Islanders with a vested interest in supporting healthy weights for children came together yesterday in a provincial and national dialogue to help curb childhood obesity, says Health and Wellness Minister Carolyn Bertram.
“The ideas generated through the Our Health Our Future initiative will help everyone, including government, to shape future programs, policies and initiatives to promote healthy weights, healthy eating and physical activity,” said Minister Bertram. “All sectors of society have a role to play in addressing this issue and, through dialogue with stakeholders and the new website, we are encouraging shared action and leadership to reverse the trend of childhood obesity.”
Approximately 40 Islanders from across the province gathered in Cornwall to take part in the dialogue. Participants included health professionals, sport and recreation specialists, community leaders, educators, government representatives, and others. Discussions focused on identifying priority areas for action to address childhood obesity, including four key topics: taking early action; increasing the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods; creating supportive environments; and decreasing the marketing to children of foods high in fat, sugar and/or sodium.
“Yesterday’s event in Prince Edward Island is another example of the truly collaborative approach that all levels of government are taking to address childhood obesity,” said Dr. Perry Kendall, Chief Medical Officer of Health for British Columbia, and co-chair of the Healthy Living Project Committee, which is leading the Our Health Our Future initiative on behalf of the federal, provincial and territorial Public Health Network. “The outcomes from this dialogue, along with others being held across the country, will help to ensure our stakeholders across the country are well-informed and involved in policies and plans to help children reach and maintain healthy weights.”
Through the Our Health Our Future initiative, governments across Canada are engaging Canada’s youth, parents and caregivers and multiple sectors of society in a national conversation. Our Health Our Future includes a website, opportunities for online and in-person dialogue, and a national summit. The outcomes will contribute to a report and recommendations on collective actions for healthy weights for the meeting of federal, provincial and territorial health ministers in November 2011. As the first national dialogue of its kind, a broad and diverse group will come together to take collective action on this important health issue.
The initiative also encourages individuals and organizations to commit to taking their own action to promote healthy weights. All Islanders, especially youth, are encouraged to visit www.ourhealthourfuture.gc.ca to share their ideas on how to work together to make the changes that will support healthy weights.
Our Health Our Future is a key step in implementing the strategy, Curbing Childhood Obesity: A Federal, Provincial and Territorial Framework for Action on Healthy Weights. Through the framework, ministers of health and/or health promotion/healthy living, as well as their colleagues in sport, physical activity and recreation, have agreed to make childhood obesity a collective priority, to champion this issue, and to coordinate joint and/or complementary actions within many areas of Canadian society to help create the conditions for healthy weights so that children have the healthiest possible start in life.