A Critical Review on New Approaches for Chronic Disease Prevention in Brazil and Canada: From Wholistic Dietary Guidelines to Physical Activity Security.

In light of new evidence on the prevention of chronic diseases and the elevated rates of overweight and obesity in Brazil and Canada, this critical review aims to interpret and synthesize current aspects regarding dietary and physical activity initiatives in both countries and make future recommendations. The pioneering work presented in the last Brazilian dietary guidelines has been called a model that can be applied globally, given its conceptualization of healthy eating that translates easily to practical guidance. The new Canadian Food Guide has incorporated similar aspects, also putting the country as a leader in dietary guidance. With these new recommendations, citizens in both Brazil and Canada have access to impactful evidence-informed nutritional guidelines. Both documents propose eating patterns that focus not only on health benefits, such as chronic disease prevention, but also incorporate well-being concerning cultural, economic, sociodemographic, biological, and ecological dimensions. A similar approach is required for physical activity to allow individuals to have attainable health and life goals and thereby fully enjoy their lives, regardless of geographical location, health status, and socioeconomic condition, a concept recently described as physical activity security. The wholistic dietary guidelines from both countries represent a change in paradigm in public health. Likewise, national evidence-based policies are warranted to reduce disparities in physical activity, allowing healthier and more active lifestyles for everyone.

Bilateral difference between lower limbs in children practicing laterally dominant vs. non-laterally dominant sports.

Bilateral asymmetry in lower-limb power and dynamic balance has been associated with increased risk of sport injury, whereas there is a lack of research examining this asymmetry for child athletes. Twenty-eight fencers (19 boys and 9 girls, aged 9.71 ± 1.08 years) and 28 Taekwondo athletes (19 boys and 9 girls, aged 9.71 ± 1.08 years) were examined on the single-leg jump and Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) performance. A mixed model design ANOVA (2 [Sex: Boys, Girls] × 2 [Sport group: Fencing, Taekwondo] × 2 [Limb: Dominant, Non-dominant Leg]) was conducted to examine for difference for each test. There was a significant main effect of limb on hop and triple hop distance (p < 0.05). A significant limb by sex interaction (p = 0.000) was shown for the single-leg countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, wherein a bilateral difference was only shown in boys. In SEBT, a main effect (p = 0.007) of limb was identified for posterolateral (PL) reach distance. A limb by sex interaction (p = 0.009) was also shown for posteromedial (PM) reach distance, wherein a bilateral difference was only shown in girls. These findings suggest that child athletes in both laterally dominant and non-laterally dominant sports showed inter-limb asymmetry of leg power and dynamic balance. Sex should be an important consideration when evaluating bilateral difference of leg power and dynamic balance for child athletes.

Health Benefits of Physical Activity: A Strengths-Based Approach.

Our special series on Cardiac Rehabilitation outlined the importance of routine physical activity and/or exercise participation in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and many other chronic medical conditions. The evidence is overwhelming, demonstrating that nearly everyone can benefit from becoming more physically active. This messaging has been widely disseminated at regional, national, and international levels. Often, this messaging highlights a physical inactivity crisis and the health perils of not engaging in sufficient amounts of physical activity. This deficits-based messaging often includes generic threshold-based recommendations stating that health benefits can only be accrued with specific volumes or intensities of physical activity. In this Editorial, we argue that the current generic and deficits-based messaging misses a great opportunity to focus on the positive and to facilitate hope and real change at the individual, community, and population levels. We advocate a strengths-based approach to health and wellness promotion that focuses on the innate strengths of individuals, families, and communities to enable self-empowerment and self-determination related to health and wellness. By taking a strengths-based approach, we can build hope, promoting the positive aspects of routine physical activity and exercise participation and providing a greater opportunity to enhance health and wellbeing for everyone.

Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis: balancing risk management.

In this narrative review of the current literature, we examine the traditional risk factors and patient profiles leading to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. We discuss the interrelationships between risk factors and common pathophysiological mechanisms for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. We evaluate the increasing evidence that supports an association between these disabling conditions. We reveal that vascular health appears to have a strong effect on skeletal health, and vice versa. We highlight the importance of addressing the risk benefit of preventative interventions in both conditions. We discuss how both sexes are affected by these chronic conditions and the importance of considering the unique risk of the individual. We show that habitual physical activity is an effective primary and secondary preventative strategy for both cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. We highlight how a holistic approach to the prevention and treatment of these chronic conditions is likely warranted.