THE WESTERN PRODUCER | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | DECEMBER 1, 2016
FARMLIVING
17
SAFETY ON WHEELS A mobile unit will drive home the farm safety message next year when Ag For Life launches its latest initiative, the Rural and Farm Safety Mobile Unit. | Page 18
FARM LIVING EDITOR: KAREN MORRISON | Ph: 306-665-3585 F: 306-934-2401 | E-MAIL: KAREN.MORRISON@PRODUCER.COM
HEALTH
UBC research spotlights rural health BY TAMARA LEIGH FREELANCE WRITER
A new research chair in rural health care at the University of British Columbia is the first position of its kind at a Canadian university to focus on the delivery of health care in rural communities. Terry Lake, B.C.’s minister of health, announced a $5 million endowment in November to establish a position to enhance the delivery of rural health-care services in the province. The endowment is funded through the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues, a partnership between the Ministr y of Health and Doctors of B.C. that advises the provincial government on rural medical practice. Dr. Dave Snadden, who was appointed the founding Rural Doctors UBC Chair in Rural Health, said physicians are keen for this chair to provide advocacy and raise the profile of rural health. “Rural health doctors work in circumstances that aren’t always easy, and that aren’t always understood in the big cities,” he says .
Rural health doctors work in circumstances that aren’t always easy, and that aren’t always understood in the big cities.
HEALTH
Fitness ranks low for Canadian youth A busy day isn’t always a physically active one for children, says program director BY KAREN MORRISON SASKATOON NEWSROOM
NOBLETON, Ont. — Fitness doesn’t have to cost a lot and can be as easy as parking the car farther away from the grocery store. Shyanne Spilchen, the director of Fitness 4 Youth, said regular physical activity needs to become routine. “People see exercise as a chore instead of a lifestyle,” said Spilchen, who provides fitness and leadership in the Toronto region. In a session at the National 4-H Members Forum held near Nobleton, Ont., in November, she said exercise benefits include weight control, disease prevention, muscle strengthening, improved mental health, injury and falls prevention, better sleep and increased concentration. 4-Hers suggested physical activities from their own lives such as daily farm chores, freestyle dance, horseback riding and shovelling snow. “Physical activity and fitness is active activity. As long as the body is moving, really that’s what the goal is,” said Spilchen, who conceded that youth on farms are likely more active than city kids. She said cellphones and computers
are part of a child’s life today, a change from her own childhood. “When I was a kid, I was on the street playing,” Spilchen said. Their timetables may be full with school and extracurricular activities, but these activities are not necessarily active ones. She said busy lives also lead to unhealthy food choices that can contribute to being overweight. Spilchen said rising obesity rates are related to income levels with lower income families finding less time and money to enroll children in sports and provide nutritious meals due to limited budgets. Busy families also often reach for what’s easy and convenient, such as fast food. Middle to upper class families and baby boomers tend to be more active, she said. Spilchen, who said weight and mental health issues in her own family are behind her career choice, sees physical activity as a way to reduce anxiety and control weight. “It makes you feel great from the inside out,” she said. “You start with the inside and be comfortable with how you feel and then
outside will start to change.” Spilchen praised 4-H for addressing fitness at the forum and suggested that similar sessions provided more frequently is one way to bring about change. “If we all work together, I believe children will be more active,” said Spilchen. Canadian kids scored a D- for their fitness levels in the annual ParticipAction report card, released in June. It reported that only nine percent of five to 17 year olds get the recommended 60 minutes of cardio activity each day. The group, which released another study Nov. 16 that compared Canada with 37 other countries, ranked Canada near the bottom along with Australia, England, Spain and the United States. Too much screen time and not enough free play time were blamed. Twenty-six countries earned a D or worse. Belgium, Chile, China, Qatar and Scotland received an F. More developed countries tended to grade lower than less developed countries. Canada received top marks in community and environment and scored Bs for organized sports and school, but Canadian kids scored an F for sedentary behaviour. karen.morrison@producer.com
DR. DAVE SNADDEN UBC CHAIR IN RURAL HEALTH
“We are also very keen to encourage our students and residents to consider rural practice for their careers.” Recruiting and retaining new physicians to rural practice is a longtime passion for Snadden, who oversaw the expansion of medical education and training in northern British Columbia earlier in his career. Based in Prince George, Snadden will provide academic leadership in rural affairs, establish relevant research and address rural physician recruitment and retention. “One of the things about being an academic at a university is that I’m not aligned with the government or the health authorities. It brings an independent voice to bear,” he says. “I hope through looking at current evidence, and maybe working with some of the rural communities to create new evidence, we can begin to influence how rural health care is delivered and find innovative ways of doing things.” In addition to the endowment, operational funding of $350,000 per year will be provided over the next five years to support the development of a provincial network of rural health researchers and the establishment of a Dean’s Advisory Committee on Rural and Remote Health.
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
» maintain a healthy weight » reduce risk of disease » strengthen bones, muscles » improve mental health » reduce injuries, falls » improve sleep » increase concentration Source: Mayo Clinic
HOW TO SPEND A HEALTHY
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HOURS
Recommendations for children aged 5 to 17: HOURS 2sitting
HOUR 1sweating
doing sedentary activities such as reading or screen time
9-11 HOURS sleeping
with consistent bed and wakeup times
doing moderate to intense physical activity
10 HOURS stepping
doing a variety of light daily physical activities
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada