Kinesiology Leads Attack on Obesity and Diabetes

New task force to look at ‘appropriate individualized exercise’.

The University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology announced on June 7 a major new initiative in the war against obesity and diabetes.We’ve all heard that exercise is good for you, but very few people think of it as the ‘magic bullet’ for better health. Researchers from the Faculty of Kinesiology believe that appropriate exercise – the right type of exercise at the right intensity and duration – is perhaps the most important thing you can do to stay healthy, and they plan on proving it. Dr. Wayne Giles, dean of the faculty, will form a focus group dedicated to helping Alberta fight obesity and related problems like Type II diabetes.”I believe it’s important to let people know that they can do something right now to take charge of their health,” says Giles. “Our faculty is uniquely positioned to aggressively attack this issue at many levels, and we plan to make a difference now and in the future.” Giles, a world leader in the electrical activity of the heart, has assembled a group of researchers who are on the cutting edge of obesity and Type II diabetes research. “Our approach to this problem will range from research at the genetic level, to research that will look for the most effective interventions for problems like childhood obesity,” he says. (Source: University of Calgary : June 2007)