Toronto (ONTARIO) October 15, 2007 - Today, ParticipACTION, the voice and champion of physical activity in Canada, along with its partners including the Government of Canada, celebrated its return with the launch of a public awareness campaign aimed at inspiring Canadians to move more. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION was reinvigorated to help deal with the inactivity and obesity crisis that is facing Canada. The launch of the awareness campaign was kicked off by a symbolic walk with the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, and the Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs and International Trade and
Sport, who joined ParticipACTION staff and board members in a stroll from West Block to Confederation Building in Ottawa.
"There has never been a more critical time for Canadians to get off their couches and get in motion. If we don't deal with this inactivity crisis, we could soon see a generation of children who have shorter life expectancies than ours. This would be an unprecedented and historical shift," says Kelly Murumets, President and CEO of ParticipACTION. "Today marks the start of a new movement in Canada - a movement to move. We urge Canadians to join."
ParticipACTION's public awareness campaign is targeted to all Canadians with an emphasis on parents and Canadian youth. With only nine per cent of Canadian children and youth (aged 5 to 19) meeting the recommended guidelines in Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth, ParticipACTION's new ads seek to show the implications of youth inactivity and motivate parents to make physical activity a priority at home. The campaign will include TV and radio advertisements that will run nationally from October 2007 to March 2008, and a content rich website (www.participACTION.com) complete with tips, resources and information for Canadians.
"The inactivity and obesity crisis we are facing will have a major impact on our health, our society and our economy if Canadians don't get more active in the very near future," says Minister Tony Clement. "Canada's New Government strongly supports ParticipACTION as an organization that promotes physical activity because there is an undeniable need for change." Physical inactivity can lead to a host of chronic degenerative conditions and premature death.
With more than half of Canadians considered inactive, Canada is facing an inactivity and obesity crisis that will not only impact individuals' health, but also society and the economy. The economic burden of physical inactivity in Canada is estimated at $5.3 billion.
"We are not asking Canadians to make dramatic changes to their lifestyle or to suddenly join the gym but rather to integrate movement into their daily routines," says Helena Guergis, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport). "Whether it's taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking your kids to school or even raking leaves, there are many
simple things we can do in our daily routines to get us moving more."
To inspire Canadians to move more, ParticipACTION will run public awareness campaigns, provide leadership and support to the physical activity, recreation and sport sectors so that all organizations and initiatives are united and coordinated, and it will work with its partners to advocate for policy change and action that supports physical activity in Canada. ParticipACTION will also be a resource for Canadians and provide information about the inactivity issue and tips for how to integrate movement into daily life.
About ParticipACTION
ParticipACTION is the voice and champion for physical activity in and for Canada. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION was relaunched in 2007 to help prevent the looming inactivity and obesity crisis that faces Canada. As a national not-for-profit organization solely dedicated to inspiring and supporting healthy and active living for Canadians, it will work with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to inspire and support Canadians to move more. ParticipACTION is generously supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Sport Canada. For more information visit
www.participACTION.com
To see an interesting archive on ParticipACTION, visit the Univeristy of Saskatchewan's ParticipACTION Archive Project.
