Information
June 2003
The Healthy Living Symposium
The Healthy Living Symposium provided an opportunity for participants from all levels
of government, as well as health sector, non-governmental, voluntary and consumer organizations,
First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, the private sector, and academia to help develop
an Integrated Pan-Canadian Healthy Living Strategy. The Strategy was collaborative initiative
of federal, provincial and territorial governments.
The goal of the Healthy Living Strategy is to improve overall health outcomes for all
Canadians and reduce health disparities. It recognizes that one key to effective, affordable
health care is to focus on preventing illness and promoting good health.
The Healthy Living Strategy promotes integration, that is, different sectors working in
a more co-ordinated way both within each sector and with each other to promote healthy
eating, physical activity and healthy weights. The Strategy:
- takes into consideration the factors, or determinants, that affect health;
- targets common risk factors for diseases and injury;
- seeks to consolidate promotion and prevention efforts where people live, work, learn
and play;
- recognizes and seeks to address the links between lifestyle choices and the social,
economic and environmental influences on health.
Phase I of the Strategy emphasizes physical activty, healthy eating and their relationship
to healthy weights. Health Ministers from across the country are working together and with
stakeholders to develop short, medium and long-term strategies that promote good health
and reduce the risk factors associated with the four major chronic disease groups - cardiovascular,
respiratory, diabetes and cancer. Each year, more than two-thirds of deaths in Canada result
from these four diseases, and physical inactivity and poor nutrition, along with smoking,
are the leading preventable causes. Reducing the impact of these diseases through healthy
living initiatives will in turn reduce the burden they place on health care
The Healthy Living Symposium was opportunity to work together to identify the most effective
ways to address these issues. The symposium was part of an extensive consultation process
that has resulted in input from all sectors with an interest in healthy living. Consultation
participants were asked to identify specific initiatives to support healthy living in the
context of healthy communities, including rural, remote and Northern areas.
The Symposium built on this information, and, today and tomorrow, several hundred participants
had an opportunity to attend plenary presentations and contribute to working sessions to
develop an action plan for healthy living. In addition, the Symposium featured a Showcase
of "best practices" celebrating and profiling innovative and successful programs from across
Canada that demonstrate healthy living in action. The showcase theme - "integration" -
will be highlighted by exhibitors, whose programs and projects are the result of partnerships
and collaboration among and within sectors.
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