Why the ‘Early Years’ are critical for growth and development?
Active Healthy Kids Canada influences thinking and action among issue stakeholders to help them build better programs, campaigns and policies in order to increase physical activity among children and youth.
Each year Active Healthy Kids Canada produces an annual ‘Report Card‘ on research they complete throughout the year.
Here are some quick facts and discoveries that are very interesting.
»» The National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) indicates that only 36% of 2-3-year-olds and 44% of 4-5-year olds
regularly engage in unorganized sport and physical activity each week.
»» A survey of Edmonton parents indicates that only 42% of preschoolers get 90 minutes of physical activity per day.
»» In childcare centre settings, one US study shows that 89% of children’s time is spent being sedentary. Whatever the setting, children under five require adequate unstructured play and time outdoors for physical, cognitive and emotional development.
In 1971, the average age at which children began to watch TV was 4 years; today, it is 5 months:
»» More than 90% of kids begin watching TV before the age of two, despite recommendations that screen time should be zero for
children under two, and limited to 1 hour for kids 2-5.
»» The NLSCY indicates that 27% of those aged 2-3 and 22% of those aged 4-5 are watching more than 2 hours of TV per day. Overweight and obesity in Canadians under six is rising. Two regional reports tell us the prevalence of obesity in those aged 2-5 years is
between 8-11%.3,4 National data show that 15.2% of 2-5-year-olds are overweight and 6.3% are obese. This reality should be high on public health agendas given that:
»» Obesity in infancy persists through the preschool years.
»» Children who become obese before the age of six are likely to be obese later in childhood.
»» Obese children have a 25-50% increased risk of being obese as adults.
»» It is estimated that overweight 2-5-year-olds are four times as likely to be overweight as adults.
View the whole Report Card here.
To help get kids Active! Visit our website for unique playground equipment, and playspace ideas.
