Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Festivals



When I was a young girl, my favorite part of any holiday was the delicious snacks and treats. Think about all the holidays we celebrate in the United States. Without a doubt, you can name the cookies, candies, or sweet treats that accompany every one. From Halloween to Thanksgiving, every major holiday is associated with food or candy.

China is also famous for festivals and celebrations that are also associated with food. While some of the treats are low in calories, many are fried and calorie-laden.

In the US, it is perfectly fine to step back from the table and say "No" to sweets and treats. But in China, saying no to some of the special treats at festivals is considered rude.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Catherine Berry Introduction


I teach at UW Eau Claire in the Department of Nursing. I have been teaching food for fitness since 2003. I teach the diabetic content for our traditional nursing program. I am very interested in the balance between exercise and diet to prevent progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. The research that shows diet and exercise can prevent onset from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is very exciting. As a nurse for almost 40 years I have observed the complications that develop for patients who progress to develop diabetes. Good nutritional choices and adequate exercise are both very important to prevention. In this project our goal is to help these students learn and practice choosing healthy foods and begin the habit of regular exercise. With the assistance of our nursing students we will be working with separate schools to present the same content at different locations. Our Chinese partners at Jinan University will assist with the translation and cultural appropriateness of the food choices we will be recommending.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Guangzhou


The red dot marks the spot. We are going to be in Guangzhou~ the southern part of China, close to Hong Kong.


Many of the students and faculty at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have asked me about the location of our study. So, I decided to post this map. It is going to be HOT and HUMID in Guangzhou this summer.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Learning Mandarin


Each Thursday for the next few weeks we are going to be immersed in Mandarin. Our Chinese language teachers are also Chinese students attending University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Stay tuned for introductions.


It will be helpful to learn a few words of the language, and although we won't be fluent speakers, we'll be able to understand more of the culture just by knowing some common terms.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Introductions, Continued


The youngest member of our team is my daughter, Amelia. She is a high school freshman at Memorial High here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Amelia loves to travel internationally. She has visited or lived briefly in more than eight different countries. One of her favorite countries is China.


Amelia brings a unique perspective to our study because she is closest in age to the target population. As a 15-year-old, she knows firsthand how important peers are. Fitting in and being comfortable with a group of friends means feeling accepted and belonging.


But when middle schoolers are obese or overweight, the teasing and taunting by peers can be cruel and hurtful. It isn't easy to feel a sense of belonging, when your friends say you are "too fat" or treat you badly for being much heavier than they are.


In our study, we intend to create a club-like environment for middle school aged Chinese youth, so that being part of a group and having social support for exercise and healthy living is a given.

Healthy Snacks

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56527 Click on the link for healthy snack ideas. We'll share with our Chinese colleagues this week, and chat about its relevance for Chinese youth. If the content merits translating into Mandarin, we'll bring it with us to share with the nurses who will be our Chinese partners in the study (and our language translators). This week and in the coming weeks, we Americans will be taking language lessons at UW-EC. Chinese students at the university will help us master a few simple statements in Mandarin, and we'll learn a few basic tips, so that we aren't totally lost when we get to Guangzhou! In particular, we are also interested in ideas about healthy Chinese snacks and fast food alternatives. Share yours.

Lifestyle Changes


For people in China, the introduction of cheap, high calorie fast food, the desire to become "Westernized," cultivation of a palate for western food, the influence of restaurant advertising, more disposable income for eating out, and fast food advertising ~ are but a few of the likely culprits in the Chinese obesity epidemic.


Although traditional Chinese diets are both nutrient dense and healthy, many young people are choosing to eat out rather than eat at home.


In the United States, young people have been the "canaries in the coal mine" among the first to show symptoms of overweight or obesity. Now China is experiencing obesity among its youth.


While Chinese students have a lifestyle that includes plenty of "seat time" as they learn and study for exams and work hard on their lessons in school, spending time in physical activity and exercise (an hour a day), will be one of the take home messages of our project.


Our nursing education and research team has examined the literature on obesity, and the data is clear: to be effective, lifestyle modification is needed. The focus of our project is bigger than simply reducing pounds in a population at risk. We hope that the Chinese youth will be inspired to make permanent changes in their lifestyle.


The intervention we have chosen is based upon the work of many nursing and public health experts in the United States. For example, one expert who has pioneered similar programs in the state of Washington is Dr. Ruth Bindler, RN. She has shown remarkable success through programs that she has co-created and that are designed to get kids moving after school and on weekends. Her work and writing is published in a number of national journals, and PS Dr. Bindler is a former nursing colleague of mine from Washington State ~ and I know her personally and professionally. She is passionate about both the need for exercise and that exercise is fun and revivifying.


We will enter the public school system in Guangzhou and co-create, with the Chinese nurses, a fun and vigorous after school program that combines exercise and information about sensible eating and balanced lifestyle changes.


We will measure the success of our intervention by the usual (height, weight) and see if there is a difference in BMI ~ body mass index~ and blood pressure~ throughout the intervention. In addition, we are experimenting with a few other instruments designed to measure feelings about exercise and feelings about self after exercise. We are considering a diary or journal to examine themes about self-feelings at the beginning, middle, and end of the project.


To be truly effective, our program should be sustainable. We are hoping for a continuation of support for the intervention ~ year after year~ extending our long-standing partnership between Jinan University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Introductions, continued


Hello Everyone!


My name is Rachel Nerison, and I am also a student research assistant on this project. I am a junior nursing student at UW- Eau Claire and I am extremely exicted about this project.


I met Dr. Kirkhorn in the spring of 2010 when I had her as a clinical instructor for a nursing course. I am a member of the UW-Eau Claire soccer team, and I am very passionate about the importance of nutrition and exercise. Physical activity and health promotion have always been a major component of my life, and I want to share this with others. I look forward to being able to pair my love for nursing and my love for athletics to promote positive change over in China.


I want to thank everyone who made this project possible, and I am excited to keep you posted on how things are going!


Thanks!


Rachel

More Introductions


Hi Everyone,

My name is Anja Meerwald and I am another one of the student research assistants on this project. I am finishing up my sophomore year as a Nursing major at UW-Eau Claire.

I met Dr. Kirkhorn in Fall of 2010 when I took her Global Health Issues class and when she became my nursing advisor. International and public health areas of nursing that greatly interest me after living abroad for a couple of years and we discussed this at length. When she invited me to join this research team it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse.

I am so excited to continue learning about China and our work there until we leave in the end of May.


Thanks,

Anja Meerwald


Sunday, April 10, 2011

Need for Nursing Interventions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_China Check out the above article for some sobering facts about obesity in China.

Our Chinese Education and Research Team


Peggy (English name) and I met each other back in 2007. We got our pictures taken in the office of the Director of Nursing (I'm on the right with that hot pink bandana ~heh, heh). Peggy is currently a Vice Director of Outpatient Services at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University in Guangzhou, China.


One of the serious concerns that Peggy and other nursing and medical personnel have identified is a prevalence of Type II diabetes mellitus in China. While Type II diabetes used to be called "adult onset" diabetes, the sad fact is that children and young adults are also becoming afflicted, and in record numbers.


One high risk factor for Type II diabetes is being overweight or obese.


In her role as director of out-patient services, Peggy is very interested in ways to address the problem of obesity in China, and she is eager to work with us.


Peggy and other Community and Public Health Nurses from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University will be working closely with our teaching and research team this spring and early summer. They will help us identify the highest risk population of young people, and they will help us surmount the language barrier (for our teaching) with translation from English to Mandarin Chinese. Although many Chinese youth do speak and understand English, it will be helpful to have nursing guidance!


We are very grateful to Peggy for agreeing to work in partnership with us, supporting our research, and for helping us "foreigners" feel welcome in China.

Dinner Options at the Guangzhou,China Pizza Hut



Here is one example of a meal in China: Pizza, HUGE 'salad', raspberry ice. Plenty of calories...

Pizza Hut


But McDonalds isn't the only American fast food giant to set up shop in China. Also Pizza Hut offers pizza and salad bar to many young people. And it is a popular restaurant in the city of Guangzhou.

Images from China

I never thought I would see the day that Mc Donalds advertising and the McDonalds brand would be ubiquitous. In China, and on an average day in the city, McDonalds ads are everywhere ~ on the bus, on the street, and it is a powerful way to get out the message about fast food.

Introductions, Continued


Hello!

My name is Laurelyn Wieseman, and I am one of the student research assistants for this project. I am an Economics major and Spanish minor at UW-Eau Claire.

Right now I am finishing up my second year of undergraduate study in San Germán, Puerto Rico, through the National Student Exchange program.

During the spring of 2010, I took Dr. Kirkhorn's Global Health Issues course as part of the Honors Program. I became deeply interested in the field of public health, and wanted to find a niche for myself to contribute in some way. Needless to say, this project is a fantastic opportunity for me; I thank the International Fellows Program, Dr. Kirkhorn, and the Honors Program for making it possible.

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Thanks,

Laurelyn Wieseman

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Credits

We would like to acknowledge and thank the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Student-Faculty International Fellows Program for Research, Service and Creative Activity. The program selected our project for funding in 2011. In addition, members would like to thank the University Honors Program and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for their support.