For a full explanation of our decision, click here.

The RSS feed has been updated, so subscribing to our feed here on Scienceblogs will still bring you all of the content at our new home.  If you experience any problems with the feed, please don’t hesitate to contact us by email, twitter, or by leaving a comment on either site.

I would just like to say that aside from the past week, our time here at Scienceblogs has been extremely positive thanks to the terrific readers here at Scienceblogs and to our former sciblings.  Thanks especially to Abbie from ERV and Scicurious (formerly of Neurotopia), for openly campaigning for our addition to the network, as well as Bora Zivkovic and Dave Munger for their advice during the move. 

Thanks again, and we hope you will continue the discussion at our new digs.

Travis

I know things are hitting the fan at SciBlogs with the whole PepsiCo sponsored blog fiasco. I only superficially understand the ensuing controversy.

Alas, I have VERY limited internet access available, and thus would prefer to discuss another issue which I have noticed while moving through Bolivia for the past 2 weeks.

I’ve previously discussed the issue of wealth and obesity, from a historical perspective. In essence, throughout most of history, only those individuals with plentiful disposable income could afford to eat enough and move little enough to accumulate significant girth.

Accordingly, one’s weight was a direct positive indicator of their wealth and power.

Today, the situation is largely reversed. The richest people also tend to be the leanest.

At least this is the case in North America.

What I am seeing in South America, and specifically what I’ve noticed over the past 2 weeks moving quickly through Bolivia, is in fact, the opposite.

We’ve travelled through the following Bolivian cities and towns: La Paz, Uyuni, Potosi, Sucre, and Santa Cruz.

In some of these places, namely Uyuni, the average socioeconomic level is extremely low.
The town has no paved streets, no streetlights, and very few places to buy anything – especially food.

Here, one is hard-pressed to find an individual who is overweight or obese.

There’s simply no extra food to be had, even if one could afford it.

On the other hand, as the level of wealth increases, so does the frequency of overweight bodies.

For example, I am currently writing this from a café in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz is one of the wealthiest cities, and the 2nd most populated in Bolivia. Despite what many imagine Bolivia might look like, and what I have seen over the past number of days, this place feels more like North America than Bolivia.

There are plenty of folks driving more expensive cars than I have ever been in: Hummers and BMW’s are common.

The clothing stores sell merchandise only in US dollars.

And the streets are lined with desert and ice cream parlors.

Not to mention various Bolivian reincarnations of fast food: fried chicken seems to be a favorite.

Along with the increased presence of this unexpected wealth and plentiful palatable food in Santa Cruz, is the significantly greater presence of overweight and obesity.

Sadly, I feel more at home here – with the greasy food and expanded waistlines than anywhere else in Bolivia.

Thankfully, for the first time since we started travelling, our hostel actually has a gym, albeit a severely derelict one, which I have been able to use this morning to work off the ice cream consumed yesterday.

I could not have been happier to see those rusted dumbbells and dust covered benches.

My hands still retain some of the rust from the dumbbells used this morning.

Peter

Last year I posted results from a study which suggest that having a breakfast high in fibre may be more satiating for a smaller number of calories, and thus may be one important way to help manage hunger and thus caloric intake. Today I came across another new study which suggests that a breakfast high in fibre and with a low glycemic index (the degree to which an ingested food causes a spike in blood glucose levels) may enhance fat oxidation during a subsequent bout of exercise.

Peter

Stevenson, E., Astbury, N., Simpson, E., Taylor, M., & Macdonald, I. (2009). Fat Oxidation during Exercise and Satiety during Recovery Are Increased following a Low-Glycemic Index Breakfast in Sedentary Women Journal of Nutrition, 139 (5), 890-897 DOI: 10.3945/jn.108.101956

This post was originally published on Obesitypanacea.com on April 23, 2009.

This is a hugely important issue, so hopefully we’ll get back to it ASAP here on Obesity Panacea.  But not this week.

Time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!

Travis

Today we have Scibling Showdown # 2 – the pros and cons of grad school.  This episode includes Jason Goldman of the Thoughtful Animal, Christie Wilcox of Observations of a Nerd and Scicurious of Neurotopia.  We talk about how we chose our current labs, things we wish we had known before we started grad school, and where we plan to end up (spoiler: none of us have any idea!). 

We also discuss how blogging plays into the graduate school experience, and here it sounds like we’ve all had overwhelmingly positive experiences.  I think any student will admit that grad school is a bit bipolar – periods where everything is going amazingly smoothly, followed by rough patches where nothing seems to go the way you want.  It can get especially tough in the final stages of a thesis, when you have spent literally months writing and re-writing the same few pages of text.  Performing revision after revision (after revision) on a manuscript, only to have it rejected, can also put you into a bit of a funk.  Blogging is a great way to stay excited about research, since you only have to discuss the papers that you think are interesting!  I can’t say enough about the ways that blogging has enriched my graduate school experience, and it seems that almost every other blogger I talk to has had a similar experience. 

The other feeling I got from the discussion was that although grad school has its ups and downs, we all seem to generally enjoy the experience.  I know I wouldn’t still be in school if I didn’t really enjoy it!  Grad school sometimes gets a bad rap, but it really is a lot of fun when you find the right lab.

Jason, Christie, and Scicurious are all cross-posting the podcast today, so I’d encourage you to check out their sites to see their thoughts on our discussion.  We’re hoping to make these chats a semi-regular feature, so any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I know that there are quite a few grad students/former students that read our blogs as well, and it would be great to hear about your experiences.

To listen to the podcast, you can use the audio player below, or download the podcast itself by clicking here.  And don’t forget that you can also subscribe in iTunes to have all of our
future podcasts delivered directly to your ipod.

Enjoy the podcast!

Travis

Happy Canada Day!  It looks like a pretty nice day here in the capital as well as the rest of the country – a great chance to get in some physical activity with your friends and family!  Enjoy the long weekend!

Travis

Today is the first day of summer vacation here in Ontario, and I assume that the summer break has begun in most other parts of North America as well.  That means that millions of kids are looking at 8 gloriously school-free weeks in July and August.  Now while physical activity promotion folks like myself would hope that all of these kids are going to spend their summer outside being physically active, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that that is not the case for most kids. 

Since these are kids, parents obviously have a huge amount of control over the way they spend free time.  So what do parents look for when making summer plans for their kids?  According to a new survey by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario/Environics, physical activity doesn’t play into the decision making process for most parents. 

When asked to name the biggest challenge to making summer plans for
their kids, 49% of parents in the Greater Toronto Area named
affordability, while just 17% said it was ensuring that the child was
physically active.  Now I don’t think that anyone is surprised that the
primary concern would be affordability, but physical activity was literally
the bottom of the list, well below other concerns including safety,
that the program be beneficial for the child in some way, or simply
knowing what programs are available.  Now we could interpret this a few
ways – perhaps finding summer activities that involve physical activity
isn’t a challenge because there are so many opportunities that involve
physical activity.  But again, given the low levels of physical activity
being performed by Canadian children, that seems unlikely.  What seems
more likely is that physical activity just is not the primary (or
tertiary, or even quaternary (?)) concern for most parents.  That
doesn’t mean that parents deserve all the blame, but it’s still an
interesting statistic.

After the release of the survey I had the
opportunity to discuss the results with Sharon Brodovsky (at left) from
the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  I find it very interesting and
frustrating that the solutions to these issues seem so incredibly simple
(e.g. take your kids to the park), and yet childhood physical activity
levels still don’t seem to be improving.  That’s one of the reasons why I
like Sharon’s Spark
program, since it focuses explicitly on advocacy and creating a
societal movement for healthier children, rather than placing all of the
burden on parents (for my earlier post on Spark, click here).  If you only have time to read one answer, jump to
number 6, as I that’s the one that I found by far the most interesting,
and the most important for those of us promoting physical activity.

Enjoy
the interview!

Travis

————————————————

1. 
Affordability was the number one concern in your survey.  If a parent
can’t afford to send their kid to camp, what practical steps can they
take to make sure their child has a physically active summer? 

There
are many options in the city that are free. Playing in their
backyard, local parks, accessing local city outdoor pools, wading pools
and
playgrounds.  Take advantage of the summer weather and play outside as
much as possible.  Meet at the nearest park with other families in your
neighbourhood or building and play a pick up soccer game. Schedule
physical
activity time into your daily summer routine.

2.  Your press release mentions that back in the day, “summertime meant we got on our bikes in the
morning
and came back before the streetlights came on.“  How can we
get back to that, especially in large cities?  Is it even possible to
get
back to that type of lifestyle?  Is it as simple as locking the kids
outside?

We can’t
go back to those days nor should it be something to strive
for because our cities and lifestyles have changed. It’s not about
locking our
kids outside but giving kids and parents new sets of keys to so that
it’s
easier for kids and their parents to be active and play outside.

3.  Dr Di Buono mentions that when left to their own devices, kids often
choose sedentary activities like video-games.  You’re a parent – how do
you make sure that unstructured playtime is still physically active?

This is
where parents need to be parents and role models, kids
naturally want to play and it’s more fun with someone – a video game is
often
just a substitute play mate.  Summer is the perfect time to be outside
and
if kids are given an open space with a ball or a Frisbee and or friends -
they
will actively play, run, skip,  and jump.

4.  There is a movement trying to legalize street hockey in the GTA
(yes,
it’s technically illegal).  This seems to suggest that it’s not just
parents that need to take action – it’s the entire community.  What can
individual people do to advocate more effectively for physically active
communities?

We
totally agree with the “takes a village to raise a child”
approach and we as parents and citizens need to start speaking up to our
friends, neighbours, city counselors and others about making our
communities
more accessible to be physically active – legalizing street games,
integrating
our trails and bikes paths into our daily commutes, etc. Lead by
example, if
people see others outside playing – they will follow.

5.  Your press release says that the priority for parents is to find
solutions that are affordable, convenient, and safe, as opposed to ones
that
promote physical activity.  What is the solution? (e.g. make everything
more safe/affordable, convince parents of the importance of PA, all of
the
above, etc).

It
really is a bit of all of the above as all are priorities and
barriers that prevent our kids from being active

The emerging theory of why obesity is associated with disease risk suggests that it is not the excess amount of fat that results in problems – but rather, it is the inability of the fat tissue (specifically subcutaneous, or under the skin fat) to expand enough to store all the excess calories being ingested. In other words, if obese and metabolically unhealthy individuals could somehow develop more subcutaneous fat tissue, they could theoretically become healthier.

That’s right – get fatter and yet healthier.

While these notions surely seem like heresy or simply void of logic to many of you reading, a study just published ahead of print in the journal Obesity, beautifully illustrates the theoretical argument I just described.

In the study, 12 overweight or obese and metabolically unhealthy subjects were given a drug (Pioglitazone) for a duration of 12 weeks. While the exact actions of this drug, and more generally the thiazolidinediones (TZD) class of drugs are beyond the scope of this post, it is important to understand that these drugs seem to upregulate the production of healthy new fat cells (a process known as adipogenesis) – that is they make you fatter. By doing so, these drugs increase the storage capacity of your fat tissue – something that is limited in unhealthy obese individuals.

And that is precisely what happened in these subjects following 3 months of Pioglitizone administration. First, they gained about 2kg of body weight. Their amount of subcutaneous fat in the belly went up by about 10% and that in their butt/thigh by about 24%. Interestingly, their amount of dangerous visceral fat decreased by about 11%. (Some suggest that visceral fat really begins to accumulate and potentially lead to metabolic problems when benign subcutaneous fat runs out of storage space. Thus, not surprising to see an increase in storage capacity of subcutaneous fat and yet a reduction in visceral accumulation).

Also, a fat biopsy from the belly of the subjects showed that the increase in fat mass was due to an increase in the number of small and healthy adipocytes (fat cells) which are better able to take up more circulating fat.

Alright, so people with excess fat and metabolic problems took drugs for 12 weeks which apparently made them fatter, and what happened to their insulin sensitivity (a major metabolic marker of diabetes risk)?

Their insulin sensitivity improved by over 28%!

That’s right – they got fatter and yet healthier.

Interestingly, the authors were able to show a close correlation between the relative increase in new subcutaneous fat cells and insulin sensitivity – the more new fat cells a subject developed, the more their insulin sensitivity improved.

Still believe the “fat is bad” mantra? As this study illustrates, matters related to excess fat and health risk are much more nuanced than what many would have you believe.

Peter

McLaughlin, T., Liu, T., Yee, G., Abbasi, F., Lamendola, C., Reaven, G., Tsao, P., Cushman, S., & Sherman, A. (2009). Pioglitazone Increases the Proportion of Small Cells in Human Abdominal Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Obesity DOI: 10.1038/oby.2009.380

This post was originally published on Obesitypanacea.com on November 16, 2009.

Many people often take holidays to relax and unwind from the stresses of their daily life. Unfortunately, this can result in a week or two of poor if not excessive eating and drinking and little physical activity – not the best way to recharge one’s battery. As part of our South American adventure, we’ve tried to add as much physical activity into our travels as possible. Today I’d like to discuss my experience during our trek through the Peruvian Andes on our way to visit Machu Picchu. If you are considering booking a holiday anytime soon and are looking for an active holiday, I would strongly suggest this excursion.

Here goes…

The eight of us in the trek group are sitting down for dinner around a makeshift table in the middle of a thatch roofed, stone constructed house belonging to a local farmer.

Today we completed the second and most strenuous day of our Lares Trek through the old Inca trails leading through the Andes between Cusco and the magical Machu Picchu. We walked a total of 12 km today, the first 7 of which were all uphill.

While 12km may not seem like much, keep in mind we were performing said trek at an altitude ranging from 3900 to 4600m.

For me, this three day trek represented the most physically challenging part of our travels.

Before we even started today’s trek, some of us were already tired from yesterday’s effort, not to mention the previous night’s broken sleep in a chilly tent, at a dizzying 3800m, in the middle of the Peruvian mountain range.

Needless to say we were exhausted, and after a few spoonfuls of delicious soup, we quickly became giddy, cracking nonsensical jokes about the supposed inferiority of the other popular trek in the area, the Inca trail, began.

When people come to visit Machu Picchu, many simply fly into Cusco, then take a train to Machu Picchu in the morning, snap a few photos and head back to Cusco, then back home. Most of their time would be spent on a plane, train or bus.

For a more active experience, some tourists opt for 1 of 2 main treks through the area, both leading to a finish in Machu Picchu: the Inca trail or the Lares trail.

Both treks take a few days, and require at least a couple of nights camping out in the mountains.

Both treks are led by an experienced guide, and include surprisingly delicious meals prepared by a cook who travels with the group through the mountains (during each meal we were stunned by the variety and quality of food prepared for us using one portable gas stove – quinoa soup was my favourite).

Both treks provide absolutely stunning views of mountains, glaciers, lagoons, and various animals.

The major difference between the two options is popularity with tourists; the Inca trail is by far the most popular trek. Most of the people we’ve met weren’t even aware of alternatives to the uber-popular Inca trail.

Due to this popularity, the number of tourists on the Inca trail can get quite high, resulting in a recently instated capping off at a maximum of 500 people.

This popularity results in crowded paths, huge campsites where sleep is difficult (think hundreds of tents), lineups for many sights, a less authentic experience, and, of course, countless other gringos ruining your Kodak moments.

On the other hand, the Lares trek remains off the beaten path, and allows for a more tourist-free experience.

Our group consisted of 7 travelers: Marina, Killian and I from our original group, plus three young chaps from England, and a kiwi girl who was recently transplanted to Canada’s west coast. Additionally, we had our guide, cook, 3 herdsmen (who took care of the set up of tents, and herding the horses which carried our sleeping gear), and one of the herdsmen’s daughters, Elizabeth, who herded a pack of llamas which came along for the trek.

Aside from these 12 people, we basically saw no other tourists during the 3 days we spent in the mountains.

During our trek we passed by many small villages and got to interact with some of the locals – mostly children on their way to school, all dressed in traditional clothing.

Marina, in particular, seemed to revel in this interaction, shooting easily over 100 photos of local children.

We even got to play a game of soccer with local kids at school during their phys-ed class. Given the high altitude, and my paranoia about altitude sickness I took it very easy – reaching a running pace only a couple of times. After each brief jog, I was out of breath for a good while – the altitude certainly kicks your butt. As per usual, Marina was running around as though we were at sea level – I am envious of her Russian heartiness.

We also came across countless llamas and alpacas along our trek, resulting in even more excessive photography by Marina, who has taken a serious liking to these beautiful camelids.

The scenery was absolutely stunning, and we took frequent breaks to appreciate the beauty surrounding us – not to mention catch our breath.

The stars at nighttime were particularly memorable.

Despite being relatively pampered with food and wonderful views, the 3 days of hiking were pretty tough – at the end of the journey, all of us were quite sore. Quads, buttocks, and calves were the most common sources of discomfort.

For me, my hip joints felt stiff as hell.

“Who needs squats?” I joked with Killian, as we ascended towards the highest point of our walk – a pass at over 4500m.

Another challenge during the hike was hygiene: due to our remote location, we could only wash our hands and face with the bit of hot water we were given in a bowl each morning. On the last day, our collective body odor became rather pungent – we all repeatedly apologized for our respective smells, and sat as far away as possible from each other while consuming our final lunch.

The shower that night was fantastic.

The cold nights in tents were also a challenge for some – the temperature dipped below zero on two of our nights.

Marina, for example, used two sleeping bags during the night.

Waking up to a frost covered tent was a first for me, personally.

Getting out of our tents in the morning was made possible only by the hot coca tea provided at our tent by one of the herdsmen.

In the end, both Killian and I admitted to each other that the trek wasn’t as tough as we thought it would be.

Nevertheless, the sense of accomplishment among the members of our group was sealed with a round of high fives, before we all sank in our chairs and waited for our final lunch, back at Ollantaytambe.

“We actually did it!” Killian says to me, as he sits across the long wooden dining table.

“It’s all downhill from here” I respond.

Peter