2011 Scholarship Entry #158: Andie Bains

Young and Free Alberta is a scholarship that awards student leaders with innovative ideas and a passion for changing the world. As a citizen of one of the most fortunate countries in the world I feel that it is my responsibility to contribute to making changes to better our society. I feel that in order to make a positive difference globally, we must start by strengthening our community locally. The greatest asset that we have and that we must work to improve is our health. It is only when we as individuals are strong and healthy that we can work towards improving other problems faced by the global community. I believe that one of the most crippling issues faced by our community today is that of childhood and adult obesity. Obesity is a significant risk factor for Canada's leading causes of morbidity and mortality including heart disease, cancer and stroke. If our generation can work towards reducing obesity across our own nation, we can alleviate not only a great deal of suffering on an individual level but we may also then focus our resources on other heavy-weighted issues such as poverty.

As a medical student entering the second phase of my training, I have become deeply committed to improving the health of our community. I appreciate the value of taking preventative measures to improve the health of current and future generations. It is the responsibility of our society's leaders, healthcare professionals, and all members of the community to work towards a goal of reducing obesity rates. There are many measures that I as an individual can take to improve the current health situation. The first is to recognize the role of our culture in creating this epidemic and finding ways to reverse this.

While working with a research group focusing on Aboriginal health issues, I have learned how a lifestyle transition has contributed to alarming rates of preventable diseases. With this research group I am working on implementing dietary interventions to help reverse some of these trends. So far, these interventions have been very successful in improving the health profile of Aboriginal communities in Canada's North. The research has raised awareness about the importance of this issue and educated the public on how they can control their own health. Another initiative that I am undertaking with my peers is writing to city council to encourage the implementation of a bylaw that will require restaurants to display the caloric content of all of their menu items. Such legislation has been successful in improving the health of populations in New York and I feel that it has the potential to help our community make healthier decisions.

Educating the public about health lifestyles is an activity that I encourage my classmates and peers to take part in. I believe that this generation has the knowledge and tools to make a real difference in combating obesity.