November 18, 2013
For immediate release
Fact Sheet: Healthy Living: Promoting healthy living for young Canadians
Toronto, Ontario - The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health and the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State for Sport, today attended the official launch of the Active at School campaign, which calls on all sectors to work together to improve physical activity opportunities for young Canadians.
“Today, about one in three children and youth are overweight or obese. Many young Canadians are not getting enough physical activity, which puts them at risk for serious health problems later in life,” said Minister Ambrose. “We all have a role to play in keeping our kids active and healthy. As outlined in our recent Speech from the Throne, our Government is committed to working with the provinces and territories and with the private and not-for-profit sectors to encourage young Canadians to be more physically active.”
“Physical activity plays an important role in the health, well-being and quality of life of all Canadians,” said Minister Gosal. “The Active at School campaign is an excellent example of how innovative partnerships cancomplement ongoing federal efforts to promote healthy living and prevent chronic disease.”
The Active at School initiative is a multi-year, multi-million dollar grassroots program focused on reversing the staggering trend of inactivity amongst Canadian children and youth. Consisting of private sector and not-for-profit partners, the group is calling for one hour a day of activity for kids before, during or after school – and is offering unprecedented help to make that happen.
“Active at School is supported by over 60 influential, credible organizations from across Canada and is the largest movement in Canadian history to get kids re-engaged in physical activity,” said Stephen Wetmore, CEO of Canadian Tire Corporation, one of the organization’s founders. “We’re calling for one hour a day of activity for kids before, during or after school – and all our members are offering their support to help make it happen.”
Federal investments to promote healthy living and chronic disease prevention are focusing on innovative, multi-sectoral partnerships between the private and public sectors, leveraging resources and achieving greater accountability for results.
For more information on the Government of Canada’s investments please visit: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fo-fc/mspphl-pppmvs-eng.php
