Mr. Speaker, the health of our Northerners begins with each individual choosing to live a healthy lifestyle. An essential part of one’s lifestyle is deciding to make healthy food and beverages a part of everyday life.
The Drop the Pop challenge, now in its fifth year, is a positive way for the Department of Health and Social Services to encourage healthy choices and to raise awareness about the negative effects of too much sugar in one’s diet. Since the inception of the campaign in 2004, we have increased school participation from 13 schools to 40 schools registered this year. I would encourage the remaining schools to visit www.dropthepop.ca and register for this year’s campaign.
February is Drop the Pop month in the Northwest Territories. This year we are partnering with Nunavut and Yukon in a pan-territorial initiative to help people make the choice to “Drop the Pop.” This year’s theme is Strong Bones 2010.
We are strongly encouraging schools across the North to participate in this year’s challenge to promote foods high in calcium and practice healthy eating. This can be achieved by consuming/harvesting traditional foods.
Health and Social Services is also pleased to be working with Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and grocery stores across the NWT to provide education about drinking too many sugar sweetened beverages. Sugar sweetened beverages are not only linked to weight gain in children, but they are also being linked to weak bones in adults. Too much sugar also results in poor oral health and tooth decay.
Mr. Speaker, this initiative helps maintain a very important goal in the Foundation for Change action plan to ensure health promotion is delivered effectively across the NWT through resources that help Northerners make healthy choices. This initiative has also resulted in the Legislative Assembly “dropping the pop” and that is a move in the right direction.
Recently studies have shown that obesity is emerging as a major threat to public health. In 2008, Statistics Canada reported that 51 percent of adults were overweight or obese. The addition of excess sugar to one’s diet greatly contributes to this health problem. More children than ever are struggling with obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, Mr. Speaker, and we fear that if these trends continue, it is entirely possible that we will see parents outliving their children, as many people are predicting.
The Department of Health and Social Services will continue to raise widespread awareness about the detrimental effects of consuming sugary beverages through our Drop the Pop campaign. We encourage all parents, schools, communities and others to join us in promoting healthy lifestyles by “dropping the pop.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
