Inactivity in B.C. communities is at crisis levels leading to higher levels of disease and decreased long term health outcomes according to a recent presentation to Parksville council.
Drew Mitchell and Drew Cooper with the BC Sport Agency made the presentation to encourage council to begin thinking about and working towards ways to increase sport and activity in the community to help re-train the public in what they call “physical literacy.”
Mitchell laid out what he called three big strikes against children’s physical fitness today — “Facebook children” spending more time on computers than playing outside, the lack of competent phys-ed teachers and resources in schools and the “eradication of kids walking to school in a single generation.”
“For the first time in our history life expectancy is down,” he explained of the current young generation.
They encourage people to visit activeforlife.ca and canadiansportforlife.com to find ways to be more active personally as well as finding ways to make the community more active.
Council was receptive to the informational presentation, suggesting they also speak to the Regional District of Nanaimo, which runs many of the recreational facilities and programs in the region.
