THUNDER BAY – Today, the 5th annual “Turn Off the Screens & Get Active Challenge” kicks off and over 7,000 students from 26 elementary schools have registered to participate. From May 5th to May 9th these children will turn off their television, computer, and video games and get active!
The initiative is put on by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit in partnership with Take Heart Schools. It is supported by the enthusiastic cooperation of school boards, teachers and families in the city and district, as well as many local business and organizations.
“According to the Canada Fitness Survey, Canadian children spend a minimum of 26 hours per week watching television in addition to sitting in school 25 to 30 hours per week,” explains Amber White, Public Health Nurse at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. “The amount of time spent playing video games by Canadian children is among the highest in the world.”
The link between watching television and other screen time and obesity in children is clear- the more television they watch, the more likely they’ll be overweight. Not only does television and other screen time increase inactivity, but children tend to snack on foods high in fat and sugar while viewing television. Kids who watch television are strongly influenced by food commercials that promote beverages, snacks and candy high in calories and low in nutrients.
The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that children spend no more than one hour watching television and playing video games per day. Furthermore, more than half of Canadian children do not participate in sufficient physical activity to attain health benefits. Excessive television watching can also cut into family time, reduce performance in school, and encourage violence.
Canada’s Physical Activity Guide for Children and Youth recommends that children and youth be active for 90 minutes per day and reduce time spent being inactive.
In light of this information and all the recent media attention and research on childhood obesity and inactivity, public health is working with school communities to find ways to promote healthy, active lifestyles for our children.
Participating schools are receiving a package of program materials, including both teacher and student resources. These consist of “Turn Off the Screens Challenge” tracking sheets, tips for staying on track, PA announcements, a calendar of free or low-cost events planned throughout the community for the week of the challenge, and much more!
School and grand prizes will be available to students as incentives to help them stay “screen-free” for the week. The school with the highest participation rate (indicated by the number of tracking sheets returned compared to their total number of students registered) will win a School Dance Party sponsored by Maverick Entertainment. The winning school chooses the date for the dance party, and students will rotate through the active celebration throughout their school day.
Free or low-cost events during Turn Off the Screens Week are being provided with generous support from a variety of local businesses and organizations. A calendar of activities can be found at www.tbdhu.com. Local sponsors include Magic 99.9, The Chronicle Journal, Maverick Entertainment, Gammondale Farms, Canada Games Complex, Superior Bowladrome, Thunder Bay Police, Thunder Bay Cadets, City of Thunder Bay Aquatics and Golf, The Sports Dome, Walmart, The Trip Outdoors, Fresh Air Experience, Boston Pizza, Sears, Galaxy Lanes, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, Canada Safeway, A&P Food Store, Zellers, Confederation College and Lakehead University.
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