Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you today.
I had the opportunity to speak to this committee four years ago and also to participate in the Kellie Leitch “Reaching for the Top” report . I also spoke last year to the Standing Committee on Finance. A lot of the messages that I will speak of today are very consistent, because we still have a huge challenge in front of us.
For almost 18 years, I've spent my days working on promoting this and enabling of every child in this country to benefit from quality physical and health education programs within schools, within supportive healthy school environments. In these times, it's hard to imagine something more important. It's also hard not to lose patience with the fact that despite all we know, we still have a huge health challenge in front of us.
I'm here to build on Kelly's message and CSEP's and Josette's on the importance of and the critical need for federal leadership around a Canadian strategy and funding commitment to address the issue of childhood obesity, physical inactivity, and chronic disease prevention in this country.
In September 2010, many of us were thrilled that the FPT ministers responsible for health made a public commitment to curb childhood obesity. It has been a long time that we've been waiting for this kind of commitment and now we're waiting for action on that commitment.
I know that many speakers have come before me and you’ve heard a wealth of statistics. We've doubled and tripled our obesity rates. In fact, Canada is one of the worst among OECD countries with regard to childhood obesity. It’s staggering.
Ninety-three per cent of Canadian children are not living up to the Canadian physical activity guidelines. There is no movement on achieving any of the goals that we've set around increasing physical activity levels. Just today, while driving into work, I heard on the news that the costs related to stroke and hospital care since 1995 are up by 50%--directly related to obesity.
Today I am here before this committee to urge you to include in your recommendations the importance of having the Government of Canada stand behind a national strategy and a commitment to fulfill its financial role to support and enable a healthy and physically active Canada.
We have extensive research. We hear the news in the media. We have targets that are being set and not being met. We see leadership and action all around the world. I attended a conference on physical activity in Europe in December and I was amazed at the amount of commitment and work happening in Europe. I am really concerned about how much we are falling behind here in Canada.
I am also concerned by the fact that this is not going to change any time soon. In the recent Public Health Agency of Canada health promotion and chronic disease strategic plan for 2010 to 2015, developed just this past year and designed to articulate the key areas of emphasis and key initiatives for which progress will be measured, there is only one indirect line that addresses physical activity in this 13-page document.
If this is not corrected by 2015, Canada will have no federal strategy or investment to decrease physical inactivity. Without this, the battle against obesity will be lost. We ask today that Canada get serious about this issue.
I've had the opportunity to speak with many ministers, senators, and government officials. There seems to be agreement across the board that it's a no-brainer, it makes sense, and we should be doing this. This is what we continually hear.
We also know that the investment will pay off. Studies show that increasing physical activity in Canada by just 10% will result in significant health care savings. Leading researchers tell us, as we’ve heard already, that the best way to counteract chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease and stroke is to increase physical activity.
We also know, as Kelly mentioned, that children and youth who are physically active do better in school. They also are more productive and are much better contributors to society.
From where I sit at Physical and Health Education Canada, our goal is to see that every child receives their fundamental right to quality physical education and health education, all taught within health-promoting school environments. This is a place where we have the potential of reaching every child, regardless of their age, gender, socio-economic status, or culture. It's the place where children spend half of their waking hours.
With a quarter of our childhood population being overweight and obese and only 7% meeting physical activity guidelines, we can't argue that this issue rests in education. This is a health issue, and the highest level of leadership is required to support an environment that allows every school in this country to fulfill this important role.
We must take a stand similar to those of the World Health Organization and the United Nations to fulfill this fundamental right to every child. We must take seriously the “Toronto Charter for Physical Activity”, which is a global charter for all countries to help make physical activity a priority for all.
Recently, eight national organizations came together through funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada to work collaboratively on a pan-Canadian physical activity strategy to address access for every child to after-school programs. This is an example of organizations' willingness and ability to work together.
But to truly make an impact on this issue, we need much more. This needs to be a component of a much larger strategy and a greater commitment that will allow policy-makers, stakeholders, corporations, employers, community organizations, and educational institutions to all play a role towards a common vision and strategy.
In closing, I ask this: how much more evidence do we really need?
Given the magnitude of this problem, we require the highest level of leadership in this country, working alongside all levels of government and across many departments. The physical activity sector is at the table. We're ready to work collaboratively.
We're taking leadership on the development of a plan. This plan cannot be activated without a federal government commitment, plan, and action. Without this investment, we will not begin to turn around these shocking results.
Thank you.