Healthy Kids Community Challenge (25)
Choose to boost veggies and fruit.
Written by corconsultingChoose to boost veggies and fruit.
The third theme of the HKCC was Choose to boost veggies and fruit and ran April 2017 – December 2017. This theme encourages kids and families to make vegetables and fruit a part of every meal and snack.
We know that vegetables and fruit are essential to kids' health. They are a great choice to satisfy hunger any time of day. Vegetables and fruit provide many benefits:
- They are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre and other important plant nutrients.
- Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruit may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and heart disease. It is also linked to healthy weight and a lower risk of obesity.
Canada's Food Guide recommends at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit for kids every day. However, most children are not meeting this goal - according to the Canadian Community Health Survey, 59% of Canadian children aged 2-17 had less than 5 servings a day of vegetables and fruit.
Featured Recipes:
Healthy Zucchini Muffins from our July Family Cooking Series!
For more information:
Parents & Caregivers Fact Sheet (French)
Partners & Stakeholders Fact Sheet (French)
Indigenous Fact Sheet Fact Sheet (French)
Background & Evidence Fact Sheet (French)
Timmins is one of 45 communities across Ontario taking part in The Healthy Kids Community Challenge. The Healthy Kids Community Challenge unites communities with a common goal: promoting children’s health through physical activity and healthy eating. Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre, with support from the City of Timmins, has been chosen as the lead organization for the Challenge within our community.
Our community will be launching projects that strive for that goal while meeting local needs.
How does it work?
About every nine months, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will launch a new theme related to physical activity or healthy eating; two protective factors associated with healthy weights in children. Communities will rally around the theme, and work with partners in many sectors developing programs, policies and initiatives that promote and enable healthy behaviours.
The Timmins-Misiway Healthy Kids Community Challenge will bring together community partners from different sectors, such as public health, education, recreation and local business to collaborate on programs that promote healthy behaviours, reduce inequalities, and create safe places to play. Timmins will receive up to $175,000 per year over the next two years to implement local activities, programs, policies, and environmental supports related to specific themes set out by the Ministry.
Why now?
Between 2009 and 2011, the Ontario Health Status Report found that more than one quarter of children in Canada were overweight or obese. In 2013, the Healthy Kids Panel released its report No Time to Wait: The Healthy Kids Strategy. The panel recommended action to reduce those numbers.
In response, Ontario launched a cross-government Healthy Kids Strategy.
Ontario’s approach focuses on the health of the whole child. A healthy weight affects not just physical health, but also mental and emotional health, relationships, self-esteem and results in the classroom.
Quick Facts:
- Almost 30% of Ontario children and youth are overweight or obese.
- Childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and premature death in adulthood.
- Children and youth who are overweight or obese are more likely to become obese adults. In one study, overweight 2-5 year olds were 4 times as likely to be overweight as adults.
- Adult obesity is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, hypertension, breast and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, gall bladder disease and osteoarthritis.
- Unhealthy weights can influence self-esteem, social inclusion and mental health in children and youth.
We want to hear from you! Fill out our online survey for a chance to win 1 of 20 $50 gift cards to Sportchek!
Share with us your ideas for ways to make it easier for kids to be active and eat healthier. Your input will help us plan activities, projects, and programs that address the local needs and challenges of our community.
Together we can make our community a healthier environment for children to live, learn, eat, and play!
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7T39R9L
Survey closes January 29, 2017 at 11:59 pm.
Run. Jump. Play. Every day.
Written by corconsultingRun. Jump. Play. Every day.
The first theme of the HKCC was Run. Jump. Play. Every Day. and ran until June 2016.
This theme encourages physical activity through a mix of active play, sport, active transportation and structured activities. Any form of fun or regular movement is physical activity. For kids of all ages, it should include bouts of moderate to vigorous activity to raise their heart rate.
For more information:
Water Does Wonders!
Written by corconsultingWater Does Wonders!
The second theme of the HKCC was Water Does Wonders and ran July 2016 – March 2017.
This theme promotes the benefits of drinking water. It’s about helping kids make healthy choices to quench their thirst. When kids have easy access to safe, free drinking water, we know that:
- It helps increase how much water they drink overall.
- It keeps them hydrated – the body functions poorly when it lacks water.
- If they are drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, it reduces their intake of calories or energy from sugar.
For more information:
Parents & Caregivers Fact Sheet (French)
Partners & Stakeholders Fact Sheet (French)
Aboriginal Fact Sheet (French)
Volunteer with HKCC
Written by corconsulting
Are you passionate about promoting healthy behaviours in children? The Healthy Kids Community Challenge Timmins-Misiway is always looking for volunteers to help with fun community events and initiatives.
*High school students can earn community service hours.
More...
Become a Community Partner
Written by corconsultingWhat’s the key to success for the Healthy Kids Community Challenge? Committed local partners like you!
Sign on to be a partner and:
- Promote The Healthy Kids Community Challenge in your (store, library, school, fitness club, etc.)
- Help promote the healthy living theme, especially when you have specific expertise or interest in particular themes.
- Make a financial contribution or provide expertise and/or resources to support the program.
- Participate in a local steering committee to help guide and promote The Healthy Kids Community Challenge in our community.
How you’ll benefit as a partner:
- You may be able to expand programs you’ve already started or start new ones to benefit the community.
- Being involved means exposure for your business, program or service – for instance through local media coverage or community events.
- This may be a chance to introduce or enhance programs and policies in your workplace that support employees in making healthy living choices with their families.
- You will be mobilizing and joining forces with other community partners. That will make all of our efforts stronger and form bonds that will last beyond The Healthy Kids Community Challenge itself.
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