The Challenge

Childhood obesity has almost tripled over the past 15 years in Canada. Three out of five children and youth are no longer active enough for optimal growth and development.

In addition, almost half of Canadian adults are either obese or overweight and 63% of Canadians are not active enough to achieve the health benefits they need from physical activity.

In health and economic terms the cost of inactivity and obesity is immense -  with some estimates in the billions of dollars. More than two million Canadians suffer from Type II Diabetes - a disease which can be prevented through moderate physical activity and healthy eating habits.

The Statistics

• More than 72% of Canadians drive to work
• Canadian drivers generate 5,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year
• In grades 9-12, 56% of males and 59% of females spend up to 3 hours on computers, watching TV or on the phone every day
• Levels of physical activity in youth drop from 62% in grade 9 to 46% in grade 12

What Can We Do?

To successfully increase physical activity levels for all Canadians we need to address barriers that limit participation.

In order to gain optimal health effects, adults should be active for at least one hour a day - though this can occur in several sessions.

Schools need to introduce mandatory, daily, quality, physical activity either in physical education classes or free time. Children and youth should participate in at least 90 minutes of activity each day.

In the long term we can all advocate for improved city planning which encourages Canadians to adopt more active lifestyles in a safe setting.