By Sean Meyer/London Community News

In Canada, one-in-four children are overweight or obese. It is a problem people have been talking about for years while scientists from across the country have been working on the links between obesity and a myriad of health problems.

Thursday evening (Oct. 20) those two groups — the general public and scientists — got together for a discussion on where this problem starts and what can be done to stop it.

The 10^th Café Scientifique event was held at the Windemere Manor’s Grand Hall where close to 60 people joined together to hear a discussion on childhood obesity featuring Dr. David Hill, Dr. Jason Gilliland and Dr. Cheril Clarson. Café Scientifique is an opportunity for the community to discuss health research with those who are often in the labs discovering the latest breakthroughs and

The forum saw the three scientists deliver brief, 10-minute presentations before begin a question and answer period with the audience.

Hosted by Dr. Bill Avison, the event featured Hill speaking on maternal health and its effects on children; Gilliland talking about the physical environment and its effects on children; and Clarson speaking on when someone should be concerned about their child’s weight.

For Avison, chair of children’s health and therapeutics at the Children’s Health Research Institute (CHRI) , taking part in the Café Scientifique is an opportunity to discuss with people a topic that is very important t him.

“I am here because I have an interest in children’s health and the Children’s Health Research Institute has been funded to conduct a full range of research and investigations into the health of children,” Avison said. “One of those components is childhood obesity. I am here almost as an interested spectator. I also know the research of the three scientists. It is very interesting.”

Avison said obesity has to do with issues such as body mass index and height-weight issues, but that it is also a very prevalent problem. The issues of obesity is one Avison describes as, “a very big problem,” that has long-term implications for many children.

“Most kids get through childhood and adolescence relatively healthy, although some will develop diabetes as a result of being overweight or obesity,” Avison said. “You have too much weight on you and it affects your joints, your heart, your cardiovascular system and adult diabetes can set in. It is the long-term life course of this that is important.”

Gilliland, a scientist with CHRI and Lawson Health Research Institute, said he was looking forward to talking not only about his own research into how communities are designed and that effects childhood issues like obesity, but also having the opportunity to talk with other London residents.

“The issues of obesity extend beyond the physical. In addition to the physical health problems there are issues linked to obesity such as bullying, low self-esteem and poor school performance,” Gilliland said. “These problems can lead to depression and all have to do with quality of life.”

The panel spoke before a relatively small group of people, but that is okay with Avison, who said both CHRI and Lawson are interested in is bringing science out of the laboratory and into the community. He also said he enjoys sharing with the community how some of the work being done on this issue has real implications into how people live their lives.

“There is value in speaking to a group like this. There are a number of ways you can talk about the value of this. People who are interested in a particular issue have an opportunity to meet and talk with some of the leading scientists in the city on a major public issue,” Avison said. “We hope to convince those people that we have something to say that is useful in the community, and some of these people are opinion leaders, so there is an importance to doing that.”

Both men said they enjoy the interactive part of Café Scientifique, which allows them to focus less on the individual science and more answering the questions posed to them by the audience.

“What we usually find at these events is that there are some people who are very passionate about an issue and have the chance to talk to some experts about it,” Gilliland said. “We as scientists spent a lot of time talking to other scientists, so this is a real opportunity to talk to people in the community.”

Taking the conversation to the public is something Avison said often leads to a completely unexpected discussion.

“A lot of the time we think the important part of our research is X, Y and Z,” Avison said. “But then they will ask a question about some other issue we might never have thought about. That a-ha moment is very interesting. You really learn from your audience.”