No Time to Wait: The Health Kids Strategy - Ontario

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No one policy, program or action will beenough on its own to reach that target.We know from our experience with tobaccocontrol: there is no silver bullet. Ontarioneeds a timely, comprehensive, evidencebasedstrategy: a combination of actionsimplemented in full to create the criticalmass needed for social change.The panel has set out a practical three-stepstrategy – the “what” to do. It is now up togovernment to create a detailed implementationplan – the “how” to do it – and to providethe leadership to make it happen.The panel offers the following “how to” advice.The problem is urgent, and it will not besolved overnight. There is no time to wait,no time for debate and delay, and no placefor stop-gap measures. It is important tostart now and sign on for the long term:Ontario needs at least a 10-year commitmentto reduce childhood overweight and obesityand improve child health.A. Make Child HealthEveryone’s PriorityA.1 Establish a cross-ministry cabinetcommittee, chaired by the Premier.Bring together all ministries whose programshave an impact on child health and well-being.A.2 Engage the right partners andplayers outside government. Developshared goals. Identify champions.We are all responsible forour children’s health: kidsEngagement is morethemselves, parents, childthan consultation.care providers, schools,health care providers,community organizations, researchers, thefood industry, store owners and retailers,the media, municipal governments, theprovincial government and the federalgovernment. It is time for everyone tostep up. Identify leaders and championsprovincially, locally and in each sector.A.3 Empower parents, caregiversand youth.Involve parents, caregiversand youth in meaningful Empowered withways in planning and knowledge, skills andimplementing activities. confidence, youth canParents and caregivers make healthy choiceshave a great sense of for themselves andresponsibility and they influence their peers.want to do what is bestfor their children. They are ready to do theirpart – they just need support from the restof society. Youth are also ready to be partof the solution. They want to be involved increating age-appropriate health informationand communicating with and supportingone another. Just by asking, you are alreadycreating change.A.4 Leverage and build on what wealready have.Do not start from scratch. Use existingstructures and delivery systems. Build oneffective initiatives in Ontario, Canadaand around the world. Identify what isworking, adapt those activities for differentcommunities and scale them up when itmakes sense.48
B. Invest in Child HealthGiven the current economic climate, theremay not be a lot of new resources. However,investing now in preventing and managingchildhood overweight and obesity will avoidhigher costs – for children, families and thehealth care system – in the future.Obesity is already costing Ontario $4.5billion a year or about $313 per person eachyear. We have to get in front of this problem.The system will have to spend in order tosave. How much should Ontario invest?When it comes to funding, it is time to becreative and efficient.B.1 Maintain current levels of fundingallocated to prevent or reduceunhealthy weights.The province already funds a number oforganizations and programs to promotehealthy weights and address childhoodoverweight and obesity. Money may be tightbut asking publicly funded institutions andsystems to deliver programs and interventionswithout providing adequate resourcessustained over time is a recipe for failure.B.2 Leverage and repurpose governmentfunding.Look first at opportunities to leverage orrepurpose existing investments in healthyeating and physical activity – reallocatingfunding to effective activities that alignwith this three-step strategy. Focus onupstream activities that will improve childhealth and – in time – reduce the need foracute care services later.B.3 Commit at least $80 million peryear – $5.87 per person per year –in new funding to reduce childhoodoverweight and obesity.Other provinces are investing in their obesitystrategies. For example, Nova Scotia, Quebecand Alberta are investing, on average, $5.87per capita per year to prevent and reduceobesity, and we recommend that Ontariocommit at the same level. Given the size ofits population, Ontario should invest at least$80 million each year in new funding thattargets childhood overweight and obesity.That represents only .17 per cent of theprovince’s health budget and 1.7 per centof what Ontario is currently spending onthe consequences of obesity.B.4 Establish a public-privatephilanthropictrust fund to invest ininnovative new programs and services.Other jurisdictions are ahead ofOntario in their efforts to developpublic-private-philanthropic trusts, toleverage philanthropic funding and tocapitalize on social innovation investments.Ontario should work with the private sectorto develop a fund that invests in new andinnovative programs to reduce unhealthyweights. To kick-start these public-privatephilanthropictrusts, Ontario should investitself and attract other partners willing toinvest in the health and future of Ontario’schildren.49
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 and 10: Measured Overweight and Obesity in
Page 11 and 12: If Nothing Changes, Our KidsFace a
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: IV. From Strategyto ActionOntario h
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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