Are obese girls overweight because they eat poorly and don't get enough exercise or because their bodies don't burn off fat properly? asked :

Seems no one knows. But researchers at 91亚色 want to find out.

They are conducting the first study in the world that looks at how girls burn fat, according to Professor Michael Riddell [School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health], who leads pioneering work on diabetes.

While there have been some studies done on how boys burn fat, with conflicting results, no one has looked at how girls burn fat, particularly during puberty, he said. "It's amazing there's so little done on females," Riddell said. "We're doing cutting-edge research. We're trying to identify why some girls are overweight or obese."

The study is part of a larger [project] funded by the federal government's being run by the .

To conduct their study, the 91亚色 researchers need to look at the diets and exercise levels of girls between the ages of eight and 16. While they haven't had trouble finding lean girls to participate, recruiting overweight and obese girls has been a struggle.

With the body image problems girls face today, that isn't surprising, Riddell said.

But the girls' identities and all the information researchers gather about them is kept confidential, said graduate student Lisa Chu, who is running the project at 91亚色.

Girls who participate in the study will visit the university twice.

During the first visit, they will complete a questionnaire about their exercise and diet habits on week days and weekends and take part in an eight- to- 10-minute cycling test that gets progressively more difficult. The second visit involves a longer but less intense cycling evaluation.

Chu is hoping girls interested in participating may take advantage of March Break next week to volunteer.

The incentive to participate in the study is receiving a custom-made fitness regimen, hopefully something the girls can rely on to lead healthier lives for years to come, Riddell said.

"Having a custom exercise evaluation is something only the very rich can (usually) afford," he said.

Participants will also receive a $20 iTunes voucher.

To volunteer for the study, email Lisa Chu at lisachu@yorku.ca or call Michael Riddell 416-736-2100, ext. 40493.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The clip runs two minutes and is .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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He understands their fears. Participating in sports can lower the blood sugar levels of people with Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. But Riddell said exercise is important for people with Type 1 diabetes. Studies indicate keeping active can add as much as 10 years to their lives and reduce the chance of complications of diabetes.

鈥淲e know exercise is critical. We just have to make sure they can do it safely,鈥� said Riddell, a world renowned diabetes and exercise physiologist and professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health.

Riddell, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 14 and regularly engages in competitive sports, runs an elite summer sports camp at the university. About a third to half of the campers have Type 1 diabetes and the camp teaches them how exercise can be used to better manage their disease.

On the eve of this year鈥檚 camp, which began Monday, July 19, Riddell鈥檚 team of researchers in the International Journal of Pediatrics looking at the interaction of sports and blood sugar levels.

For the study, which Riddell said is the first in the world to examine these interactions in a real-life setting, last year鈥檚 campers were outfitted with round-the-clock glucose monitors both while they played tennis, basketball and soccer at camp, and during their time at home, including while they slept.

The study is also important for high-performance athletes without diabetes who can see their blood sugar levels plummet during extreme sports, he added.

The complete article is available on . Riddell's research is funded by the (NSERC), Medtronic Canada and Can-Am Care.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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A new study led by 91亚色 researchers finds that young athletes with Type 1 diabetes may experience a marked decrease in performance as a result of their blood sugar levels.

Above: The 91亚色 study found that sport skill performance for young atheletes with Type 1 diabetes was highest when blood glucose levels were in the normal glycemic range.

The study, published in the , reports that participants鈥� athletic prowess was sapped by low blood glucose, a condition known as hypoglycemia. Their cognitive abilities also declined as a result.

鈥淧hysical activity itself is unfortunately one of the factors that can cause this dip in blood sugar to occur,鈥� says lead researcher Michael Riddell, associate professor in 91亚色鈥檚 School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Faculty of Health.

鈥淧arents tend to get quite concerned about this, understandably so,鈥� says Riddell (left), who was diagnosed with the disease at age 14 and regularly engages in competitive sports. 鈥淭hey wonder, 鈥榮hould I have my child enrolled in sports at all? Is vigorous activity safe?鈥� Our results show that those with diabetes can compete on equal ground, provided they learn to manage their condition.鈥�

The study is the first to examine these interactions in a real-life setting. Researchers outfitted participants with 24-7 glucose monitors during a week-long diabetes sports camp at 91亚色, testing their skills in tennis, basketball or soccer at various times during the day and recording blood sugar levels. Participants, who ranged in age from 6 to 17, were even monitored as they slept using this new technology. Data for the study was recorded during last summer鈥檚 camp; it will run again this year starting July 19.

Researchers found that sport skill performance was highest when blood glucose values were in a 鈥渘ormal鈥� glycemic range. During hyperglycemia 鈥� or elevated blood sugar 鈥� results were only slightly reduced. This occurred nearly universally across all participants, however results suggest the degree to which one鈥檚 sport performance deteriorates depends on the individual.

鈥淪ome subjects showed only minor reductions in performance with hypoglycemia while others showed much greater impairment,鈥� Riddell says. 鈥淭his could be related to the level of blood glucose concentration, the rate at which glucose drops, and the individual鈥檚 capacity to maintain focus in the face of all these factors.鈥�

Regular exercise is known to be beneficial for people with diabetes, but can make glycemic control challenging. This balance is even more difficult to achieve in adolescents, as insulin requirements are influenced by fluctuating nutritional intake, physical activity levels, and the rhythms of other anti-insulin hormones. Adding to the confusion is that the symptoms of low or high blood glucose are often masked by exercise, because they鈥檙e so similar: increased heart rate, sweating, shakiness, fatigue and dehydration.

鈥淎ny obvious issues with performance 鈥� poor passing, failed free throws and serves 鈥� that are really out of the ordinary should be a warning sign to check blood glucose levels and add carbohydrates,鈥� Riddell says. The best way to boost blood sugar levels is to consume about 15-30 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as dextrose tablets, juice or a sports drink. 鈥淭hese are rapidly absorbed and immediately replenish the very small reserve of glucose normally found in the blood stream,鈥� he says.

Incidents of moderate to severe hypoglycemia were common on the evenings following sports camp participation. However, researchers found no evidence that a bout of nocturnal hypoglycemia influences sport skill performance the following day. Cognitive testing also showed that participants鈥� reading ability was lower during episodes of hypoglycemia, as was the ability to distinguish and name colours.

Riddell notes the importance of conducting this type of field research, as opposed to lab-based studies. 鈥淎ctually playing a sport involves different cognitive processing, reaction time and motor skill performance,鈥� he says.

The paper, 鈥淏lood glucose levels and performance in a sports camp for adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A field study鈥� is co-authored by Dylan Kelly, a McMaster University undergraduate student under Riddell鈥檚 supervision, and Dr. Jill Hamilton, pediatric endocrinologist, The , University of Toronto.

The research was supported by the (NSERC), Medtronic Canada and Can-Am Care.

By Melissa Hughes, media relations officer, with photos courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin..

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That鈥檚 what several 91亚色 researchers are hoping to find out. If successful, their Pre-Diabetes Detection and Physical Activity Intervention Delivery (PRE-PAID) Program could become the model for provincewide intervention.

91亚色 Professors Michael Riddell, Norman Gledhill, Veronica Jamnik, Chris Ardern, Jennifer Kuk and Paul Ritvo in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science鈥檚 Physical Activity & Chronic Disease Unit in the Faculty of Health, along with 91亚色聽PhD candidate Chip Rowan, PRE-PAID project coordinator, are now deep into Phase聽2 of their study and so far the results are promising. They have found there is an overwhelming need for programs such as PRE-PAID, as a high percentage of the participants tested already had pre-diabetes. In addition, there is a real lack of close and聽affordable fitness programs.

Right: From left, Michael Riddell, Veronica Jamnik, Chip Rowan and 91亚色 students and certified exercise physiologists Ajay Rampersad and Thomas Bok

The聽researchers also found that to reach people in high-risk areas聽they need to tap into existing social networks and聽make community contacts, as traditional media campaigns are not that helpful. With community engagement, they were able to increase their visibility and build partnerships to fight diabetes.

The goal of the PRE-PAID program is to identify those individuals from the highest risk populations, including Chinese, South Asian, African and African-Caribbean, who have pre-diabetes, and to provide them with targeted, accessible and monitored fitness programs, and hopefully prevent them from developing Type 2 diabetes.

It could save lives and millions of health-care dollars. Health-care costs for the treatment of persons with diabetes in Canada amounts to聽$9 billion annually. In recognition of this burden, the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care has made the treatment and management of diabetes a priority.

鈥淭he costs are聽anywhere between聽$2,000 and $15,000聽a year per person with diabetes in direct and indirect costs, but if we can get that down to around $200 a year in investment for those with pre-diabetes to prevent the disease, that would save a lot. Not only that, but we can probably prevent six cases out of 10,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲e have to show this model will work and will save money in the long run over the health-care costs caused by the complications of diabetes. If we invest now in treating pre-diabetes, it will cost less in the future.鈥�

Left: A participant undergoes a聽finger prick blood test to check sugar levels

The PRE-PAID Program has screened some 428 people, aged 35 to 64, from the communities of 91亚色, Jane and Finch, Malvern in Scarborough,聽and Agincourt for high risk, and are looking for more participants. A further 350 were given a finger-prick blood test, which measures the amount of sugar coating on red blood cells as a measure of average blood sugar control over the last three months. Of these, 238 were found to be pre-diabetic 鈥� all of whom were previously undiagnosed.

Right now, there is no outreach screening or treatment program in the province for people with pre-diabetes. This study, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, is an important step toward changing that, say Riddell and Rowan.

Through community partnerships, all of those screened through the PRE-PAID Program with pre-diabetes are being given educational training on diabetes prevention and are聽provided with accessible and culturally preferred exercise sessions for six months.

Right:聽PRE-PAID participants聽in a聽bollyfit class

鈥淭he advantage of having the study at 91亚色 is they can use the students from the School of Kinesiology to hold the classes and many of them are of the same ethnicity as the participants, so we鈥檙e breaking down some of the cultural and language barriers,鈥� says Rowan. 鈥淏ecause we are so multicultural here, that really works.鈥�

So instead of expecting study participants to join a gym and run on the treadmill for half an hour a day, the project聽offers things like bollyfit, socasize, reggaerobics, line dancing and tai chi in easily accessible community centres with certified exercise physiologists, for free. The participants are also asked to incorporate walking into their weekly routine.

Through the PRE-PAID Program, participants who have been identified as pre-diabetic are 鈥減rovided with the opportunity and the encouragement. Then we track them to see how they comply,鈥� says Rowan. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 going to be sustainable, they really have to make that decision and that commitment.鈥� The participants are assessed at the beginning, at three months and again at six months.

Some of the factors that stand in the way of participating in fitness programs are cost, time and priorities. 鈥淧eople are busy and have other pressing priorities, priorities we can鈥檛 even imagine,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to alleviate some of these barriers.鈥�

By looking at studies done in the United States, India and China, 鈥渨e know that by doing 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, we can lower the risk of developing diabetes from a state of pre-diabetes by about 50 per cent,鈥� says Riddell. 鈥淲hat is novel about this approach is we want to give them physical exercise that taps into culturally preferred activities. This is the first study I鈥檓 aware of that has done that.鈥�

The incidence of pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes continues to rise in Canada. It is estimated that about seven per cent (two million) of Canadians have diabetes with about half of them undiagnosed, while another five to seven per cent have pre-diabetes.

鈥淎ll the research has shown that exercise is the most effective preventative tool, even independent of dietary change,鈥� says Riddell. So it makes sense that people at the highest risk of becoming pre-diabetic would be caught early on.

The researchers are currently seeking funding for Phase聽3 of the project. In Phase聽3, the team will recruit an additional 500 to 1,000 subjects and will extend the eligible age range to 18 to 64, as recent findings have shown there is an increasing incidence of diabetes in young people.

The group is presenting some of their preliminary results at the International Congress聽on Physical Activity & Public Health, May 5 to 8 in Toronto.

For more information, visit the Diabetes Prevention Program Web site or contact Chip Rowan at 647-378-6777 or stopdiab@yorku.ca. For more information about diabetes, visit the Web site.

By Sandra McLean, YFile writer

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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