My MSc was in Health Psychology... and my PhD is in promoting the general public to become more active.
To me that article feels as though its assuming that obesity is genetic, and to a certain extent it is, apparently :). However, to me, its more to do with our lifestyles. I dont have the research but it is claimed that our diet has not really altered that much, and 100 years ago obesity was not the same problem it is today, and some people owuld suggest its the lack of activity thats causing the weight (although I'm sure fast food outlets help). So to me, its deifnately a lifestyle change.... But its really hard to increase physical activity if you don't have somewhere to go do it.
My PhD is hoping to encourage people to join in group acitivities that are fun and social and make you forget about the fact youre exercising. But that requires some knowledge of where to find these groups or how to play some team sports.
This article is aimed at kids, and I would love to see physical activity becoming an enjoyable thing for them (I HATED PE at school) so that they already have the knowdlegde of how to play team sports, what to wear and where to do it and to have found some sort of activity they enjoy.
When I was doing my undergrad I was very interested in hormones and neurotranmsitters. My mums been trying to lose weight for a very long time, and I would have loved to have got my hands on some leptin to see how it would effect her. Though, we're not supposed to experiment on our friends and family :)
I think its really interesting scientiests are beginning to understand how our genetics, and biology make us the way we are.
I also worry that rather then we humans do physical acitivty and not eat at burger king every day, that drug would reduce the liklihood a person would get obesity... emaning they could eat burger king all week and sit on the sofa at a hard day at school/work (also sitting down) and not put on weight. Great some people may say, but this is still bad for health. I think we need to treat the cause, not the symptoms.
:S I really rambled :S Though I know its *really* hard though to improve health... and its not as simple as it might appear that I think it is :)
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My 2 cents :)
Date: 2007-04-24 11:00 am (UTC)To me that article feels as though its assuming that obesity is genetic, and to a certain extent it is, apparently :). However, to me, its more to do with our lifestyles. I dont have the research but it is claimed that our diet has not really altered that much, and 100 years ago obesity was not the same problem it is today, and some people owuld suggest its the lack of activity thats causing the weight (although I'm sure fast food outlets help). So to me, its deifnately a lifestyle change.... But its really hard to increase physical activity if you don't have somewhere to go do it.
My PhD is hoping to encourage people to join in group acitivities that are fun and social and make you forget about the fact youre exercising. But that requires some knowledge of where to find these groups or how to play some team sports.
This article is aimed at kids, and I would love to see physical activity becoming an enjoyable thing for them (I HATED PE at school) so that they already have the knowdlegde of how to play team sports, what to wear and where to do it and to have found some sort of activity they enjoy.
When I was doing my undergrad I was very interested in hormones and neurotranmsitters. My mums been trying to lose weight for a very long time, and I would have loved to have got my hands on some leptin to see how it would effect her. Though, we're not supposed to experiment on our friends and family :)
I think its really interesting scientiests are beginning to understand how our genetics, and biology make us the way we are.
I also worry that rather then we humans do physical acitivty and not eat at burger king every day, that drug would reduce the liklihood a person would get obesity... emaning they could eat burger king all week and sit on the sofa at a hard day at school/work (also sitting down) and not put on weight. Great some people may say, but this is still bad for health. I think we need to treat the cause, not the symptoms.
:S I really rambled :S Though I know its *really* hard though to improve health... and its not as simple as it might appear that I think it is :)