Sunday Health File

The research that this BMI infographic is based on found that a BMI between 20.0 and 24.9 is associated with the lowest risk of mortality from any cause in healthy non smoker adults.

The researchers also included accurate estimates of the increased risk of death of overweight and obese individuals in comparison to individuals with a BMI of 20.0 to 24.9. Earlier research which looked at the risks of being overweight had been inconclusive, with a few revealing only a slightly higher risk of death while others showed a lower risk.

Click here for an infographic on your Body Mass Index

Weekend Health File

Global Tsunami of Cardiovascular Disease

Global obesity rates have doubled in the last 3 decades, studies say

Obesity rates worldwide have doubled in the last three decades even as blood pressure and cholesterol levels have dropped, according to three new studies.

Being obese is no longer just a Western problem. In 1980, about five per cent of men and eight per cent of women worldwide were obese. By 2008, the rates were nearly 10 per cent for men and 14 per cent for women. 205 million men and 297 million women weighed in as obese. Another 1.5 billion adults were overweight, according to the obesity study.

Though richer countries did a better job of keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control, researchers said people nearly everywhere are piling on the pounds, except in a few places including central Africa and South Asia. The studies were being published Friday in the medical journal, Lancet.
The research confirms earlier trends about mounting obesity and the three papers provide the most comprehensive, recent global look at body mass index, cholesterol and blood pressure. Body mass index is a measurement based on weight and height.

Obesity is also linked to higher rates of cancer, diabetes and is estimated to cause about three million deaths worldwide every year.

In an accompanying commentary, Sonia Anand and Salim Yusuf of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., said the global forecast for heart disease was “dismal and comprises a population emergency that will cost tens of millions of preventable deaths” unless countries take quick action.

CLINK: www.lancet.com

Sunday Health File

Surge in Flu Cases this Winter in Canada

A surge in seasonal influenza cases in parts of the country has clogged hospital emergency rooms, postponed elective surgeries and resulted in at least one public health unit expanding its flu-shot clinics.

The number of patients showing influenza-like symptoms continues to increase across the country, but has been particularly high in parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. Health officials say patients with respiratory problems inundated emergency departments during the holiday period in particular, putting a heavy strain on resources.

Clink for more: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/hospitals-overwhelmed-by-surge-of-flu-cases/article1868015/

Sunday Health File

Canadian Blood Services short on platelet donations. The organization collects about 161,800 units each year from Toronto residents, which works out to roughly 3,111 donations a week. So far, less than 2,000 donation appointments have been booked for the week of Dec. 27.

Clink: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/912059–canadian-blood-services-short-on-platelet-donations?bn=1

Sunday Health File

Ottawa Public Health reported its first case of measles since 2002 on Friday.

The health authority said one person reported contracting the disease in early December after travelling internationally. The second case was confirmed this week, and public health said in a release it’s “considered a local transmission.”

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/12/17/ottawa-measles-case-127.html#ixzz18c0nFdK1