May 29, 2006- Take Heart Thunder Bay is planning a very direct approach to getting children in our city and district off to a healthy and active start this summer. They will be targeting the families of Grade 2 and 3 students with a new resource.
Grade 2 and 3 is a crucial age to connect as a family. It is a time when children enjoy spending time with family and trying new things. They are starting to develop physical coordination and are able to help prepare meals and make decisions on what foods to eat. They also like to watch and listen to parents and often model their behaviour. As a result, it is an important age to develop healthy eating habits and a positive body image.
The Active Healthy Kids Resource will be delivered to Grade 2 and 3 classrooms in Thunder Bay and District beginning May 31. Parents can expect to receive a large white envelope with a purple soccer player on it containing a keychain guide. It is a set of cards on a key chain that can be attached to a backpack or belt loop. The cards are full of simple, healthy food ideas and active games for families. The package also contains a copy of Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Healthy Active Living and Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating.
“We are seeing something we call ‘the frenzied family’”, says Anne Ostrom, Take Heart Coordinator and Health Promotion Planner at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “These days, families are finding it difficult to find the time to make healthy meals and be active when both parents are working. The simple ideas in this booklet will help families get back to basics like serving fruit and veggies for snacks and sending their kids outside to play each day. Small steps like these can make a big difference in the health of our children. ”
The constant advertising of unhealthy foods like pop, chips and chocolate, and the lure of TV, video games and the car is resulting in a generation of children who is at increased risk for Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure – diseases that we usually see in adults. Some medical researchers say that our generation of children will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
The resource will be sent to Grade 2 and 3 students in:
Dorion, Nipigon, Red Rock, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Geraldton, Longlac, Beardmore, Marathon, Manitouwadge in the Superior North Catholic District School Board & Superior Greenstone District School Board, as well as to schools in Caramat, Collins, Armstrong, Upsala and Nakina.
The package was put together in partnership with Take Heart Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and was funded by the Ministry of Health Promotion. For more information about healthy eating and physical activity, visit the Health Unit’s website at www.tbdhu.com.