| Obesity affects one in four Canadians. The World Health Organization estimates that 2.8 million people die each year, worldwide, due to complications of being overweight or obese. This is the epidemic of the 21st century but what do we really know about it? | |
| Enjoy the discussion and debate among scientific and medical experts from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) who work on different fronts to end this epidemic. This is an opportunity to listen to specialists who care for pediatric and adult patients, to hear their views on this public health problem and note the solutions they propose. They discuss innovative perspectives in prevention and lifestyle management. | Explore the study of brain mechanisms that cause some people to eat too much. Learn more about the latest research in nutrition, including the importance of protein metabolism and intervention models developed to define a diet tailored to the individual. The discussion was moderated by Gaëlle Lussiaà-Berdou, Radio-Canada journalist. |
| Video links: | |
 1. Introduction: Ms. Gaëlle Lussiaà-Berdou, Radio-Canada |
 2. Dr. Legault |
 3. Dr. Dasgupta |
 4. Dr. Dagher |
 5. Dr. Gougeon |
 6. Conclusion |
| Discussion links: |
|
 Q & A 1 |
 Q & A 2 |
 Q & A 3 |
 Q & A 4 |
Ms. Gaëlle Lussiaà-Berdou
Radio Canada
Dr. Laurent Legault,
Pediatric Endocrinologist and Head of the Diabetes Clinic, Montreal Children's Hospital, MUHC
Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, ,
Physician, Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, MUHC and a Researcher in Diabetes, Obesity and Epidemiology, RI MUHC
Dr. Alain Dagher,
Researcher and Neurologist, Montreal Neurological Institute and RI MUHC
Dr. Réjeanne Gougeon,
Associate Professor, McGill Nutrition and Food Science Centre and a Researcher in Nutrition and Diabetes, Research Institute of the MUHC
Q & A 1
1. Does living in a poor or stressful environment encourage bad eating habits?
2. Does our capitalist economic system, with its social inequalities and its emphasis on performance above all else, promote obesity and lack of exercise?
Q & A 2
3. When it comes to children, what works best? Education, diet or physical exercise?
4. I'd like to hear more about the genetic factors involved in obesity.
5. You spoke a lot about schools, but parents and the availability of local facilities like swimming pools are also important. What are your thoughts on this?
Q & A 3
6. Is there a way of legislating or pressuring the food industry into playing a role that would improve the situation?
Q & A 4
7. It seems like things are getting worse in every way. Is there any hope, or is this a lost cause?
8. Why does a person who does a lot of exercise stop losing weight at a certain point, even as they keep up their routine?
Also, sometimes we read about people like models and dancers who use drugs to stay thin. How do drugs affect the metabolism over the long term?
9. Europeans seem to eat as much sugar and salt as we do, yet they also seem to be less obese. Does this have anything to do with the fact that GMOs are regulated and labeled in Europe and not here?
