At its regular meeting Monday Yorkton Council learned about effort by the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan (HSFS) to help address youth health in the city.
Bill Ursell, HSFS Community Action Coordinator made a presentation to Council regarding a new Heart Health Children & Youth health promotion strategy.
"A focus on improving the health of our children and youth is very timely, and requires the concerted and cooperative effort of many people, agencies, organizations and government," explained a letter from Ursell to Council circulated Monday.'
Ursell told Council said the initiative is one focused on making youth live a healthier lifestyle. He said as is youth can average up to six hours per day in front of television, computer and gaming screens.
The lack of physical activity as a result of being tied to a screen has many youth aged six-to-17, "dangerously overweight," said Ursell, and that results in a risk of long term health concerns.
"Healthy kids become healthy adults," he said.
"Unhealthy kids can become unhealthy kids."
Ursell said the pendulum appears to be swinging to poorer general health.
"This might be the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents," he said.
To try and reverse that prognosis for the future Ursell said the new program works with adults and children to promote a more active lifestyle. To accomplish that he said the HSFS wants to partner with schools, the Sunrise Health Region, and other groups to encourage activity.
"We're confident the strategy works," he said, adding it's a national initiative with Saskatchewan "taking a lead role," in carrying the plan forward.
"We're engaged and focused on change," he said, adding "heart healthy kids make a community healthier."
