Posted: 05 May 2004 at 2:12pm | IP Logged

Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth and Support Resources Receive Wide Endorsement

 
WindsorKids.com has joined more than 50 national organizations concerned with the health and well-being of children and youth, as well as children's hospitals across the country, in officially endorsing Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth and the companion support resources.

This broad endorsement reflects the growing concern of health experts that many Canadian children and youth are spending too much time watching TV or surfing the Internet and are not active enough for optimal growth and development.

Recently, the Canadian Medical Association Journal released a report warning of the danger of obesity amongst children and youth. Researchers found that from 1981 to 1996 the prevalence of overweight among boys and girls doubled and the prevalence of obesity tripled.

Results across a number of studies show that 26 - 41% of obese preschool children become obese adults, and 42 - 63% of obese school-age children become obese adults.
The relative risk of becoming an obese adult is 2 to 6.5 times higher for obese children than for those in the healthy-weight range.

The Guides, developed by Health Canada and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, recommend that inactive children and youth increase the amount of time they currently spend being physically active by at least 30 minutes more per day and decrease the time they spend on TV, playing computer games and surfing the Internet -- by at least 30 minutes less per day.

The increase in physical activity should include a combination of moderate activity (such as brisk walking, skating and bike riding) and vigorous activity (such as running and playing soccer).

The guidelines recommend that inactive children and youth accumulate this increase in daily physical activity in periods of at least 5 to 10 minutes. Over several months, children and youth should try to accumulate at least 90 minutes more physical activity per day and decrease by at least 90 minutes per day the amount of time spent on
sedentary activities such as watching videos and sitting at a computer.

The series of support resources to the Guides include colourful, interactive magazines for children and youth, a Family Guide and Teacher's Guide, with versions for both age groups.

The goal of the new resources is to provide families, caregivers, guardians, educators, physicians and community leaders with the information they need to help increase physical activity levels in children and youth, and lay the groundwork for healthy growth and development.

For more information or to obtain free copies of the Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth and their support resources, please call toll-free 1-888-334-9769 or visit www.healthcanada.ca/paguide.