Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the marathon-running member for Burlington, has vigorously moved a motion today that goes deep and far in helping Canadians find a way to go from where we are today to becoming the fittest nation on earth. In my remarks I will reinforce what he has told us about the crisis in which we find ourselves today as a nation in terms of the health consequences of the obesity epidemic, and then touch on the economic consequences. Most importantly, I address three audiences today who can unite to reverse the current trend and make us what we can and should be: the fittest nation on earth. Those audiences are fellow parliamentarians, mayors and councillors of our local governments, and most importantly the 35 million people of Canada.
The rates of obesity continue to be high. The most recent Statistics Canada data show that 67% of Canadian men and 54% of Canadian women, ages 18 to 79, are either overweight or obese. Even more concerning is that nearly one in three Canadian youth between the ages of 5 and 17 fall into these categories. These frightening statistics ought to make us all wake up. Put simply, the root causes of obesity are issues that we Canadians must acknowledge, challenge and defeat. We are not talking about fatness; we are talking about fitness. This is not about cosmetic and subjective commentary about how fashionable we Canadians look. This is about when BMI, body mass index, issues lead to chronic diseases.
Obesity is associated with the increased risk of many chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Other related problems are sleep apnea, hypertension, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancers, and these diseases are killers. Every year in Canada 67% of all deaths are caused by four major chronic diseases related sometimes to obesity: cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems and chronic respiratory diseases. Afflicted by these things, children are increasingly hit by chronic health problems that used to be confined to adults. Our current youth are likely to be the first generation in history to die of natural causes at an age younger than the age at which their parents died.
The obesity epidemic raised by the member for Burlington today is not just a health peril. It is an economic peril, a major factor in balancing our national budget, in being competitive economically and in being a prosperous nation. We Canadians know instinctively that poor health saps our creativity and productivity. However, we would agree that the numbers deliver a staggering message. Canada's public health agency has put a $7 billion annual price tag on health care for cardiovascular problems and diabetes arising from obesity. Canadians are concerned about these spiralling health costs, and we must respond. Indirect costs relating to lack of productivity in the workplace could be even larger.
In a comprehensive approach to making Canada the fittest nation on earth, we should not ignore the harmful role of illegal drugs, prescription drugs that are misused and the misuse of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. Canadians were therefore delighted yesterday to hear the Governor General express support in the throne speech for taking significant steps against the misuse of prescription drugs. In conjunction with Michel Perron of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, the Canadian association of police chiefs and the B.C. association of police chiefs, I have pressed for a national prescription drug drop-off day. Our ministers of public safety and health responded and last year, on May 11, we had our first ever such day to highlight the misuse of prescription drugs. Over three tonnes of unused prescription drugs were collected.
I take great pride in the Orchard Recovery Center from my riding, which spearheaded recovery day in B.C., a day on which brave people publicly highlight their attempts to overcome substance abuse. On its second anniversary, September 8, recovery day had already spread to 18 cities in Canada. I encourage all Canadians to take note and support those in recovery.
We have reached a pivotal moment in our history. In large numbers, we Canadians have lost the way in taking care of ourselves. We must each take that responsibility seriously and encourage others to do the same. While a key to a fit nation starts with personal responsibility, government does have a big role to play and our government has taken strong steps to make a difference.
For example, it was our Conservative government that introduced the children's fitness tax credit, making it easier and more affordable for children to go out and stay active. We built on this success further in budget 2013 through our elimination of tariffs on sports and athletic equipment. Yesterday's throne speech signalled a continuing commitment to turn the tide of obesity in our nation. Standing beside the Minister of Health yesterday, I witnessed first-hand her commitment as she applauded the government's commitment to continue to “work with the provinces and territories and with the private and not-for-profit sectors to encourage young Canadians to be more physically active”.
I applaud the health minister's energetic commitment, but she cannot do it alone. It is my dream that each member of Parliament and senator comes to Parliament Hill believing that the promotion of health and fitness is an integral part of our role. As public figures, we may not be athletic and we may not even be fit, but we can demonstrate our commitment to act as role models to improve our own levels of fitness and to encourage our constituents to do the same.
That is why parliamentarians regularly receive a joint invitation from the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore, the member for Etobicoke North and me, three members of different parties who together invite parliamentarians to join together to put our stickers in the window for fitness. Come join us for a walk or run each Wednesday at 12:15 at the Centennial Flame or a swim on Thursdays at 6:45 a.m. at the Chateau Laurier. We are privileged that Pierre Lafontaine, CEO of Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and Phil Marsh, senior manager of the Running Room, come out regularly to rally us, totally committed to the concept of making Canada the fittest nation on earth.
In addition to these weekly events, I encourage parliamentarians to help me take to new heights of participation some events that I have introduced, to make a statement to the nation. The third annual Bike Day on the Hill will be May 12 and the third annual National Life Jacket and Swim Day will take place on May 25, events produced with the help of Canadian Tire Jumpstart foundation, Canadian Red Cross, Cycling Canada, the Ottawa Bicycle Club and others.
Parliamentarians, we need to start in our own House first, literally: the House of Commons and the Senate. Each of us is a mini-minister of health, there to support the minister herself. In this Olympic year and following the legacy of 2010, I invite every member to join me and our colleagues on Wednesdays and Thursdays to help make Canada the fittest nation on earth.
Our Conservative government has developed a pattern of investing in community projects like sports arenas and fitness centres to encourage healthy living and active lifestyles, including many in the riding I represent. I now ask the mayors and town councillors across the nation how we can, as parliamentarians, work with them to leverage their marvellous community facilities to work together to make Canada the fittest nation on earth.
It is local governments that own and maintain many of the key infrastructures. It is local governments that create programs to involve people in their communities to participate together to become more physically active. We chose the first Saturday in June to be National Health and Fitness Day, when many local governments are already committed to opening their summer facilities for the first time.
I invite all of my colleagues, in both houses, to join with Canadians and approach mayors and councillors across Canada to take part in this growing movement. Ask the communities to mark the day in some way, be it reduced-cost admission to a recreation centre, two-for-one swim time, a demonstration of nutritional cooking or a walk or bike ride for seniors. There is no need for NHFD to be a cost centre. It can be a marketing campaign that produces revenue for each participating municipality.
His Excellency the Governor General participated in National Health and Fitness Day, offering kick-off remarks for Ottawa events and demonstrating considerable prowess on his bicycle.
I have tabled a private member's bill, Bill C-443, to formalize National Health and Fitness Day. I am please to say it has support from 20 members of all parties.
As I bring my remarks to a close, I ask all of our fellow countrymen and countrywomen what we can do to respond to the obesity epidemic. First, we must recognize the key aspect played by the root causes of obesity and that is the lack of participation in healthy physical activity. Second, we need to join together to encourage each other, to encourage our mayors and councillors. Why not set that lofty goal to go on to become the fittest nation on earth?