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Recent CHMS accelerometer data indicate that only an average of 7% of young people attain the recommended level of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day, with 9% of boys and 4% girls engaging in the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on at least 6 days per week. (Source: Colley,R.C., Garriguet,D., Janssen,I., Craig, C.L., Clarke, J., & Tremblay, M.S. (2011). Physical activity of Canadian Children and Youth: Accelerometer data from the 2007to2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports, 22 (1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
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Today's Canadian children and youth are heavier, fatter, rounder and weaker than they were a generation ago.
(Tremblay, M. S., Shields, M. Laviolette, M., Craig, C. L., Janssen, I., & Gorber, S. C. (2010). Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports 21(1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
- Childhood obesity in Canada has tripled over the past three decades.
(Source: Shilds, M. (2005). Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian children and adolescents. Statistics Canada, Analytic Studies and Reports. ISSN: 1716-6713)
- According to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, 17% of Canadian children and youth are overweight and an additional 9% are obese.
(Tremblay, M. S., Sheilds, M. Laviolette, m>, Craig, C. L., Janssen, I., & Grober, S. C. (2010) Fitness of Canadian children and youth: Results from the 2007 - 2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports 21(1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
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The New England Journal of Medicine reports that, for the first time in history, our children's lifespan could be 2-5 years less than our own. (Olshansky, S. J., Passaro, D. J., Hershow, R. C., Layden, J., Carnes, B. A., Brody, J., Hayfl ick, L., Butler, R. N., Allison, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2005). A potential decline in life expectancy in the United States in the 21st Century. The New England Journal of Medicine, 352, 1138-1145)
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Canadian kids are spending six hours a day in front of television, video game and computer screens - over the course of a week, that is as much time as their parents spend at work.
(Active Healthy Kids Canada. (2010) Healthy habits start earlier than you think: The Active Healthy Kids Canada report card on physical activity for children and youth 2010, Toronto, ON.)
- Canadian children and youth spend an average of 8.6 hours (62%) in sedentary pursuits per day.
(Source:
Colley,R.C., Garriguet,D., Janssen,I., Craig, C.L., Clarke, J., & Tremblay,
M.S. (2011). Physical activity of Canadian Children and Youth: Accelerometer
data from the 2007to2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health
Reports, 22 (1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
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Sport participation rates in Canadian youth aged 15-18 declined from 77% in 1992 to 59% in 2005.
(Ifedi, F. (2008). Sport participation in Canada, 2005. Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics. Vol. Catalogue no. 81-595-MIE - No. 060: Statistics Canada)
- 1 in 4 Canadians adults are obese
(PHAC/ CIHI. (2011). Obesity in Canada: A joint report from the public health agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. ISBN: 978-1-100-18133-2.)
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Physical inactivity is the number one factor contributing to the obesity of men and women. Inactivity is more strongly associated obesity among women than men.
(PHAC/ CIHI. (2011). Obesity in Canada: A joint report from the public health agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. ISBN: 978-1-100-18133-2.)
- Results indicate that 405,000 cases of male obesity and 646,000 cases of female obesity could be averted if all individuals in our country obtained the recommended levels of physical activity.
(PHAC/ CIHI. (2011). Obesity in Canada: A joint report from the public health agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. ISBN: 978-1-100-18133-2.)
- CHMS accelerometer data indicates that 15% of Canadian adults accumulate the recommended levels of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA) per week and only 35% meet the recommendations of 10000 steps per day, (9500 for males and 8400 for women) (Source: Colley,R.C., Garriguet,D., Janssen,I., Craig, C.L., Clarke, J., & Tremblay, M.S. (2011). Physical activity of Canadian Adults: Accelerometer data from the 2007to2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports, 22 (1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
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Canadian adult participation in sport declined from 45% in 1992 to 28% in 2005.
(Ifedi, F. (2008). Sport participation in Canada, 2005. Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics. Vol. Catalogue no. 81-595-MIE - No. 060: Statistics Canada)
- More than half of Canadians are considered inactive.
(CFLRI. (2008). Results of the 2008 Physical Activity and Sport Monitor. retrieved from http://www.cflri.ca/eng/levels/adult_levels.php)
- Physical activity appears to reduce the risk of over 25 chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.
(Warburton, D. E. R., Katzmarzyk, P. T., Rhodes, R. E., & Shephard, R. J. (2007). Evidence-informed physical activity guidelines for Canadian adults. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 32(S2E) S16-S68)
- In those aged 40 to 69 years, the percentage of those whose waist circumference places them at high risk for health problems has more than doubled since 1981; in those aged 20 - 39 years, percentages have more than quadrupled.
(Shields, M. Tremblay, M. S. Laviolette, M. Craig, C. L. Janssen, I., & Gorber, S. C. (2010). Fitness of Canadian adults: Results from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports 21(1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
- Since 1981, the percentage of Canadians aged 40 to 69 whose body composition was "fair" or "needing improvement" (as measured by BMI, waist circumference and skinfold measurements) more than doubled. Among males 20 to 39 years, the increase was fourfold, and among younger females, sevenfold.
(Shields, M. Tremblay, M. S. Laviolette, M. Craig, C. L. Janssen, I., & Gorber, S. C. (2010). Fitness of Canadian adults: Results from teh 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey. Statistics Canada, Health Reports 21(1), Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE)
- Fit individuals who are obese have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than do unfit normal-weight or lean individuals. Fit adults outlived the unfit regardless of their obesity levels or weight.
(Sui, X. LaMonte, M. J., Laditka, J. N. Hardin, J. W.,Chase, N., Hooker, S. P., & Blair, S. N. (2007). Cardiorespiratory fitness and adiposity as mortality predictors in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Association, 298(21) 2507-2516)
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