Top 3 health stories from 2009
3. Weight loss that works: Eat less, talk more
Obesity is on the rise and everyone is looking for a quick fix -- no news there. But the key to weight loss, according to a Harvard University study funded by the US National Institutes of Health, has nothing to do with low carbs, low fats, high proteins or any other nutrient-altering diet.
If you want to lose weight, the researchers say, you have to eat less and stick to it. They also found that participating in regular counselling sessions helped dieters lose more weight than those who didn't seek or receive external support.
2. Bad economy = bad health
According to a survey by the Canadian Medical Association, economic woes pose a serious health hazard for Canadians.
Respondents admitted that the financial downturn affected how they care for themselves (23 per cent), that they are almost as stressed about their health (52 per cent) as they are about the economy (57 per cent), and that they are cutting back on healthy foods, dental appointments and full meals.
1. H1N1 flu pandemic strikes!
Just as winter began to melt away last spring and Canadians looked forward to spending more time outdoors again, a global phenomenon gave us cause to remain inside and lock the doors -- swine flu. H1N1 seemed to appear out of nowhere in April and by June, the outbreak was classified a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
As of Nov. 10, two weeks after the flu vaccine was rolled out in Canada, the confirmed deaths worldwide totalled more than 6,500 and unrest remained as to whether the vaccine would prove harmful or beneficial.
So what do we have when we look at the year in review? Although an AIDS vaccine is further away than at first expected and we're recognizing that climate change poses a serious threat, 2009 made great strides in medical technologies and discoveries for far-reaching and life-threatening diseases such as Parkinson's and cancer. We look forward to more visionary studies and outcomes in 2010.
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