Editorial
A newly-released study by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has confirmed what many people probably already know ñ that too Canadians still aren't getting enough exercise these days and it's leading to long-term health concerns.
With the Winter Olympic Games now in full swing, highlighting the outstanding physical prowess and determination of Canada's top male and female athletes, it is perhaps a good time for governments at all levels to renew the commitment to overall national physical health.
The Canadian Fitness Study of 17,000 adult respondents found a relation between daily sitting time and the risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular disease. And what is causing so many Canadians to sit around so much?
ìSeemingly, expanding global consumerism brings not only benefits such as cars, television and computers, but also their unfortunate adverse effects,î the CMA said following the release of the study. ìIncreasingly evidence show that, through the use of modern conveniences, we have reduced dramatically our time spent moving.
ìAn accumulating body of evidence suggests that too much time spent sitting is a determinant of ill health and a risk factor for early death, alongside and independent of all the other well-known determinants.î
While individuals obviously have an obligation to help themselves when it comes to keeping active and avoiding sedentary lifestyles, the various levels of governments also have an important role to play.
In particular, councillors, MLAs and MPs need to show a real commitment to ensuring that enough money is being spent on the promotion of physical activities for residents of all ages.
While spending public funds, for example, on improving and upgrading Internet service in urban and rural schools is money well spent, other money also needs to be invested to ensure that residents have good and modern places to keep active.
It's true that arenas, playing fields, walking and biking pathways, and other recreation infrastructure is never cheap to build or maintain.
Yet what should also be clear to one and all is that whatever those costs, they pale in comparison to the countless millions of dollars needed to treat and care for people who are made sick because of inactivity.
As such, governments at all levels should be encouraged to continue investing in ways of keeping Canadians active, both now and over the long term.
As the CMA says, ìLet's start a loud conversation now about too much sitting and what we need to do about this risk factor for early death.î
