Innovation Anthology #110: IP Manager

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Twenty years ago, one out of 10 children was considered overweight. Today it’s one in three kids. And for adults, more than half are weighing in on the chubby side of the scale.

Social nutritionist Dr. Kim Raine of the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Alberta is just one of several researchers who are studying the cultural changes that underlie this alarming increase in obesity.

Dr. Raine points to our physical environment, where cities are built for driving, not walking. Then there’s our economic environment that supports the clustering of obesity among populations with lower incomes and lower education

DR. KIM RAINE: For example, one of my graduate students mapped out where all the fast food restaurants were in the City of Edmonton and then he compared where they were with the census tract information and income. And he found that people in low income neighbourhoods were exposed to 2.7 times more fast food outlets.

No wonder it’s hard to stay thin when you’re surrounded by such temptation.

But Dr. Raine believes these are the facts politicians need to design the social environments and policies that will curb the obesity crisis.

Thanks today to Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

NOTE:  The former AHFMR is now called Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Guest

Graham Carter, PhD,

Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, , United Kingdom, business@RGU.ac.uk

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

Program Date: 2008-02-21