The childhood obesity "epidemic" means Canadian kids will, for the first time in recorded history, live shorter than their parents, warns a new report.
The Commons health committee report released Tuesday concludes 26 per cent of Canadians between the ages of two and 17 are overweight or obese, an increase of 15 per cent from 1978.
The staggering numbers show that on reserves, 55 per cent of First Nations children in that age group are considered grossly overweight.
The report, titled "Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids," says obesity outranks smoking and drinking in its impact on health and costs related to health-care.
"We're killing our kids with kindness," warned Conservative MP Rob Merrifield, chairman of the Commons health committee which produced the report after nine months of consultations.
The all-party report says Canada has one of the world's highest childhood obesity rates, ranking fifth among 34 countries that are a part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The added weight is triggering higher rates of preventable life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, while also causing joint problems and mental health issues, the committee says.
Children are consuming too many calories in fatty and processed foods and sugary drinks, and spending too much time in front of the TV and computer, MPs warn.
"The link between obesity and the increased consumption of sweetened drinks is particularly disturbing," the 60-page report says. "It has been estimated that sugary drinks may be responsible for as much as one pound per month weight gain in adolescents."
An even more disturbing figure was the fact that only nine per cent of parents recognized their children to be obese or overweight.
"This is the most alarming statistic we found, that they do not recognize the problem," Merrifield said.
The panel says the federal government must immediately ban trans-fats and launch a public awareness campaign to warn of the health care crisis.
The committee recommends changes take place at all levels, including at home, in schools, in the community and in advertising and media markets.
Other recommendations include:
- Putting mandatory, standardized labels on the front of food packages;
- Helping children get more exercise through programs such as Participaction; and
- Collaborating with First Nations and Inuit to curb obesity among aboriginal children.
The committee set 2010 as the target date for halting the rise of childhood obesity, the year Canada hosts the Winter Olympics.
"This is a year when all of Canada's attention will be focused on physical activity, the pride of Canada, our youth and healthy living," said Heart and Stroke Foundation CEO Sally Brown.
General obesity costs Canada about $1.6 billion a year in health-care costs. The panel said it costs the economy another $2.7 billion in lost productivity, disability insurance, reduced quality of life and mental health problems due to stigmatization and poor self-esteem.
With a report from CTV's Monica Matys and files from The Canadian Press
