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Canada Gets a "D" in Physical Activity - Again
~ Active Healthy Kids Canada calls on public and private sectors to do more to help families raise active, healthy children ~
TORONTO, May 25 /CNW/ - Active Healthy Kids Canada's 2006 Report Card on
Physical Activity for Children and Youth identifies three immediate steps to
help families raise active, healthy kids. The annual Report Card, which gives
Canada a "D" for the second straight year, calls for families, communities and
government to collaborate on a comprehensive approach to increase physical
activity for children and youth.
The Report Card closely examines physical activity opportunities for kids
where they live, learn and play. This year's report reveals new data that
demonstrate where we are not improving, where we are actually getting worse,
and where we can build on promising areas, including recommendations for
action.
"Families are a major focus of the report because they provide an
immediate and direct influence on children, and are an essential part of the
solution to create a generation of active, healthy children and youth," said
Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chair, Active Healthy Kids Canada. "We're calling on
leaders from the public and private sectors to work with us over the longer
term to help families help their kids become more physically active through
enhanced support in the community and at school."
The Report Card reveals a major disconnect between parents' perceptions
of their children's physical activity levels and what children are actually
doing. In addition, it encourages parents and caregivers to role model
physical activity because it has an important impact on the activity levels of
their kids.
"Between 80% and 90% of parents feel that their children get a "good"
amount of physical activity whereas, in reality, we know that less than half
of Canadian children and youth meet the minimum daily physical activity
requirements for healthy growth and development," added Dr. Tremblay. "We also know that parents and caregivers can help establish healthy patterns of
physical activity by being active themselves but only 36% of parents regularly
engage in physical activity with their children."
The need to attack the problem on numerous fronts is supported by the
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
"We need a comprehensive and systematic approach to improve opportunities
for physical activity, and turn this troubling trend around - for the future
health of our children and youth," said Sally Brown, CEO of the Heart and
Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Recommendations for Action
The 2006 Report Card identifies three concrete steps that, if acted upon
today, will significantly support Canadian parents and caregivers to increase
incidental and unstructured physical activity participation for their
families.
1. Inform Canadian parents and caregivers about the importance of
unstructured physical activity and "play" and help families re-
establish active time together.
2. Step away from the screen and exchange sedentary TV and computer time
for physical activity.
3. Establish quality health and physical education classes and school-
based daily physical activity policies in all provinces.
Former Olympian Silken Laumann supports the Active Healthy Kids Canada
Report Card recommendations, including the call to increase unstructured play.
"We have forgotten just how important unstructured play is for our
children's development and well-being," said Silken Laumann, author of the
recently-published book, Child's Play. "It keeps kids healthy, creative and
active, and teaches them valuable life skills. Most importantly, it lets our
kids be kids and, as a parent myself, I encourage other parents to be
physically active with their children."
About the Report Card
Active Healthy Kids Canada has taken the lead in developing an annual
Report Card to provide an ongoing comprehensive measurement of how Canada is collectively demonstrating its responsibility in providing physical activity
opportunities for children and youth. The Report Card's release coincides with
Active Healthy Kids Day - a day to raise awareness of the importance of
physical activity for Canadian children and youth.
Through analysis of nation-wide data, key research studies, and an
"Improving the Grade" Forum that engaged the input of leaders across sectors -
academic, government, non-government and corporate - Active Healthy Kids
Canada and its partners brings this 2006 assessment of how we are working
collectively as a nation to support active healthy living among the youngest
members of our society.
The 2006 Report Card was supported by the Canadian Tire Corporation,
Kellogg Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Cancer
Society, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Active Healthy Kids Canada
Active Healthy Kids Canada was established as a charitable organization
in 1994 to advocate the importance of physical activity for children and youth
where they live, learn, and play. As a national leader in this area, Active
Healthy Kids Canada provides expertise and direction to decision-makers at all
levels, from policy-makers to parents, in order to increase the attention
given to, investment in, and effective implementation of physical activity
opportunities for all Canadian children and youth.
For further information: to schedule an interview or speak to a
spokesperson, please contact: Daniela Ferri, Edelman, (416) 979-1120, x272,
Cell day-of: (416) 520-2794, [email protected]; Shannon Boyd, Active
Healthy Kids Canada, (416) 426-7297, Cell day-of: (416) 528-5494,
[email protected]
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