Health Committee on May 27th, 2019

Evidence of meeting #146 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was school.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

M-206, Level of Fitness and Physical Activity of Youth in Canada

MPs speaking

Bill Casey
Kyle Peterson
Pam Damoff
Robert-Falcon Ouellette
Marilyn Gladu
Anne Minh-Thu Quach
Sonia Sidhu
Len Webber

Also speaking

Gerry Gallagher  Executive Director, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Equity, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Andrew MacKenzie  Director, Behaviours, Environments and Lifespan Division, Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada
Panagiota Klentrou  Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
Elio Antunes  President and Chief Executive Officer, ParticipACTION

5:25 p.m.

Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology

Panagiota Klentrou

There is quite a lot of evidence lately, beyond kids, that the approach to mental health should include physical activity. There are studies right now in schizophrenia and more serious mental illnesses that show good results if you engage the individuals in physical activity. In fact, apart from being a therapy on its own, physical activity may actually increase the success of the medication. On a lot of levels, physical activity seems to be a partner in therapeutic programs for mental health in particular, across ages.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kyle Peterson Liberal Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Thank you.

5:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bill Casey

Thank you very much. We very much appreciate your contribution. It's certainly been interesting. It opens up a whole lot of areas that I wasn't aware of.

Thank you to the witnesses, and thank you, Mr. Peterson.

With that, we adjourn the meeting.