Our study demonstrates a clear increase of mean BMI, waist circumference and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Austrian male adolescents during the past 20 years. Conscripts from rural regions and with lower levels of education showed the highest values. The investigation of conscript health appears to be a useful tool for risk surveillance in the male population.
The Swiss Alps will experience pronounced effects of climate change due to the combination of their latitudinal positioning, altitude and unique ecosystems, placing socio-economic stresses on alpine communities, many of which rely on seasonal tourism. Studies into tourism adaptation within the Swiss Alps have so far focused on the technical adaptation options of alpine stakeholders, rather than perceptions of adaptation to climate change at the operational and community level. This article investigates attitudes to adaptation in two alpine regions within Switzerland's well-established decentralized political framework, through semi-structured qualitative interviews. Stakeholders focused almost entirely on maintaining the status quo of winter tourism, through technical or marketing measures, with mixed attitudes towards climatic impacts. A matrix based on the relative internal strengths and weaknesses, external opportunities and threats of adaptation measures (a SWOT framework) was used to assess the measures and suggest how stakeholders could capitalize on the new opportunities thrown up by climate change to create a competitive advantage. A comprehensive and collaborative planning approach is vital to enable policy makers and stakeholders to maximize opportunities, minimize the adverse effects of climate change on the local economy, and develop inclusive adaptation measures that benefit the entire region in order to create more sustainable social, economic and environmental structures.
Les Alpes suisses vont subir de manière prononcée les effets du changement climatique, dû au concours de leur position latitudinale, leur altitude et leur écosystème unique, plaçant ainsi des pressions socio-économiques sur les communautés alpines, beaucoup d'entre elles dépendant du tourisme saisonnier. Les études sur l'adaptation du tourisme dans les Alpes suisses ont jusqu'ici porté sur les options techniques d'adaptation disponibles aux parties prenantes alpines, plutôt que sur les perceptions concernant l'adaptation au changement climatique au niveau opérationnel et communautaire. Cet article examine les attitudes concernant l'adaptation dans deux régions alpines, dans le cadre de politique décentralisée bien établi en Suisse, par une étude qualitative basée sur des interviews semistructurées. Les parties prenantes se sont concentrées principalement sur le maintien du statu quo concernant le tourisme d'hiver, par l'intermédiaire de mesures techniques ou de marketing, les attitudes étant mitigées concernant les impacts climatiques. Une matrice portant sur les forces et faiblesses internes relatives, et les opportunités et menaces externes des mesures d'adaptations (démarche SWOT) est employée pour évaluer et suggérer la manière dont les parties prenantes pourraient tirer un avantage compétitif de la menace climatique. Une démarche de planification approfondie et collaborative est essentielle pour que les décideurs en économie locale et les parties prenantes puissent maximiser les opportunités, minimiser les menaces du changeme...
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