Thea, Age 10, Parksville
2nd Session, 38th Parliament – November 29, 2006
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Thea, Age 10, Parksville
Childhood obesity is a problem our province can no longer afford to ignore. The health costs to our children and the financial costs to our health system are reaching a crisis point and all leaders need to act. The problem of poor eating habits and physical inactivity in children requires bold leadership and strong action to turn the tide.
This report results from comprehensive research, extensive consultations, and thorough consideration by ten legislators who have worked intensively for almost a year to better understand how to most effectively combat the problem of childhood obesity. To demonize eating is not an option, and we cannot command children to embrace sports or go for a long walk every day.
In its need to address this issue, British Columbia is hardly unique; the problem is global. Furthermore, we appreciate that it took society decades to reach this crisis point, and solutions are hardly going to be implemented overnight.
Since the middle of the last century, we have been gearing down our physical activity, driving more, and designing communities around the convenience of a vehicle. Busy lifestyles have encouraged the development of convenience in the food industry, where more of what we eat is processed, packaged, and consumed “on the go.” These things must change to solve the problem.
Some may say, to paraphrase a former prime minister, that “the state has no place in the kitchens of British Columbia.” They may criticize any attempt to tell people how to travel to work or school. But in the last century no one thought government could regulate away smoking. Today, smoking has become, through concerted social marketing campaigns, taxes and regulation, essentially taboo. It took bold visionaries to launch those campaigns to change societal attitudes, but social mores were indeed changed. So too can current attitudes around healthy eating and physical activity.
As a leader in health, wellness, and physical fitness, we believe British Columbia should now take up the visionary torch with respect to childhood obesity. With this report, we hope to lead the province on a path that reverses the alarming trend of poor eating and inactivity among our children and youth. We can show the way, and society, over time, can be changed – starting with our children.
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© 2006 Legislative Assembly of British Columbia