Toward More Active Kids

The Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission is hosting a major forum Tuesday (Jan. 23) to discuss ways to help youth become more physically active.

More than 50 representatives from health agencies, education, recreation and sport, universities and parent groups will attend the forum at the Holiday Inn in Dartmouth.

Dr. Phil Campagna of Dalhousie University will outline details of a provincewide pilot project to measure young people's physical activity levels. The study and community action were prompted by a growing recognition of the link between physical activity and health.

"A long-term, accurate study of our kids' physical activity levels will tell us where to make changes and where to focus our efforts," said Sport and Recreation Commission Minister Jane Purves. "In Nova Scotia, our first priority is children and youth."

In 1998, the Sport and Recreation Commission formed the Physically Active Children and Youth (PACY) committee to address children's inactivity in Nova Scotia. Research was identified as one of its priorities.

In 1997, federal and provincial ministers responsible for sport, recreation and fitness made a commitment to reduce the number of physically inactive Canadians by 10 per cent by the year 2003.