Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for inviting the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology to address this important issue. We applaud the committee for undertaking this study and MP Kyle Peterson for spearheading this initiative.
Our organization is the resource for translating advances in exercise science research into the promotion of fitness, performance and health outcomes. Our 6,000 members include academic researchers focused on the scientific study of exercise physiology, biochemistry and more, as well as highly qualified professionals working in rehabilitation, work physiology and high-performance sport.
CSEP, together with stakeholders that include CHEO, Participaction and the Public Health Agency of Canada, launched the world’s first 24-hour movement guidelines for children and youth aged five to 17 years. Released in 2016, these evidence-based guidelines were the first to address the whole day, breaking it into four integrated movement behaviours: sweat, step, sleep and sit. They have been widely adopted by key partners in the sector, including the World Health Organization. More information about these guidelines is available in our brief.
Building upon this work, CSEP is currently spearheading an update to two additional guidelines focused on adults aged 18 to 64 and older adults aged 65-plus.
No one in this room needs to be convinced that fitness and physical activity are the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle. More and more, we are seeing what used to be everyday natural fitness opportunities fade away. Children are driven to school, new subdivisions have limited yards and often no sidewalks, and we are even seeing municipalities banning street hockey. This, coupled with screens being more and more readily available, is a dangerous recipe for the health of all Canadians.
Research has shown that significant health implications can be linked to childhood inactivity, including chronic diseases, metabolic disorders and more. Perhaps more alarmingly, obesity rates among children and youth in Canada have nearly tripled in the last 30 years. Approximately one-third of six-year-olds to 17-year-olds are considered overweight or obese.
Last year the federal government, together with the provinces and territories, released the Common Vision report, a national policy on physical activity. CSEP and other stakeholders were encouraged by this event. The report set forth common goals and identified strategic imperatives.
However, if we are to begin changing behaviours in a positive way and increasing the level of fitness and physical activity for all Canadians, we believe that concrete, long-term implementation plans are needed to achieve the goals set forth in the report. We believe that the commitment to sustained funding for the wider adoption and promotion of physical activity guidelines—including the Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines—will give more Canadians the tools they need to make healthy choices and lead to improved overall health.
Research has shown that there are more benefits to increased physical activity and fitness than just the obvious ones, including economic and social and mental health benefits.
CSEP believes that the federal government has a role to play to bring stakeholders together to promote the use of the healthy living guidelines in their respective regions. Encouraging collaboration and coordination among stakeholders to promote the use of these guidelines will benefit Canadians across the country.
Like stakeholders in other sectors, CSEP was encouraged by the federal government’s commitment to creating and advocating evidence- and science-based policies. In that regard, we would also call on the federal government to support the further development of evidence-based guidelines and increased support for population health measurement tools.
Finally, we believe that the federal government has a responsibility to demonstrate leadership to normalize physical activity in the lives of all Canadians—children, youth, adults and older adults.
The Common Vision report notes that “physical activity has largely been designed out of our lives.” What was once a common part of daily life—physical activity—is now something that Canadians believe they can only undertake during leisure time, which can be hard to come by in our busy lives.
We believe that with federal support and engaging traditional and non-traditional sectors, we can create a fundamental societal change that will have a profound impact on generations to come.
In summary, in order to bring the goals outlined in the Common Vision report to life, CSEP has three central recommendations.
The first is to commit to sustained funding for the wider adoption and promotion of the 24-hour movement guidelines.
The second is continued support for the development of evidence-based guidelines and population health measurement tools.
The third is for the government to take steps to normalize healthy physical activity in the daily lives of all Canadians.
In Canada, inactivity and obesity have become epidemic. It is clear that a new approach is needed to improve the overall health of Canadians.
We know that healthy children mean healthy adults and older adults. In that spirit, we look forward to working with the federal government and other partners to bring the goals outlined in the Common Vision report to life and to meet these challenges head on.
Thank you very much for inviting CSEP to participate in this study.
As June 1 is National Health and Fitness Day, we encourage all MPs and all Canadians to get active and find more ways to incorporate fitness and physical activity in their lives.
Thank you.