No Time to Wait: The Health Kids Strategy - Ontario

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A Problem 30 Yearsin the MakingThe problem of childhood obesity did notdevelop overnight. Over the past 30 years, ouryoung people – like many adult Ontarians –have been getting heavier. Between 1978/79and 2004, the prevalence of obesity andoverweight in Ontario children increasedabout 70 per cent. While the proportionof children between the ages of two and fivewho are overweight or obese has not changedsignificantly, the proportion of 12- to17-year-olds who are overweight increasedfrom 14 per cent to 29 per cent and, of those,the proportion who are obese tripled(three per cent to nine per cent). 12Experts in the field, parents and familieshave been sounding the alarm for some time.Over the past 10 years, a growing number ofstudies and reports – international, nationaland provincial – have described the problemof unhealthy weights and recommendedaction. Canadian parents said obesity is theleading health issue affecting children andyouth. 13 The problem and the consequenceshave been well documented – and we nowknow more about the complex causes ofoverweight andobesity. But, wehave not yet seenthe comprehensive,concerted actionneeded to solve theproblem.The 2009-2011 CanadianHealth Measures Survey toldus that our kids today arefatter, rounder, weaker andless flexible than their parentswere a generation ago.Percentage of overweight or obese Canadian children and youth, 1978/79and 2004 1421% 21%15%6%13% ‡ 26%*18%8%14% ‡ 29%*11% ‡3% ‡20%*9%*1978/79 † 2004 1978/79 † 2004 1978/79 20042 to 56 to 1112 to 17Age GroupObeseOverweight†Obesity estimate has a coefficient of variation greater than 33.3 per cent; therefore, it cannot be released and the combinedoverweight/obesity prevalence is shown.* Significantly different from estimate for 1978/79 (p
If Nothing Changes, Our KidsFace a Bleak FutureIf nothing changes – if we are not able toreverse the current weight trajectory – wewill continue to see increases in unhealthyweights and in all the related healthconditions.By 2040, up to 70 per cent of today’schildren will be overweight or obeseadults and almost half our children willbe an unhealthy weight. 15 A much largerproportion of children will cross the linefrom being overweight to being obese, andthe impact on their physical and mentalhealth and well-being will be severe.The most devastating part of this trendis that obesity will mark our DNA,changing our metabolism and geneticallyreprogramming future generations ofchildren to be at greater risk of beingoverweight. 16,17Why We Must Act NowNo one wants their son, daughter, niece ornephew – or any child –to reach middle age inpoor health and withchronic diseases. Is itpossible to change thecurrent weight trajectory?Yes.Ontario is committedto being the best placein North America togrow up and grow old.The human andeconomic consequencesof continuing to allowunhealthy weights tothreaten our children’shealth are so dire thatthe status quo is simplynot an option.In January 2012, the Ontario Governmentset an extremely ambitious target:to reduce childhood obesity by20 per cent over five years.The Minister of Health and Long-Term Careestablished the Healthy Kids Panel torecommend a strategy to meet that target.The Healthy Kids Panel is a broad, multisectoralgroup that brings together – forthe first time in Ontario – a wide range ofperspectives on the problem of childhoodweights, including health care providers,educators, non-governmental organizations,the food industry, the media and researchers(see Appendix 1 for a list of members and theterms of reference).915 Le Petit C, Berthelot JM. (2012). Obesity: A Growing Issue. Statistics Canada catalogue no. 82-618-MWE2005003.16 Relton CL, Groom A, St. Pourcain B, Sayers AE, Swan DC, et al. (2012). DNA Methylation Patterns in Cord Blood DNA and Body Size in Childhood.PLoS ONE 7(3): e31821. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031821.17 Hochberg Z, Feil R, Constancia M, Fraga M, Junien C, Carel JC, Boileau P, Le Bouc Y, Deal CL, Lillycrop K, Scharfmann R, Sheppard A, Skinner M,Szyf M, Waterland RA, Waxman DJ, Whitelaw E, Ong K, Albertsson-Wikland K. (2011). Child health, developmental plasticity, and epigeneticprogramming. Endocr Rev. 2011 Apr;32(2):159-224. doi: 10.1210/er.2009-0039. Epub 22 Oct. 2010.
Page 1 and 2: No Time to Wait:The Healthy Kids St
Page 3 and 4: Table of ContentsExecutive Summary
Page 5 and 6: Our Strategy in Brief31. Start All
Page 7 and 8: I. Raising Healthy KidsParents in O
Page 9: Measured Overweight and Obesity in
Page 13 and 14: Why are our children struggling tob
Page 15: Mental health. We are only just beg
Page 19 and 20: The advertising messages are everyw
Page 21 and 22: Income inequality has been increasi
Page 23 and 24: play a vital role in helping young
Page 25 and 26: III. Healthy KidsStrategyThe factor
Page 27 and 28: 1. Start All Kids on thePath to Hea
Page 29 and 30: 10 Steps to being designated aWHO b
Page 31 and 32: ●●●●Endorse the WHO Interna
Page 33 and 34: Instead of introducing voluntary in
Page 35 and 36: The panel believes we can achieve o
Page 37 and 38: “ Remove all junk food from the c
Page 39 and 40: Ensure the programs incorporate the
Page 41 and 42: and emotional well-being. Entries w
Page 43 and 44: and ensure children are active thro
Page 45 and 46: RecommendationsOntario should take
Page 47 and 48: 3.5 Develop the knowledge and skill
Page 49 and 50: IV. From Strategyto ActionOntario h
Page 51 and 52: B. Invest in Child HealthGiven the
Page 53 and 54: C.1 Develop a surveillance system t
Page 55 and 56: V. Setting the Bar HighThe need is
Page 57 and 58: Appendix 1:Healthy Kids Panel Terms
Page 59 and 60: SupportSecretariat support will be
Page 61 and 62:
Thought LeadersName Title Date Pres
Page 63 and 64:
Appendix 3:Research Consulted by He
Page 65 and 66:
Katzmarzyk, P. T., Baur, L. A., Bla
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No Time to Wait: The Health Kids Strategy - Ontario

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