Obesity has been mostly explained through the change in our everyday environments and the increased availability of foods. All-You-Can-Eat-Buffets (AYCEB) is a typical example of the developing 'obesogenic' environment, but there is a paucity of research, which fails to explore both internal and external contributing aspects to eating behaviour. In two studies, the frequency of visits at AYCEB is investigated against the Body Mass Index (BMI), psychological traits (i.e., mindfulness and selfcompassion, n=210) and eating behaviors (i.e., mindful eating, n=183) which have been found to assist weight regulation. Results indicated that frequency of visits and BMI are unrelated. Significant relationships were found only with two subscales, where buffet visits negatively correlated with awareness within mindful eating, while a positive correlation was found between buffet visits and self-kindness. While results fit within the limited literature available, the generic future applicability of mindfulness-based constructs and interventions in eating behaviours is discussed.

Weighing precipitation gauges are used widely for the measurement of all forms of precipitation, and are typically more accurate than tipping-bucket precipitation gauges. This is especially true for the measurement of solid precipitation; however, weighing precipitation gauge measurements must still be adjusted for undercatch in snowy, windy conditions. In WMO-SPICE (World Meteorological Organization Solid Precipitation InterComparison Experiment), different types of weighing precipitation gauges and shields were compared, and adjustments were determined for the undercatch of solid precipitation caused by wind. For the various combinations of gauges and shields, adjustments using both new and previously existing transfer functions were evaluated. For most of the gauge and shield combinations, previously derived transfer functions were found to perform as well as those more recently derived. This indicates that wind shield type (or lack thereof) is more important in determining the magnitude of wind-induced undercatch than the type of weighing precipitation gauge. It also demonstrates the potential for widespread use of the previously developed transfer functions. Another overarching result was that, in general, the more effective shields, which were associated with smaller unadjusted errors, also produced more accurate measurements after adjustment. This indicates that although transfer functions can effectively reduce measurement biases, effective wind shielding is still required for the most accurate measurement of solid precipitation.

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Anthropocentric activities have led to unsustainable populations of various fish species around the world today. We have increased our cultivation rates to manage our own growing population sizes at the expense of fish species. As a result, fish stocks around the world are in decline and the fishing industry today is pushing them to the point of collapse. Although many people would like to believe that their grocery stores are stocking their shelves with fish from sustainable sources, that is not always the case, and the general population is lacking the knowledge to make informed choices when purchasing fish. We aim to assess the types of fish, their sources, and the information provided to consumers about the fish in grocery stores of the Queen’s student area. We will work closely with Food Basics, Metro, John’s Deli, and Loblaw’s. After assessing these stores we will inform the public on which grocery stores have the best practices, and also inform the stores on ways in which they can change to include information for consumers on the sources and methods of obtaining the fish sold in their stores. We would like to be able to provide the public with labels indicating where the fish was caught, how it was caught, whether it was farmed or fished, and whether it was sustainably sourced. We will implement a consistent format in all of the stores and raise awareness in Kingston about the issues facing the fishing industry and how our choices can impact fish species.