Miller, 27, gave birth to a baby just hours after running the Chicago Marathon. (She actually ran half of the race and walked the other half.) The story made headlines across the globe as audiences were shocked and fascinated by Millers achievement. Media reports here in Canada highlighted that exercise during pregnancy is safe for most women -- and even essential in a healthy pregnancy. While its true that decades ago doctors warned pregnant women to lay off exercise during pregnancy, they have now changed their position. For example, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada encourage pregnant women with low-risk pregnancies to engage in cardio and strength training. Researchers note that exercise during pregnancy can prevent gestational diabetes and help keep mother and baby healthy.
What this means for 2012: Look for more prenatal exercise programs taught by fitness leaders especially trained in the area of exercise and pregnancy.
Story: In August, a Winnipeg boutique-owner tells the Free Press that she lost at least 50 pounds using the controversial HCG Diet and that she feels stronger and healthier than ever. The diet consists of prescription injections of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin along with an initial 500-calorie-a-day diet, supervised by a local physician. Meanwhile, the HCG Diet was booming in the United States despite reports of adverse reactions and warnings that HCG can fuel some cancers. Health Canada told the Free Press that HGC has been approved for women undergoing fertility treatments and is not recommended for weight loss and may even cause "painful" ovarian cysts.
What this means for 2012: After several years of fairly tame fad diets, extreme dieting is back in the form of fasting and regimens such as the HGC diet. The lesson to be learned? Do your research and check with your physician before trying any extreme diet. Better yet, stick with a more sensible approach to eating.
Story: Last January, a group of Wildwood residents banded together to stop MTS from building a cellphone tower behind a community centre. Then in May, the Word Health Organization (WHO) classified cellphones as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," saying that radiation from cellphones could, perhaps, cause cancer. The new classification put cellphones on the same WHO list as lead, exhaust and chloroform. Meanwhile, the mobile phone industry declared that cellphones do not cause cancer. They said that the WHO conclusion was based on a peer review of existing studies rather than on new research. (Researchers released results of the largest international study on cellphone use in 2010. That study found that people who used cell hones for a decade had twice the rate of a certain kind of brain tumour).
What this means for 2012: Consumers are more aware of the possible health effects of cellphone use and will use their speaker functions more often. The wireless industry will come out with more products (headsets and handsets) that promise to offer a "safer" cellphone.
Story: In January, National Hockey League superstar Sidney Crosby was forced off the ice after suffering a concussion -- the result of two blows to the head. It was only in November that he returned to the game, after which he was sidelined again. In between that time, a slew of media reports have examined concussions and the detrimental effect they can have on hockey and football players brains.
What this means for 2012: Before Crosbys well-chronicled concussions, few people in hockey talked about head injuries in sport. Things will change in the upcoming year as hockey, football and other sports organizations crack down on preventing, detecting and treating head injuries.
Follow Shamona on Twitter: @ShamonaHarnett
Have an interesting idea youd like Shamona to write about? Contact her at shamona.harnett@freepress.mb.ca;
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2012 B5
More Your Health
- Back to Top
- Return to Your Health
Poll
Proudly brought to you by:
Most Popular Your Health
- Man who beheaded fellow bus passenger thought victim was an alien: supporter
- Pandemic flu shot linked to lower rates of death, preterm birth in infants
- Cervical cancer treatment device recalled; couldn't be fully cleaned
- Less invasive scope exam can cut the risk of developing or dying of colon cancer, study finds
- Saved by the kettlebell
- Winnipeg court says man who died in ER has no case for its lawsuit
- Mental health: Aglukkaq says deal with stigma before focusing on funding
- Quality of life across Canada depends on where you live, says study
- Rick Hansen named honorary colonel of military support unit
- Pregnant women should watch weight to avoid having overly big babies: Study
- Man who beheaded fellow bus passenger thought victim was an alien: supporter
- UN food envoy provokes Ottawa with findings on hunger and poor diet in Canada
- Pour it on: Drinkers of coffee - regular or decaf - live longer, big federal study finds
- Gills onions and Compliments salads recalled in Listeria scare
- Pandemic flu shot linked to lower rates of death, preterm birth in infants
- Saskatchewan changes foreign-trained doctor recruitment to deal with shortage
- Scientists find signs of degenerative brain disease in soldiers exposed to IEDs
- Liberals blocking work of Ornge committee to save skin: opposition parties
- Expansion of B.C. insulin pump program would save millions, says CDA
- Give these snacks the boot
- Report finds poor diet remains recipe for disaster as Canadians get older
- Man who beheaded fellow bus passenger thought victim was an alien: supporter
- Pros and cons of pacifiers can leave parents pondering what's best for baby
- Double-lung recipient Helene Campbell discharged from hospital
- Free Viagra and transgender surgery on the chopping block at DND: sources
- UN food envoy provokes Ottawa with findings on hunger and poor diet in Canada
- There is hope for women with decreased sex drives
- Two lung transplant patient Helene Campbell out of hospital, back on treadmill
- Seven fired after privacy breach at Peterborough, Ont., hospital
- Give these snacks the boot
- Alzheimer's focus shifts to testing therapies earlier, before patients show many symptoms
- Some facts about the cost of mental illness to Canadians
- UN food envoy provokes Ottawa with findings on hunger and poor diet in Canada
- Pour it on: Drinkers of coffee - regular or decaf - live longer, big federal study finds
- Gills onions and Compliments salads recalled in Listeria scare
- Canada's first-ever mental health strategy will pressure Harper to act
- Ontario cutting hundreds of OHIP fees paid to doctors as talks reach standstill
- Saskatchewan toddler strapped to back of ATV survives underwater plunge
- Report finds poor diet remains recipe for disaster as Canadians get older
- Agriculture Department study concludes healthy diet is less expensive than junk food
- Pros and cons of pacifiers can leave parents pondering what's best for baby
- Report finds poor diet remains recipe for disaster as Canadians get older
- Important to find out reason for fatigue
- Natural medicine best for lowering cholesterol
- Fat cat dies of respiratory distress
- U.S. FDA warns of injuries, deaths linked to 'liberation therapy' for MS
- Alzheimer's focus shifts to testing therapies earlier, before patients show many symptoms
- First Nation's water imperils economy, health and maybe even pregnancies
- There is hope for women with decreased sex drives
- Seven fired after privacy breach at Peterborough, Ont., hospital
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.