lecture 4 improving wellness in canada

Question 1

what are key areas of improvement in canadians?

Answer 1

Improving Physical Activity
Promoting Healthy Eating & Reducing Weight Stigma
Addressing Mental Health
Tobacco, Alcohol and Substance Use

Question 2

weight bias

Answer 2

attitudes, beliefs, or stereotypes people hold about individuals
in larger bodies. (beliefs)

Question 3

weight discrimination

Answer 3

unfair treatment or denial of opportunity based on
someone’s weight (actions)

Question 4

weight stigma

Answer 4

prejudice that individuals experience based on their body
size. It involves the negative stereotypes, assumptions, and judgments that people make about someone who is in a larger body size (impact)

Question 5

body size and health outcomes

Answer 5

large body size means poorer health outcomes

Question 6

underlying premises of weight bias and stigma

Answer 6

anti-fat bias/weight stigma cause substantial harm and leads to worse health outocomes via
1) chronic stress/trauma
2) decreased access to/avoidance of care
3) dismissal of symptoms experienced by higher weight people by medical providers
BMI is a bad measurement of health
medical providers exhibit high levels of anti-fat bias/weight stigma
pathologizing higher weight increases weight stigma in a medical framework

Question 7

what happens when researchers report b/w BMI and health outcomes

Answer 7

researches report association b/w BMI and health outcomes –> increased anti-fat bias in society and medicine –>
worse health outcomes for higher weight people

Question 8

what happens if you dont evaluate anti-fat bias/ weight stigma?

Answer 8

reporting health outcomes for higher weight people without evaluating anti-fat bias/weight stigma is:
potentially harmful
misleading
incomplete

Question 9

what are the 10 values of a weight inclusive care philosophy

Answer 9

weight inclusivity, health enhancement, respectful care, eating well, life-enhancing movement, decouple health and weight, no body assumptions, oppose the pursuit of deliberate weight loss, challenge body size oppression, reject healthism

Question 10

weight inclusivity

Answer 10

• Respect and appreciate that there is diversity of body shapes and sizes
• Reject the idealizing or pathologizing specific body sizes

Question 11

health enhancement

Answer 11

• Support policies that improve and equalize access to health information and services for everyone
• Take a broad definition of health

Question 12

respectful care

Answer 12

• Acknowledge that we all carry biases but challenge them
• Work to end weight stigma
• Understand intersectionality (i.e., overlap of biases among marginalized groups)

Question 13

eating well

Answer 13

Focus on flexible and individualized eating based on internal cues of hunger, satiety, pleasure, and appetite instead of external cues or dieting for weight control

Question 14

life enhancing movement

Answer 14

Support life-enhancing physical activities that allow people of all sizes, ability, and interests to engage in enjoyable movement, to the degree they choose, rather than any externally regulated activity plan for weight control”

Question 15

DECOUPLE WEIGHT AND HEALTH

Answer 15

• Advocate that health and well-being cannot be defined by a person’s body weight
• Encourage whole person assessments that measure health beyond a weight:
• Nutrition
• Physical activity
• Mental health
• Sleep
• Genetics
• Other factors

Question 16

no body assumptions

Answer 16

• Respect for all bodies
• Challenge stereotypes
• Promote inclusivity

Question 17

oppose pursuit of deliberate weight loss

Answer 17

• Weight loss is harmful and should not be recommended:
• Not a single study has been shown that intentional weight loss is sustainable in the long-term for more individuals
• The more people engage in dieting, the more weight they gain in the long term

Question 18

challenge body size oppression

Answer 18

• Promote Body Liberation
• Educate and Advocate
• Amplify Diverse Voices
• consider the media you consume

Question 19

reject healthism

Answer 19

• the belief that physical health should be prioritized above all else, often at the expense of other aspects of well-being such as mental health, emotional balance, and social equity.

Question 20

what is our mental health?

Answer 20

State of your psychological and emotional wellbeing
Necessity for living a full and healthy life
Good mental health allows you to enjoy life and overcome challenges

Question 21

mental illness

Answer 21

Effects a person’s ability to function over a long period of time

Examples: Changes in mood, behaviour, loneliness, sadness, feeling disconnected

Can effect people of all ages, stages, income levels, education levels etc

Should seek additional treatment from a health care provider/community based organization

Question 22

symptoms of mental illness

Answer 22

changes in thinking, mood or behavior
symptoms include significant distress and inability to function

Question 23

what impacts our mental health

Answer 23

life experiences
relationships
Home, work and school environments
Substance use
Holistic health

Question 24

how to improve mental health?

Answer 24

Self-acceptance
Set realistic goals
Spent time in your community
Create healthy, trusting relationships
Having a sense of purpose: work, school, spiritual etc
Accepting/understanding strengths and weaknesses

Question 25

how do you reduce the risk of harm from alcohol

Answer 25

it is recommended that people living in Canada consider reducing their alcohol use

Question 26

a continuum of risk (alcohol)

Answer 26

0 drinks per week - not drinking has benefits such as better health 1 to 2 standard drinks per week - you will likely avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself and others 3 to 6 standard drinks per week - your risk developing several different types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases 7 or more standard drinks - your risk of heart disease or stroke increases each additional standard drink - radically increases the risk of these alcohol-related consequences

Question 27

what is a standard drink?

Answer 27

beer, cooler/cider/read-to-drink, wine, spirits

Question 28

alcohol leads to what?

Answer 28

cancer, CVD, injuries, violence, road crashes less drinking means less risk of harm from alcohol

Question 29

potential policy implications

Answer 29

mandatory labelling - standard drink labelling, guidance on alcohol and health labelling, health warnings Strengthened restrictions on alcohol availability Increased prices Strengthened restrictions on alcohol advertising

Question 30

harm reduction strategies (alcohol)

Answer 30

keep track how many drinks per week stick to the limits you've set yourself drink slowly drink lots of water for every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink choose alcohol-free or low-alcohol beverages eat before and while you're drinking have alcohol-free week or do alcohol-free activities

Question 31

what is substance use/abuse?

Answer 31

non-use - avoid use of substances beneficial use - use that can have positive health, social, or spiritual effects lower-risk use - use that has minimal impact to a person, their family, friends and others higher-risk use - use that has a harmful and negative impact to a person, their family and others addiction - a treatable medical condition that affects the brain and involves compulsive and continuous use despite negative impacts of a person, their family, friends and others

Question 32

substance use in canadians

Answer 32

14% of Canadians reported smoking cigarettes regularly Tobacco use is responsible for over 47,000 deaths annually in Canada, making it the leading cause of preventable death 3% of Canadians reported using at least one of six illegal drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, hallucinogens, heroin, or salvia) in the past year Young adults aged 20 to 24 are more likely to report harm due to their own illegal drug use compared to other age group

Question 33

negative effects of substance use

Answer 33

Mental Health Work, School Family/Relationships Health/Safety Income