Last week I was house-sitting for Dr. Gibson.

In the centre of his house is a fireplace. One which I just could not get to stay lit…

…And it made me think of how the body uses the energy contained within different types of food.

Actually, I first heard this concept several years ago from Nora Gegaudas – it’s funny how stuff comes back into conscious thought when you’re absentmindedly trying to start a fire…

Our bodies burn fuel to give us energy, just like a fireplace burns wood to give us heat.

At least one-third of the North American population is obese and more than two-thirds overweight.

Conventional wisdom says its because we take in more energy (calories) than we burn. Implying that our unfit, unhealthy body is our fault, because we lack the discipline to walk away from our plates or commit to a calorie burning fitness regimen.

But, the problem isn’t you. It’s this misconception that losing weight is all about eating less and exercising more. That’s why you’ve lost and regained in the past, and that’s why you continue to struggle today.

In 2013, one in five kids aged 12-17 reported a height and weight which classified them as either overweight or obese, according to a survey conducted by Statistics Canada.

Obviously there’s no single factor to blame for the astonishing rise in childhood obesity over the last 10 years: the rise of the technological age, poor knowledge/habits around food, and what we’re going to talk about today, confusion over just exactly how much exercise is required to create healthy, vibrant, energetic kids.