alPHa
Position
Access to adequate,
acceptable and healthy nutrition and physical activity is essential to the
healthy growth and development of children and plays an important role in the
prevention of disease in later life. The government of Ontario must recognize
its role in providing supports for healthy eating as well as promoting physical
activity in schools and in the home. Strategies to ensure access to a healthy
and adequate diet for all Ontarians as well as to address the specific issue of
the alarming rise in obesity must be developed.
(Please
visit the Determinants of Health page for advocacy related to barriers to
accessing nutritious food.)
Developments on A16-6:
July 21 2016
alPHa has transmitted a letter to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care that introduces this resolution.
July 12 2016
alPHa has issued a news release (with input form Heart and Stroke) announcing the passage of this resolution.
Resolution A15-6, Physical Literacy in Educational and Childcare Settings
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THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies request the Ontario Ministry of Education and its stakeholders to provide for the public health, safety, and welfare of all Ontario residents by enhancing the development of physical literacy in educational and childcare settings through:
1. Adopting a mandatory assessment of physical literacy for elementary and secondary students across the province; 2. Ensuring that quality daily health and physical education programming is delivered by health and physical education specialists in all Ontario elementary and secondary schools; 3. Evaluating compliance and enforcing the Daily Physical Activity (Policy/Program Memorandum No. 138) requirement; 4. Providing ongoing staff training related to physical literacy for all teachers, early childhood educators, and childcare providers; 5. Strengthening the Day Nurseries Act/Child Care and Early Years Act to promote and support physical literacy development in licensed childcare settings; and 6. Making health and physical education credits a mandatory requirement for grades 9-12.
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Developments on A15-6:
January 2016
The the Ontario Society of Physical Activity Promoters in Public Health has assembled a small working group to continue advocacy on this issue, and has submitted a letter to the Minister of Education, which refers to alPHa's resolution among other expressions of support.
August 31 2015
Reply received from the Minister of Education, which outlines several related Ministry initiatives.
July 30 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Minister of Education that introduces this resolution.
Resolution A13-6, Mandatory Physical Education for Ontario Secondary School Students
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THAT alPHa urge the Government of Ontario to endorse the "Taking Action to Prevent Chronic Disease” report from Cancer Care Ontario and Public Health Ontario, and take immediate action towards implementation of the recommendation to require students to earn a physical education credit in every grade from 9 to 12 to achieve high school graduation; AND FURTHER that a collaborative approach be taken to development of the curriculum that includes the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Boards of Education, Secondary School staff, parents and students to ensure a positive experience for Ontario’s youth that will encourage healthy active living into adulthood.
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Developments on A13-6:
August 26 2013
Response to the July 16 alPHa Letter received from the Minister of Education. Please click here to read.
July 16 2013
alPHa Letter to the Minister of Education introducing this resolution. Please click here to read.
Developments on #A12-5:
July 12 2012
alPHa Has written a letter to the Premier introducing alPHa Resolution A12-5, which calls on the Province to create an Ontario Food and Nutrition Strategy
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Resolution: # A11-10, Regulation and Reduction of Sodium in the Canadian Food Supply
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| THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies encourage the federal Minister of Health, the Chief Public Health Officer for Canada, Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario to support and implement the aforementioned recommendations outlined in the 2010 Report of the former Federal Sodium Reduction Working Group. |
Developments on #A11-10:
November 26 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Health that links a number of points in her mandate letter to this and four other alPHa resolutions.
October 20 2015
The Liberal Platform plank on Healthier Kids contains the following pledge:
We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less exposure to known health risks.
To help families make better food choices, we will: bring in tougher regulations to eliminate trans fats, similar to those in the U.S., and to reduce salt in processed foods.
The whole platform can be viewed here
May 8 2013
Bill C-460, Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada Act, is defeated by a vote of 147-122
May 8 2013
CSPI has submitted a new letter to the Minister of Health, which cites the Joint Statement referred to below.
January 31 2013
Debate begins on Bill C-460 in the House of Commons. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest has presented a letter of support co-signed by over three-dozen health organizations, including alPHa, COMOH and the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit. Please click here for more information.
November 28 2012
alPHa has written to the federal Minister of Health in support of Bill C-460, the Sodium
Reduction Strategy for Canada Act, which also includes alPHa's
supporting Resolution A11-10.
May 11, 2012
alPHa has written a letter to the Premier in support of Bill 86, Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating, which would require the disclosure of calorie and sodium information beside menu items in large chain restaurants. This resolution was attached. Please click here to read.
October 24, 2011
Response received from the federal Minister of Health. Please click here to read.
August 19, 2011
alPHa has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Health introducing this Resolution. Please click here to read.
July 28, 2011
The Ontario Medical Association has launched a sodium consumption awareness campaign; click here to learn more.
| Resolution: # A10-7, Integrating Food Literacy Training into Ontario’s School Curriculum |
| THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies call on the Government of Ontario to integrate a wide range of food literacy skills into the Ontario school curriculum; AND FURTHER that the Association of Local Public Health Agencies partner with the Ontario Public Health Association, Toronto Public Health and other interested stakeholders to develop and implement an effective province-wide advocacy plan. |
Developments on #A10-7:
September 30, 2010
Response received from the Minister, which outlines general health literacy provisions in the existing curriculum that may address food literacy and nutrition. Please click here to read.
August 20, 2010
alPHa has written a letter to the Minister of Education introducing this Resolution. Please click here to read.
Developments on #A09-1:
April 2016
The Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition (of which alPHa is a supporter) has launched a blog.
March 9 2016
alPHa has written a letter in support of recommendations related to this resolution contained in the 2016 Canadian Senate Report, Obesity in Canada: Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada.
February 24 2016
A national coalition advocating for restrictions on food and beverage marketing to children and youth was launched February 24th 2016 at the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) pan-Canadian conference. Co-led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Childhood Obesity Foundation, the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition says the time has come to protect children and to support parents to make healthy decisions for their families. The coalition has developed the Ottawa Principles, which outline the policy recommendation of restricting commercial marketing of all food and beverages to children and youth 16 and under. The Ottawa Principles also include a set of definitions, scope, and principles to guide policy development. alPHa contributed to the development of the Ottawa Principles and has endorsed the Coalition's recommendation. More here: www.stopmarketingtokids.ca.
November 26 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Health that links a number of points in her mandate letter to this and four other alPHa resolutions.
October 20 2015
The Liberal Platform plank on Healthier Kids contains the following pledge:
We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less exposure to known health risks.
To help families make better food choices, we will introduce new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children, similar to those now in place in Quebec.
The whole platform can be viewed here
March 6 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Chair of the Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Vice President, Research, Advocacy and Knowledge Exchange of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada confirming alPHa's endorsement of the Ottawa Principles for restricting marketing to children.
November 27 2014
alPHa Staff attended a day-long meeting in Ottawa that was designed as a preliminary step towards bringing oranizations with interest in regulating marketing to children together, with a view to forming a national coalition. Proceedings can be viewed here.
May 9 2013
More than 20 national and provincial health and scientific organizations have joined together in advance of Canada Health Day 2013 in support of a policy statement calling for a restriction on marketing of foods and beverages high in fats, added sugars or sodium targeted to children under the age of 13.
June 20, 2011
Reply to the May 17 letter received from the Minister of Consumer Services, suggesting that the Minister of Health Promotion and Sport is the most appropriate contact for matters related to the Consumer Protection Act. Please click here to read.
May 17, 2011
alPHa has written a letter to the Minister of Consumer Services in support of Private Member’s Bill 175. Please click here to read.
May 12, 2010
alPHa has co-signed a letter to the Minister of Health (Canada) that urges her to take action at the World Health Assembly to strengthen protections of children against commercial marketing. Please click here to read.
January 4, 2010
Response from Heritage Minister outlining the current regulatory regime governing advertising standards. Please click here to read.
November 13, 2009
Letter written to Canadian Heritage Minister (Responsible for the Broadcasting Act and the CRTC) introducing alPHa's position on prohibiting commercial advertising to children. Please click here to read.
November 10, 2009
alPHa has received a response from the Minister of Industry. Please click here to read.
September 10, 2009
Reply received from the Minister of Consumer Services. Please click here to read.
August 4, 2009
alPHa
has written to the federal Ministers of Health and of Industry, as well
as the provincial Minister of Consumer Services to introduce this
resolution, along with Resolution A08-13 calling for a specific ban on
commercial marketing of food and beverages to children less than 13
years of age. Please click here to read.
| Resolution: # A09-4, Trans Fat in the Food Supply |
| THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) urge the Federal Minister of Health to take immediate steps to amend the Food and Drug Act or regulations to restrict the levels of synthetic trans fat permitted in foods to the limits recommended by the Federal Trans Fat Task Force (2006); AND FURTHER that alPHa urge the Government of Ontario to take immediate steps towards regulating trans fat levels in foods and beverages available in Ontario food premises, including, but not limited to, supporting Bill 156 Healthy Decisions for Healthy Foods; AND FURTHER that alPHa urge the Government of Ontario to, in keeping with recent measures taken by the Government of British Columbia, take immediate steps towards regulating trans fat levels in foods and beverages available in Ontario foodservice operations; AND FURTHER that alPHa urge the Government of Ontario to expand the trans fat regulations of Bill 8 Healthy Foods for Healthy Schools to include all foods available or provided (not just sold) by Ontario schools; AND FURTHER that alPHa urge Ontario boards of health and municipalities to consider taking actions to regulate trans fat served in local food premises such as has been done in the cities of Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. |
Developments on #A09-4:
March 9 2016
alPHa has written a letter in support of recommendations related to this resolution contained in the 2016 Canadian Senate Report, Obesity in Canada: Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada.
November 26 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Health that links a number of points in her mandate letter to this and four other alPHa resolutions.
October 20 2015
The Liberal Platform plank on Healthier Kids contains the following pledge:
We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less exposure to known health risks.
To help families make better food choices, we will: bring in tougher regulations to eliminate trans fats, similar to those in the U.S., and to reduce salt in processed foods.
The whole platform can be viewed here
May 1, 2012
alPHa has sent a reminder of this resolution to Minister Matthews, in support of a recent motion by the Middlesex-London Board of Health. Please click here to read.
February 26, 2010
Response received from Health Canada to the August letter. Health Canada's approach to addressing trans fat in the food supply continues to rely on voluntary compliance and monitoring. Please click here to read.
August 10, 2009
Letter written to the federal Minister of Health to inform her of this Resolution and its call for immediate regulation of trans-fats in Canada's food supply. Please click here to read.
August 10, 2009
Letter written to the Ontario Ministers of Health and Education introducing the Resolution and urging them to take action at the provincial level to reduce trans-fats in the food supply and exposure to them. Please click here to read.
| Resolution: # A08 - 13, Ban on Commercial Advertising of Food and Beverages to Children Under the Age of 13 |
| THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies call for a ban on all commercial advertising of food and beverages targeted to children under 13 years of age by the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada; AND FURTHER THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies partner with the Ontario Public Health Association, Toronto Public Health and other interested stakeholders to develop and implement an effective province-wide advocacy plan. |
Developments on #A08-13:
April 2016
The Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition (of which alPHa is a supporter) has launched a blog.
March 9 2016
alPHa has written a letter in support of recommendations related to this resolution contained in the 2016 Canadian Senate Report, Obesity in Canada: Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada.
February 24 2016
A national coalition advocating for restrictions on food and beverage marketing to children and youth was launched February 24th 2016 at the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada (CDPAC) pan-Canadian conference. Co-led by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Childhood Obesity Foundation, the Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition says the time has come to protect children and to support parents to make healthy decisions for their families. The coalition has developed the Ottawa Principles, which outline the policy recommendation of restricting commercial marketing of all food and beverages to children and youth 16 and under. The Ottawa Principles also include a set of definitions, scope, and principles to guide policy development. alPHa contributed to the development of the Ottawa Principles and has endorsed the Coalition's recommendation. More here: www.stopmarketingtokids.ca.
November 26 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Federal Minister of Health that links a number of points in her mandate letter to this and four other alPHa resolutions.
October 20 2015
The Liberal Platform plank on Healthier Kids contains the following pledge:
We will do our part to help Canadian children live healthier lives, with less exposure to known health risks.
To help families make better food choices, we will introduce new restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children, similar to those now in place in Quebec.
The whole platform can be viewed here
March 6 2015
alPHa has written a letter to the Chair of the Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Vice President, Research, Advocacy and Knowledge Exchange of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada confirming alPHa's endorsement of the Ottawa Principles for restricting marketing to children.
November 27 2014
alPHa Staff attended a day-long meeting in Ottawa that was designed as a preliminary step towards bringing oranizations with interest in regulating marketing to children together, with a view to forming a national coalition. Proceedings can be viewed here.
May 9 2013
More
than 20 national and provincial health and scientific organizations
have joined together in advance of Canada Health Day 2013 in support of a
policy statement calling for a restriction on marketing of foods and beverages high in fats, added sugars or sodium targeted to children under the age of 13.
June 20, 2011
Reply to the May 17 letter received from the Minister of Consumer Services, suggesting that the Minister of Health Promotion and Sport is the most appropriate contact for matters related to the Consumer Protection Act.
Please click here to read.
May 17, 2011
alPHa has written a letter to the Minister of Consumer Services in support of Private Member’s Bill 175.
Please click here to read.
March 31, 2011
NDP MPP Rosario Marchese has introduced Private Member's Bill 175,
Consumer Protection Amendment Act (Protecting Children from Targeted Advertising of Unhealthy Food and Drink), 2011.
Please click here for more information.
May 12, 2010
alPHa has co-signed a letter to the Minister of Health (Canada) that urges her to take action at the World Health Assembly to strengthen protections of children against commercial marketing.
Please click here to read.
November 13, 2009
Letter written to Canadian Heritage Minister (Responsible for the Broadcasting Act and the CRTC) introducing alPHa's position on prohibiting commercial advertising to children. Please click here to read.
November 10, 2009
alPHa has received a response from the Minister of Industry. Please click here to read.
September 10, 2009
Reply received from the Minister of Consumer Services.
Please click here to read.
August 4, 2009
alPHa has written to the federal Ministers of Health and of Industry, as well as the provincial Minister of Consumer Services to introduce this resolution, along with Resolution A09-1 calling for a general ban on marketing to children less than 13 years of age. Please click here to read.
February 5, 2009
As part of its annual winter meeting, alPHa held a panel discussion on advertising to children in order to inform next steps for advocating on this resolution. Notes and presentations on the discussion are available in the Proceedings Package. Please click here to read.
| CLOSED Resolution: Resolution: # A12-2 - Mandatory Physical Education |
THAT alPHa urge the Government of Ontario to endorse the "Taking Action
to Prevent Chronic Disease” report from Cancer Care Ontario and Public
Health Ontario, and take immediate action towards implementation of the
recommendation to require students to earn a physical education credit
in every grade from 9 to 12 to achieve high school graduation; AND
FURTHER that a collaborative approach be taken to development of the
curriculum that includes the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health
and Long Term Care, Boards of Education, Secondary School staff, parents
and students to ensure a positive experience for Ontario’s youth that
will encourage healthy active living into adulthood; AND FURTHER that
the curriculum include the establishment of a challenge process under
the current Ministry of Education Prior Learning Assessment and
Recognition Policy for students to earn credit for physical education
completed outside the school setting that meets or exceeds the
requirements of the Ministry of Education’s Health and Physical
Education curriculum.
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Reason for Closure:
June 4 2013
Resolution re-introduced as #A13-6.
April 26 2013
The alPHa Board of Directors has recommended re-introduction of the Resolution in a letter to the HKPR Board of Health.
February 4 2013
Response received from
the Resolution sponsor (Haliburton - Kawartha - Pine Ridge), indicating
that the endorsement of the OPHEA Report does not satisfy the original
intent.
September 28 2012
The alPHa Board endorsed an Ontario
Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) request for support for
finalizing and implementing the revised Health and Physical Education
Curriculum. The report contains the following passage:
"Through its focus on the development of
physical literacy
(i.e., the ability to move with competence
and confidence in
a wide variety of physical activities),
the revised elementary
curriculum is inspiring a lifelong love of
physical activity in
children, and it’s past time that the
secondary curriculum
did the same".
The Board then recommended that the Resolution sponsor be asked if this would satisfy its original intent.
June 11 2012
Resolution referred to alPHa Board of Directors
Reason for Closure:
April 26, 2013
The alPHa Board has closed this Resolution, as the promotion of healthy active living is an
important part of several recent public policy initiatives, including Ontario’s
Action Plan for Health Care, the Healthy Kids strategy, and the Seniors
Strategy (including the recent announcement of direct funding to LHINs for
Seniors’ exercise, physio and falls prevention programs). The original intent
of the Resolution was to provide for healthy, active living programs aimed at
seniors specifically
April 18, 2013
The Ontario Government has announced that it will provide direct
funding to LHINs to provide physiotherapy, group exercise classes and
falls
prevention services to seniors in long-term care homes and in
communities across Ontario beginning August
1, 2013.
Please click here for more information.
Developments on #A07-2:
June 15, 2009
alPHa has passed a new resolution on this subject, which urges more specific action on mandating the removal of trans fat from the food supply. Please click here to read.
| CLOSED Resolution: # A05-8, Healthy Weights |
| NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT aIPHa urges the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Minister of Health Promotion and the Chief Medical Officer of Health to act immediately to develop specific, objectives, goals and targets based on the recommendations of Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives and to implement a healthy weights action plan to meet them, ideally as an integral component of a pan-Canadian healthy living strategy, to advance the recommendations of "Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives". |
Developments on #A05-8:
June 20, 2006
Ontario government unveiled Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living and a $10 million investment this year that builds on the province's existing prevention programs.
Please click here for more information. alPHa is represented on the Advisory Committee on Healthy Eating and Active Living.
| CLOSED Resolution: # A04-6, Childhood Obesity |
| THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa) urges the Chief Medical Officer of Health to review and make recommendations on childhood obesity in the next annual report; AND FURTHER that alPHa urges the Government of Ontario to strike an expert panel to study childhood obesity and to recommend an Ontario obesity strategy. |
Developments on #A04-6:
January 18, 2005
This Resolution was closed following the release of the requested CMOH Report - Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives, but the Advocacy Committee agreed that healthy weights would remain a top priority.
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Creating Change in Sudbury
