“Healthy” comes in all shapes and sizes.
Oh, the conviction of youth! Long gone are the unshakable beliefs from my dietetic internship about how to define “healthy” and the importance of weight in preventing disease. Twenty years have passed and, in that time, I’ve worked in five different provinces with a variety of patients and partner organizations. For instance, young families; schools; clients living with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and disordered eating; and seniors in care homes, all of whom came from very diverse backgrounds. In nearly every case, health was defined, in part, by weight. Today, I question that belief. Why? Because I’ve seen so many instances where a subtle emphasis on weight has contributed to some harm.
I’ve learned that while weight is often one of the first lines of treatment when someone is diagnosed with a chronic disease, research tells us that less than one percent of people successfully keep weight off after four years, and usually regain the lost weight plus some. In the end, after treatment, people are at a higher weight and often feel bad about themselves. This can’t be good for health. Does it make sense to promote a treatment that is doomed to fail?
The recommendation to lose weight perpetuates something called the “thin ideal” (believing that a slim body is the standard for beauty and health), which is based on an assumption that people defined as “overweight” (as per the problematic standard of BMI or body mass index) eat poorly, too often, and do not move enough. My twenty years of experience tell me that this is not the case. Rather, healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes and are supported by healthy and intuitive eating, active living, and positive self-esteem. Thus, a better plan is to focus on supporting everyone, no matter their size, to live well.
The “thin ideal” has normalized weight bias and stigma, where we live, work, play, and are cared for. What is weight bias and weight stigma?
Weight bias is a negative judgement of someone because of their weight, shape and/or size.
Weight stigma is what a person experiences when weight bias happens to them.
Refusing to offer dessert to someone and/or questioning whether someone “needs” that serving of dessert because of their size.
Using headless images of “overweight” people or images of “overweight” people being sedentary in handouts and presentations.
Using the word “fat” as an insult instead of what it is, which is a physical description of body composition.
Failing to offer healthy food at school because “we don’t have fat kids at our school” (yes, one school actually gave this as a reason why they didn’t need to follow the Guidelines for the Sale of Food and Beverages in BC Schools!).
Weight bias needs to stop. It starts with us thinking about what our own biases and assumptions about weight might be (take the Weight Implicit Attitudes Test) and developing respect and empathy for people who are impacted by weight bias. Last week was Weight Stigma Awareness Week, but it’s an issue that we need to be aware of all year round. Learn more here.
This is where I was commonly found at my old residence.
I moved from Vancouver to Prince George in 2007. That year I experienced my first “Canadian winter”… and it was horrible. Because I didn’t know many people in town, my life consisted of working eight hours, going home to sit on the couch for a night of TV, and sleep. It was repetitive, monotonous, and boring. The basement suite that had seemed like a cozy place to hang my hat in the summer and fall had turned into a prison: its 70s wood panel walls like bars, my roommate a cellmate, its small windows offering a glimpse into a snowy world that I wished would melt away. Am I being a tad melodramatic? Without a doubt, but you get the point: cabin fever had set in. Sadly, I felt this way every winter for the first three years I lived in PG.
Today, I take advantage of winter, embracing it instead of dreading its arrival, and look back at how I used to feel with regret. So, what changed?
Thanks in large part to my girlfriend and her family, I’ve taken up ice fishing and snowmobiling, and, just last weekend, I went for my first snowshoe. Snowmobiling isn’t something everyone can afford; purchasing a snowmobile, buying gas, and maintaining the vehicle adds up. I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford it myself. But what was my reason for not fishing and snowshoeing sooner? Unfortunately, I don’t have a good answer. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case for me and it doesn’t have to be for you either.
Research shows that having a good social life has several benefits to your mental well-being, that an active lifestyle helps you live longer, and that getting outside to take in some vitamin D has numerous positive effects.
Winter has settled in and probably won’t be leaving for the better part of a couple months still. As I learned the hard way, that’s a long time to be held by the dull and rather depressing grip of cabin fever. With that in mind, please consider taking five minutes to plan an outdoor activity for this weekend (weather permitting, of course), get a friend involved – perhaps someone you’ve been meaning to connect with for a while – and enjoy.
Do you or have you ever experienced cabin fever? How’d you overcome it? How do you take advantage of winter?
Be sure to caption about cabin fever in our caption contest to enter to win a $300 GC!
Jessica and Anne using Dyna bands, part of the kit, to stretch in their office.
At one time or another, you may have walked past the office that I share with my colleague, Anne Scott, and noticed strange things occurring: push ups, yoga stretches, even chin ups in the doorframe. Yes, that’s happened. We’ve received a few strange looks, but definitely more cheers and, happily, several joiners.
My job involves a lot of desk time and sometimes I can get so wrapped up in editing or writing or some other consuming task that before I know it, three hours have gone by and I’ve barely moved. My body deeply resents these moments.
To help correct this negative behaviour, Anne and I have started incorporating activity breaks into our day-to-day routines – times when we both stop whatever task is at hand, stand up, take a few deep breaths and get our blood flowing and our muscles responding again. Besides being good for our bodies (you can read all about it in Northern Health’s guidelines on sedentary behaviour and physical activity), we find it really helps keep us alert and focused on our work throughout the whole day.
We’ve gotten visitors wanting to join us for stretch breaks too! Here, Barbara Hennessy, Regional Coordinator, Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Services, shows off with the Dyna bands.
Realizing that office workers sit for much of their day, another co-worker recently introduced me to a kit she’s developing (to be called a “Fit Kit”) to help people build extra activity into their day. Anne and I gave this kit a trial run for a couple of weeks and can happily report that it made our activity breaks a whole lot more fun and gave us quite the variety of stretches to work into our routines. People should be practicing resistance training (or weight training) three times per week, so having the option of using the kit for this while at work definitely saves a lot of time!
Now here’s where your Week 2 Challenge comes in! We want to know how you add activity into your work day: how do you find ways to get out of your chair and move? Send us your tips (and your photo proof) for your chance to win your very own Fit Kit!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post when we show you a video demonstrating how to use some of the Fit Kit items – you never know, it could just change your whole work day!
Do you ever get so wrapped up in what you’re working on that you forget to stretch? Try setting a timer (maybe an app on your smartphone or even an egg timer) or scheduling it into your calendar.
Partnering up with a colleague to help remind you (and vice versa) when it’s time to stretch can really help to motivate!
Creating a daily activity routine will help make your new activity goals stick better. Pick a time (or times) when it works for you and be sure to get active every day.
Getting weird looks while you do those push ups under your desk? Why not give them weird looks back for not doing push ups next to you! It’s time to break the stigma against sudden attacks of lunges and squats next to your desk!
Visit the Physical Activity Line website for more information on workplace activity.
Theresa (far right) with some of her population health teammates on a walking meeting.
Sometimes you do something because it works. After a while, you learn that there are theories, recommendations, and guidelines that tell you that you should do what you’ve already been doing. That’s what happened for Nancy Viney, Northern Health tobacco reduction coordinator, and me.
About a year ago, Nancy and I started walking together. We wanted to get some fresh air and to take some breaks away from our desks. As colleagues, Nancy and I also had to address some challenging work-related issues together. Unintentionally, we found that walking together seemed to help us think and problem solve together. So, the planning became easier and – oddly enough – the walking was less of a chore than if we had done it by ourselves.
More recently, we learned that those who sit more than six hours a day are sedentary. Between going to the gym, finding time for exercise at home, walking, gardening, and maintaining our houses, Nancy and I thought we were pretty active. However, we are sedentary. The culprit? Sitting all day at work.
Walking meetings – like Nancy and I enjoy – can be a useful way to get more activity into our day. More importantly, it breaks up how much we sit. The research behind walking meetings supports that they get us out of our chairs, can make us more creative, and can improve group dynamics.
Networking meetings – are you just getting to know someone, or giving someone a less formal update?
Small groups – think how many people can walk side-by-side so that all can hear?
“Outside of the box” thinking – the environment change may be good for problem solving, brainstorming, team building, or planning.
Ultimately, every move counts when it comes to getting out of your work chair. For more guidelines on living a healthier life, visit our position papers.
Have you ever tried a walking meeting?