BC Council for Families

Canadian kids earned a failing grade for physical activity this year, according to the sixth annual report card on physical activity for children and youth from Active Healthy Kids Canada.

The annual Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth is a comprehensive assessment of the current state of physical activity among Canadian children and youth. In addition to the overall failing grade for children, in the 2010 report card, families received a "D" for physical activity.

Note the report's authors, "Helping parents understand their role as the regulators of family physical activity levels may be the most effective way of increasing the physical activity levels of entire families. Canadian research has shown that a 4 week family lifestyle intervention can lead to increases in self-reported family physical activity, largely explained by increases in unstructured family activities."

"The message is out there but dramatic changes are not evident. Perhaps telling parents is not enough. Perhaps we need to divert our attention toward educating parents on how to implement changes in their family."

As a start, Healthy Kids Canada recommends that families be encouraged to follow three household routines that can help prevent childhood obesity:

• limit children's exposure to TV and screen time
• eat family meals together at least five times per week
• get adequate sleep

Tell us what you think needs to happen to get Canadian families more active!