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Are Your Ready Quiz

Step 1: Lifestyle statistics — Mentoring your child to a healthy lifestyle

As a new mother or mother-to-be you've probably discussed some health concerns (e.g., nutrition for a healthy pregnancy, gestational diabetes, breastfeeding, weight gain or loss) with your family doctor, friends and/or family members. These health concerns are determined by your daily living habits, coping skills and the effect of our health culture and environment. The bare bone facts on women's health are

30% of Canadian women are obese, largely due to poor diet and lack of physical activity (Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 1992);
Women have a 1 in 4 chance of developing osteoporosis and males have a 1 in 8 chance (Osteoporosis Society of Canada);
Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of Canadian women (Canadian Medical Association Journal, June 1992);
25,000 women die from all cancers and 4700 from breast cancer (Statistics Canada, 1992);

Physical inactivity has now been identified as a major independent public health concern. That's because people with low levels of physical activity are at an increased risk of several serious health conditions or diseases, including overweight and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers.

It is well known that the rising incidence in overweight and obesity among adults, children and youth is due, in no small part, to poor eating habits and inactivity. The biggest risk factors are the vast amounts of cheap, fast calorie dense but nutrient poor foods, excessive television watching and video game use. The challenge to overcome these risks is immense.

The 1988 Campbell Survey on Well-Being of Canadians¹, and the 1981 Canada Fitness Survey both showed a decline in young women's levels of physical activities during adolescence - this is also a time when 44% of Grade 10 girls say that they need to lose weight (Health Canada, 1996);
Girls participate in LESS physical activities outside of school than boys, approximately 25% do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week (Health Canada, 1996);
Since 1981, the prevalence of overweight boys increased from 15% in 1981 to 35.4% in 1996, and among girls from 15% to 29.2% and during the same time frame, the prevalence of obesity in children tripled, from 5% to 16.6% for boys and from 5% to 14.6% for girls;²
Leisure time activities such as excessive television watching and video game use have been identified as a stimulus for excessive eating and sedentary behaviour;³
Today's overweight, screen mesmerized children are quickly becoming tomorrow's diabetes, heart disease and blood pressure victims.

As a parent, your lifestyle habits, in particular active living and healthy eating will play a key role in influencing your child/children's healthy living habits and health concerns. Your friends, parents and health professionals will play a key role in influencing YOUR healthy living habits.

Step 2: Why become physically active?

¹ Stephens T and CL Craig. The well-being of Canadians: highlights of the 1988 Campbell's survey. Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute: Ottawa, ON; 1990.

² Tremblay MS, Williams DJ. Secular trends in the body mass index of Canadian children. Can Med Assoc J 2000;163(11):1429-33, revised January 2001.

³ Robinson TN and JD Killen. Ethnic and gender differences in the relationships between television viewing and obesity, physical activity, and dietary fat intake. J Health Educ 1995; 26(2 Supppl):S91-S98.



			I am always in a rush and end up eating unhealthy snacks on the go.



			Cut up veggies on the weekend and store them covered in the fridge for up to one week or choose easy and portable items such as whole fruits, raisins, nuts, etc.