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Innovation Strategy Healthy Weights National Announcement - the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq Minister of Health

Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Kelowna, British Columbia

Check Against Delivery

Good morning.

I'd like to begin by thanking Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna - Lake Country, for bringing us together to talk about a serious, national health concern that requires immediate attention and collective action.

I'm talking about obesity and the various factors that contribute to it.

Over the past few decades, the number of overweight Canadians has been steadily rising. Today, for example, about one in three Canadian children and youth are overweight or obese, with rates even higher among Aboriginal peoples.

The consequences are serious.

Obese children are being diagnosed with health problems that we used to only see in adults, such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. 

If we want to reverse this trend, we need to address the underlying causes that lead to unhealthy weights.

To do this, we must change the way we think.

Change the way we act.

Change the way we eat.

And change the way we live.

There are many things we can do to achieve this.

We can support activities that give communities better access to healthy foods which, in turn, contributes to people's overall health and well-being. We can support school programs that teach young people about proper nutrition. And we can make our communities more walkable.

These are just some of the things we can do to create environments that support healthy lifestyles.

In 2010, Canada's Health Ministers signed a Declaration on Prevention and Promotion and Curbing Childhood Obesity. This Declaration symbolizes our commitment to make prevention a priority. It includes a framework for action to address childhood obesity and promote healthy weights. The work I'm announcing today is in line with this framework.

Since then we've had success with a number of important initiatives including:

  • Hosting a Summit on Healthy Weights
  • Launching a national Healthy Eating campaign
  • Investing in active and safe programming for children
  • Building the Nutrition North Canada program
  • Improving nutrition labelling requirements, and
  • Supporting a Children's Fitness Tax Credit

Today, our Government is building on this work by investing close to $13 million in 9 projects that help people achieve healthier weights.

These projects are part of the second phase of an Innovation Strategy called, Achieving Healthier Weights in Canada's Communities. Managed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, this strategy focuses on using innovation and learning to reduce health inequalities and the underlying factors that contribute to some of this country's most pressing health problems.

One of the projects is happening right here in Kelowna.

In 2011, the Bridge Youth and Family Services Society received federal funding for its Healthy Weights for Children project. Today, I'm pleased to announce that we're building on that work with an additional investment of almost $1.6 million.

This project will use a new educational approach to promote healthier weights among Aboriginal peoples, low-income communities and disadvantaged children and their families. The main focus of this work will be on foster families.  The project, however, will extend far beyond Kelowna when it's replicated in five regions across Canada.

None of us can solve childhood obesity alone but, as the Healthy Weights for Children project demonstrates, we all have a role to play in building supportive physical and social environments that make the healthier choice, the easier choice.

As Minister of Health, I'm committed to doing my part. That means keeping this issue on the agenda, making strategic investments, working with my provincial and territorial counterparts and the private sector to help more Canadians adopt healthier lifestyles.

Reversing the obesity trend so our children can live long, healthier lives may sound like a lofty goal but it is possible because obesity is preventable. To realize this goal we must continue to work together and step up our efforts to address this growing epidemic.

Before closing I would like to thank Rotary Centre for the Arts for hosting us today and for their ongoing work to support healthier lifestyles.

Thank you.