No Time to Wait: The Health Kids Strategy - Ontario

play a vital role in helping young childrenestablish eating habits that will shapetheir lives. Children tend to acquire theirparents’ health-related behaviours at a youngage. 83 If children are exposed to a range ofhealthy food choices once solid foods areintroduced into their diet (i.e., ideally aftersix months of exclusive breastfeeding),they are more likely to eat healthily later inlife. 84 The early exposure to food and eatinghabits is particularly important given thatOntario children are growing up at a time ofabundant access to palatable, high-calorie,low-cost foods. 85The transition to child careor schoolA recent study by researchers at theUniversity of Montreal and centre hospitalieruniversitaire Sainte-Justine HospitalResearch Center found that children whoattended child care were 65 per cent morelikely to be overweight between ages fourand 10, compared with those who stayedhome with a parent. 86 The reason for thesedifferences are not known, but may berelated to nutrition and physical activityin child care settings. In Ontario, licensedchild cares are regulated by the Ministry ofEducation. Among other things, licensedchild care programs must provide meals forall children older than one, and nutritiousbetween-meal snacks, with menus planned inadvance and available to parents. Also, staffmust post a daily program of activities thatshould include outdoor play and promotehealthy growth and development. 87 However,we heard from many parents that the foodsserved in child care were not as healthy aswhat they would feed their children at home.“ I ask them what they had and it’s chickennuggets and fries. That’s a big problem.”Parent focus groupEntering adolescenceDuring adolescence, children go throughgrowth spurts and changes associated withpuberty. Children gain an average of 30 to40 pounds between the ages of 11 and 14. 88Because adolescents are growing, they will behungrier, eat more and need to sleep more.Good food choices and physical activity canhelp an adolescent reach a healthy weight.Despite parents’ best efforts, a growingnumber of adolescents between the agesof 12 and 17 are an unhealthy weight, anda significant proportion are obese. Peersplay an important role in adolescents’eating decisions as does food advertising –a significant proportion of which is directedat teens. Youth told us that when they areinformed about healthy eating and awareof media efforts to “sell” them unhealthyfoods, they are better able to withstand bothpeer and media pressure, and make healthychoices. 892183 Perryman ML. (2011). Ethical Family Interventions for Childhood Obesity. Preventing Chronic Disease. Sept; 8(5):A99.84 Institute of Medicine. (2012). Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation. Editors: Glickman D, Parker L, Sim LJ,Del Valle Cook H and Miller EA. Committee on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention; Food and Nutrition Board.85 Savage JS, Fisher JO, Birch LL. (2007). Parental influence on eating behavior: conception to adolescence. J Law Med Ethics 35(1):22-34.86 Geoffroy MC, Power C, Touchette E, Dubois L et al. (2012). Childcare and Overweight or Obesity over 10 Years of Follow-Up. Journal of Pediatrics.In press.87 Link to Day Nurseries Act: http://www.elaws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d02_e.htm.88 National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2000). Clinical Growth Charts: Stature for Age and Weight for Age Percentiles. National Centerfor Health Statistics, National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last accessed December 3, 2012 at http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm.89 The Students Commission. (2012). Child and Youth Input to the Healthy Kids Panel. Rabab Kapasi and Davie Lowtan assisted Stoney McCart topresent this report to the Healthy Kids Panel in November. YMCA.