Public health department launches campaign to tackle obesity
Bob Vrbanac, Waterloo
(Nov 22, 2006)
The average child only gets about 30 minutes of physical activity a week, says Region of Waterloo Public Health.
That might explain why one in five local children aged 12 to 17 is overweight or obese.
And the fallout of that inactivity is alarming with children facing the early onset of illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and even some forms of cancer.
The numbers aren't any better for their parents, with recent statistics showing that over half of Waterloo region's residents were either overweight or obese.
That's why local public health officials have launched a campaign to tackle the obesity epidemic which hopes to get children active as much as 30 minutes a day instead of just a half-an-hour a week.
And it's targeting parents as well as children with the hope that parents start modelling behaviours that will lead to a lifetime of benefits for their children.
The campaign, called Eat Healthy, Live Active, has one simple message said Melanie Garbarz, a public health planner who is co-ordinating the campaign.
Parents can take steps everyday to ensure their kids develop healthy eating and activity habits that will last a lifetime.
"This is to really educate people about the behavioural aspect of this issue," said Garbarz. "Kids copy what they see, especially from their parents."
Garbarz said she understands that we live in a culture of convenience where people take the easy way when it comes to food and nutrition because they complain about their busy lives.
But there are simple recipes that a family can put together, which are both quick and nutritious, that can avoid the fast-food option.
Research has shown that families that eat together also eat more nutritious meals and have fewer of these obesity issues. Coupled with physical activity, it's a prescription for life-long health.
Too many families leave the physical education part of their children's lives to the education system.
But with cutbacks and changing curriculum, kids today aren't getting the same level of activity in school that their parents did.
That's why the region is also partnering in a program called PALS, which stands for Playground Activity Leaders in Schools.
The PALS program does demonstrations of physical activity-related games, and hopes children take the inspiration into their everyday lives.
"The hope is that we get children specifically to do 30 minutes more of activity outside, and 30 minutes less of other activities like using the computer," said Garbarz. "This campaign is about prevention, targeting children through their parents.
"It's about getting to the decision makers in a family unit that can model these behaviours for them as well."
The health unit is employing a social marketing strategy that has worked on other public health campaigns like the reduction of cosmetic pesticide use. "It's about doing behaviour change at a community level," said Garbarz.
It is sending postcards and posters to parents, while also putting together a series of six community workshops in the new year which will provide hands-on cooking classes with demonstrations of simple family-oriented physical activities.
A schedule of those events will be available on the campaign website at
www.healthywaterlooregion.ca. That comprehensive website also provides other physical and nutrition tips along with simple recipes and healthy body information.
"The community workshops will provide parents with skills to help their children maintain healthy weights," said Garbarz. "This is about what they can do in their own families."
Garbarz said the region is focusing on urban design opportunities to strengthen the connection between active living and a healthy lifestyle.
"There are things we can do... we have to make our neighbourhoods pedestrian and bike friendly."
Obesity Campaign in Canada