One of Canada’s leading experts on childhood obesity is coming to London with a call to action for parents, service providers and researchers.
Dr. Mark Tremblay, Director of Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research (HALO) at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, will inform, educate and motivate Londoners during three presentations Oct.13 and 14.
A public presentation for parents is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Boys’ & Girls’ Club of London (184 Horton Street East). The event begins at 7 p.m. Shauna Burke, an assistant professor in the School of Health Studies at The University of Western Ontario who specializes in psychology of health and physical activity, will join Dr. Tremblay for the presentation.
London has a number of services and program to assist families and children who are overweight and representatives of these programs will also be in attendance to provide information.
On Thursday, Oct. 14, Tremblay and Trish Tucker, an assistant professor in the School of Occupational Therapy who specializes in child and youth health, will speak to area service providers at Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre (656 Elizabeth Street). The event runs from 10 a.m. until noon.
Later on Oct. 14, Tremblay and Dr. Michael Strong, Dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry will present to researchers and academics at Western in Room 40, Arthur and Sonia Labatt Health Sciences Building (1151 Richmond Street) from 5 to 7 p.m.
Tremblay is the author of the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card. The 2010 report indicated less than half of Canadian children under the age of five get enough regular physical activity as part of their daily lives. It also gave Canadian children a failing grade for spending too much time in front of television and computer screens. Some children spend as much as six hours per day in front of a screen of some type.
In London-Middlesex, more than 20 per cent of youth and 50 per cent of adults are overweight or obese. And while 86 per cent of youth believe that increasing physical activity can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, only 30 per cent are active enough to actually receive cardiovascular benefit.
Tremblay’s London tour is hosted by in motion®. Middlesex-London in motion® is a community-based initiative to promote healthy and active living.