|  | Resources | No.49 January 2007 |
|  |  | print / save view |

Watching the Web: Resources on Healthy Living and Lifestyles Gretchen Ghent |
Introduction The topic of healthy living has many different elements and aspects, including physical fitness/exercise, diet and nutrition, psychological factors (e.g. stress), lifestyle, and obesity. Many government websites, developed by departments of health, have a section on healthy living, lifestyles, diet, or nutrition. National and regional physical education associations, the World Health Organization, medical research institutions are also well represented. Using the metasearch engines, Google (http://www.google.com/) or Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com/), the dedicated researcher is able to identify the more reliable sources listed amongst the oft times, spurious advice offered by the usual self-appointed diet and pseudo-psychology proponents. The international databases SPORTDiscus (http://www.sirc.ca/) and Pub Med http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez contains many references to articles on all aspects of the topic. Databases SPORTDiscus Descriptors to search include: PHYSICAL FITNESS | PUBLIC HEALTH | EXERCISE | LIFESTYLE | OBESITY | STRESS Or combine some of the above terms with ECONOMICS to find the costs of an unhealthy lifestyle Research Papers Online Christopher J Ruhm Healthy living in hard times National Bureau of Economic Research. Papers http://papers.nber.org/papers/w9468.pdf Morris, J.N. et al. Minimum income for healthy living: older people London: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 2005, 57p. http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/Documents/370_1005_MIHL_Report.pdf Qualitative research with focus group testing on format for a new healthy living: Canada’s healthy eating and physical activity guide, final report Ottawa: Health Canada and Millward Brown Goldfarb (Firm), 2004. http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/pro-ef/index.html World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe Healthy Living: What is a healthy lifestyle? Geneva, WHO, 1999 http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E66134.pdf Edwards, Peggy and Tsouros, Agis Promoting physical activity and active living in urban environments: the role of local governments. The solid facts. Geneva: WHO, 2006 http://www.euro.who.int/document/e89498.pdf?language=?language=French 56 pages ISBN 92 890 2181 0 Also available in paper copy: CHF 20.00/US$ 18.00 In developing countries: CHF 14/US$ 12.60 Websites Canada. Health Canada Healthy Living page http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/index_e.html Has many references including information on Canada’s food guide to healthy eating Canadian Healthy Living Strategy (refers to website for the Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hl-vs-strat/index.html) Canadian Health Network http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/ \tab\tab NHS Health Scotland http://www.healthyliving.gov.uk/ Includes sections on physical activity, healthy eating, ask the experts, FAQs, top tips, case studies, publications, healthy links, news Mayo Clinic Healthy Living http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/HealthyLivingIndex/HealthyLivingIndex This well-respected Clinic has many resources on their website with sections on children’s health, complementary & alternative medicine, fitness, food & nutrition, healthy recipes, men’s health, senior health, sleep, stress, teen’s health, weight loss, women’s health, working life. Australia’s Get Moving Campaign Building a Healthy, Active Australia http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/ Singapore Health Promotions Board http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=776 Sections on nutrition, exercise, stress, smoking Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) Getting Active (7 program outlines) http://www.sparc.org.nz/getting-active Medline Plus Healthy Living (health topics) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthyliving.html Has news, overview articles, prevention/screening articles, health check tools, nutrition and related issues Print Publications Alters, Sandra & Schiff, Wendy Essential concepts for healthy living, 4th ed. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2006 503p. ISBN 0763729523 Contact Gretchen Ghent, Librarian Emeritus University of Calgary Library Calgary, Alberta, Canada gghent@ucalgary.ca Watching the Web: Resources on Healthy Living and Lifestyles Gretchen Ghent http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5