Mr. Speaker, indeed, I am pleased to speak to this motion from the member for Burlington. I welcome and congratulate the member on the motion, or at least most of it. There is one part I want to talk about for a moment. Also, I congratulate him. We all listened to his remarks earlier. I congratulate him on his personal journey getting off the pill, so to speak.

The motion states, “That,...the government should continue to”. I would agree with my colleague who just spoke that it is really a misrepresentation of the facts to say that “the government...continue to”. We see that in a lot of the motions coming forward to committees. The government's record on this issue is pretty dire, so I would say that the government should at least start. However, the points are valid. The motion states:

...(a) recognize the long-term health risks and costs of obesity in Canada; (b) support, promote and fund organizations and individuals who are involved in the physical well-being of Canadians; and (c) make the reduction of obesity of Canadians a public health priority.

It is certainly absolutely essential for that to happen.

It is kind of significant that today is called International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and some would ask why I would say it is important to mention International Day for the Eradication of Poverty in my remarks on a bill that is trying to make the reduction of obesity a public health priority. It is extremely important, because it is a known fact that people who are in poverty tend to buy unhealthy foods. They buy them because they are cheap. They are not as nutritious. There is certainly a connection between poverty and the food choices families make that actually lead to obesity, either at a young age or down the road.

We know that on the issue of poverty, the government is actually increasing poverty in Canada, if the truth be known. We see it in my region with the changes the Conservatives made to employment insurance and so on. However, I would digress if I got into that particular issue. However, I want to make the point that there is a serious connection between poverty and the choice of unhealthy foods that lead to obesity. We should recognize that, and the government should recognize it as well.

This motion is calling on the federal government to make the issue of obesity a public health priority, which we have always supported as a party, as a preventive public health measure. We will support this motion in the hope that the government will take this seriously and move forward on issues such as a sodium reduction plan, which my colleague from Vancouver Centre has talked about many times, and that it will also impose regulations on trans fats and energy drinks, all of which, to date, the Conservatives have refused to act on. They are important issues in terms of a health strategy on foods and obesity.

We all know that obesity is a risk factor for many chronic illnesses, particularly heart disease and diabetes. The member for Burlington spoke substantially about diabetes.

Although a variety of factors contribute to obesity, physical activity and dietary practices help prevent it. I think that is the major thrust of the member's bill and it is certainly a good idea.

We need to look at some of the facts. Obesity rates in Canada have been rising steadily over the last two decades. The rate is now at 25.3%. The north and maritime provinces have the highest obesity rates. British Columbia has the lowest. Children aged 2 to 17 have an obesity rate of 26%, up from 15% in 1979. Youth aged 12 to 17 have a higher rate of 29%. First nations children and youth on and off reserve have a combined obesity rate of 41%.

Those are serious numbers. What I am trying to do is make the point that the member for Burlington's bill is necessary. It is absolutely necessary that the government take this motion very seriously.

Obesity has economic costs, including lost productivity and increased costs to our health care system. In our analysis, Canada has an estimated $15 billion sports, physical activity and recreational infrastructure gap which has prevented the repair or replacement of needed facilities for youth and has contributed to low levels of physical activities among Canadian youth.

I will admit that I am not great at going to the gym or doing physical exercise, but I do walk from the justice building to here which gives me some exercise, and I get some on the farm. I look at my son. When he went through the school system, going to the gym and physical exercise was the thing to do in that time frame, whereas I see going to the gym as a waste of time in mind, which is wrong. However, if my son did not go the gym, it would not be a productive day for him.

That is what we have to instill in young people, that kind of attitude where physical activity is part of their daily life. In that way, it will prevent more costs to our health care system.

Estimates show that obesity results in economic costs of approximately $7.1 billion annually. That is according to the research we have done. That is lost productivity and further costs to our health care system.

The government should look at this proposal as an investment, not a cost. If we can bring that $7.1 billion annual cost as a result of obesity down, then that is money well spent. It could be spent in other ways.

I believe the member for Burlington is sincere when he makes the point about the throne speech, this piece of fiction that was read yesterday, about how the government intends to work with the provinces and territories. We will actually believe it when we see it. The federal government has failed to work with the provinces and territories on anything yet, especially on health care issues.

We would hope that with a backbench Conservative member putting forward this motion, the government will take the issue seriously, will move on the obesity question, will support physical exercise and will do something about the other health issues and poverty that I mentioned previously in my remarks.

Wayne Easter

Transcript

Private Members' Business

Discussions (0)