Thank you. I will continue with the second objective of Québec en Forme.
We have spoken about changing our environment. When I speak about the environment, I am speaking of everything that surrounds human beings, young people. We know there is an interaction between people and their environment.
This is why Québec en Forme has worked with the Ministry of Health on a vision of positive environments. We have divided our environment into four categories: physical environment, i.e. all the natural and man-made items; the sociocultural environment, i.e. anything having to do with social structures and the way people interact with other people or groups; the political environment, i.e. all of the measures and laws that structure our environment; finally, the economic environment, i.e. anything having to do with production, consumption, or even the cost of services. Working with partners to change our environments helps us posit a diagnosis regarding our communities, municipalities, or region.
Québec en Forme's third objective has to do with social norms. We need to go from an approach that goes from “we must eat well” to “it is the norm to eat well”. Québec en Forme is taking measures in order to devise a social marketing plan including a communication plan with our partners. This will encourage this kind of activities within local communities, regions, and all over the country. This is a far-ranging communication and awareness-raising plan.
More recently, Québec en Forme has acquired a new platform, or a tool to complete its strategic planning. This tool allows us to clarify why we must work on nutrition. This platform allows us to clarify the changes we hope to achieve. It allows us to have a common vision which we share with our partners and that we can propose to Canadians. This is not a restrictive approach; we do not seek to impose it. The idea is to offer a whole range of choices.
We are lucky enough to have had a certain experience in this field and to be able to document it. We can also use this documentation to make our proposals. Through this platform, we suggest that all our partners, at all levels, develop young people's skills, increase access to quality food, and contribute to the fostering of positive social norms.
How does this translate into a strategy? By developing young people's skills, by giving them chances to learn and experiment, by giving them programs in their communities, and by training trainers. I spoke about giving them access to quality services; by this I mean improving services offered by the community, whether in regard to physical activity, nutrition, or our man-made environment. For example, building new parks, green spaces, gardens, or breast-feeding areas. As I said earlier with regard to social norms, we want to raise awareness, communicate with people and defend these causes in their community.
In conclusion, all of Québec en Forme's partners, be they local, regional, or national, share with us the desire to improve young Quebeckers' nutrition and lifestyles. Thanks to the great diversity of our representatives, and to the solid partnerships that they weave with decision-makers, and finally to the awareness they have of the consequences of their decisions, we believe that our partners are key stakeholders in improving our youth's health.
Thank you for your attention.