• Minister's Attack on Fat an Obscene Proposition

    Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen March 12, 2002 Federal Health Minister Anne McLellan mused recently about the obesity epidemic as if this was some new revelation.

  • Discourage smoking by appealing to teens' independent spirit

    Our governments spend millions of dollars a year to combat the scourge of teen smoking. Many “hip” public health campaigns have been tried with limited success.

  • Discourage smoking by appealing to teens' independent spirit

    Our governments spend millions of dollars a year to combat the scourge of teen smoking. Many “hip” public health campaigns have been tried with limited success.

  • Iron Overload

    Hereditary hemochromatosis is a disorder of iron metabolism affecting one in 300 North Americans genetically predisposed to develop iron overload.

  • Body Image Obsession Doesn't Happen In a Vacuum

    The decision by YM magazine to quit printing diet tips and use models who reflect the body image of the majority of teens is welcome news.

  • Diets: The Road to Angst

    Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen February 6, 2002 “The Hurst may have changed, but it’s the same old fanny.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt commenting to novelist Fannie Hurst’s change in appearance after dieting. We learn from experience that men never learn from experience. – George Bernard Shaw Most diets do not work. Despite logic…

  • Childhood Obesity: Our "Supersize" culture

    The prevalence of child obesity is growing at an alarming rate. In the United States, the obesity rate for children and adolescents has increased 50 per cent during the past 20 years. Approximately 22 to 25 per cent of all children in the U.S. and Canada are obese or overweight. It is a worldwide phenomenon,…

  • Best Advice is Buyer Beware of Over-the-Counter Remedies

    Herbal supplements should be regulated, like prescription drugs, so people know exactly what they’re getting.

  • Up in smoke

    Throw away those old truisms about cigarettes. Here are some new ways to talk to teens about smoking.