Latest news with #Hewko
CBC
15-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
New guidelines to treat childhood obesity send mixed messages, says UPEI prof
Social Sharing An associate professor and registered dietitian at the University of Prince Edward Island is calling new Canadian guidelines to treat childhood obesity problematic. "You're saying, on one hand, we don't want to stigmatize heavy weight, but then on the other, you're pulling out pretty big guns to try and attack this," said Sarah Hewko. "As a child, you're going to be like, 'OK, which one is it? Is it something I should feel ashamed of and deserve to be treated differently for? Or is it not?'" The guidelines were co-developed by Obesity Canada and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday. It's the first time the guidelines have been updated in nearly 20 years. "The main kind of takeaways are that we shouldn't be focusing necessarily on specifically weight," said Ian Patton, the director of advocacy and public engagement at Obesity Canada. "The important things are the health outcomes — you know, quality of life." Why this doctor says BMI shouldn't be used to diagnose obesity 3 months ago Duration 9:00 'Pretty extreme' The recommendation includes not just physical, psychological and nutritional interventions, but also medical ones — for example, considering prescribing Ozempic or Mounjaro for children at least 12 years old and surgeries like gastric bypass for those 13 and older. "It's not saying that every one that is, you know, living with obesity or every kid that has obesity should be put on a medication. That is absolutely not what the guidelines state," said Patton. "But for some people, they are a valuable tool that could be very effective and could be life-altering." Hewko said the guidelines send mixed messages. She is happy to see components talking about weight stigma, but including "recommendations that you can use surgery and Ozempic or Manjaro in kids is stigmatizing," she believes. "That's a pretty extreme thing. I do have some fear around that." Hewko also has concerns about how P.E.I.'s health-care system might struggle to use the guidelines to address issues, given the long waits for family doctors and the demand for more pediatricians. Still, Patton is optimistic that the new guidelines will make a difference. He grew up living with obesity and believes these latest recommendations could have helped. "Just having the knowledge of, you know, 'How we can go about this?' can really, really have a positive impact on families as a whole," he said. "I was really, really ill at one point and I needed some pretty significant help. And I didn't, you know, didn't need to get that far."
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Was weather history just made in Boise? City saw hot March temperatures Wednesday
It was a historic Wednesday for weather watchers in the Treasure Valley. Boise's temperature reached 81 degrees at 4:11 p.m., according to National Weather Service meteorologist Wasyl Hewko, tying a record for the hottest March day in the city in the 20th and 21st centuries. It was the second-hottest March day since record-keeping began: It hit 82 on March 26, 1877. The other 81-degree day came on March 29, 1978. Hewko cited a significant amount of sunshine, as well as a strong easterly, downsloping wind, as potential contributors to the exceptionally warm day. Temperatures began quickly cooling once evening hit, though, accompanied by thick clouds over the city. Parts of Canyon County, particularly the Caldwell area, began experiencing thunderstorms with significant lightning Wednesday evening. Hewko said. 'We're seeing some cumulus buildups over higher terrain late this afternoon, and even a thunderstorm moving through the Owyhee Mountains,' National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Groene said in a message. 'Expect showers and thunderstorms to develop over southeast Oregon this evening, with isolated activity continuing in southwest Idaho.' Hewko predicted the storms would miss Boise, but the NWS forecasts showed potential rain Friday afternoon and for much of the weekend, which might put a damper on some of the outdoor Treefort Music Fest activities. The 13th edition of the festival will have its main stage and plenty of other things in Julia Davis Park.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Weather whiplash? Boise could see warmest March day ever this week, followed by storms
Winter is finally over! Potentially record-breaking temperatures are headed for the Treasure Valley this week, but Boiseans should enjoy the mild weather while they can because it won't last long. Boise is expected to see highs of 74 degrees Tuesday and 79 degrees Wednesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Wasyl Hewko. The temperature could end up even higher, however, putting Wednesday in the running for the warmest March day in Boise's recorded history. The hottest March temperature ever recorded in the city was an 82-degree day on March 26, 1877, according to the weather service. That record is followed by an 80-degree day that took place more than a century later on March 29, 1978, and an 80-degree day on March 19, 1997. 'Our normal temperatures for this time of year are highs in the 58s and lows in the 37s,' Hewko told the Idaho Statesman by phone. 'So we're definitely going to be above normal.' Sunny skies will prevail until late Tuesday or Wednesday morning, when clouds are forecast to begin moving into the area from the west, bringing colder, damper weather, Hewko said. The high temperature likely will drop to 69 degrees on Thursday and could dip as low as 58 degrees on Friday and Saturday. 'We're going to transition from a warm air mass to a colder one,' Hewko said. '… Behind the cold front is obviously a colder air mass. It tends to be more unstable. And when the sun heats up, it causes some mixing.' That cold front is expected to begin creating thunderstorms in Oregon on Wednesday, which are forecast to make their way to the Treasure Valley by late Wednesday and last until Thursday or Friday, according to Hewko. The meteorologist said the front will also bring breezes that could get up to 25-28 miles per hour on Wednesday, with the potential for stronger winds Thursday. 'Once the system pushes through Wednesday, as we get into Thursday, we're going to have winds changing direction,' Hewko said. 'They're going to become more southwesterly and westerly, and they are definitely going to be increasing to 30 mph.' The winds are expected to taper off Friday, dropping to about 15 miles per hour. Highs over the weekend are predicted to stay between 58 and 61 degrees, Hewko said.
