Media

We are Committed

PHE Canada and AstraZeneca Canada are committed to supporting the development of healthy, happy children. As such, we will be promoting awareness and access to At My Best® across Canada in a variety of ways, including hosting special events, profiling success stories, raising more awareness of the issue of physical activity and healthy living, promoting the champions behind the program, and much more. Keep watching this site for news and updates.

Statistically speaking…

• Canada has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the developed world, ranking fifth out of 34 OECD* countries. In 1978, 12 per cent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 years were overweight and 3 per cent were obese — for a combined overweight/obesity prevalence of 15 per cent. By 2004, 18 per cent were overweight in this age group and 8 per cent were obese — a combined prevalence of 26 per cent. (Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids, 2007)
  * Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• In 2000, 57 per cent of Canadian children and youth aged five to seventeen years were not sufficiently active to meet international guidelines for optimal growth and development. (PHE Canada website; Craig, Cameron, Storm, Russell & Beaulieu 2001)
• Only 20 per cent of children receive daily physical education, less than 50 per cent of children receive physical education one to two days a week, and 10 per cent of children receive no physical education whatsoever. As children advance through secondary grades, these statistics worsen.

The Need

While there is growing awareness about the problem of rising rates of obesity and physical inactivity among Canadian children, there is a need to support, create and deliver more active education programs for children that offer comprehensive resources to help inspire and motivate children to lead healthier, more physically active lives.

What makes At My Best® unique?

• The At My Best® program – created for children from kindergarten to grade three focuses on three dimensions of wellness: physical activity, healthy eating and emotional well-being.
• At My Best® was developed as a comprehensive support tool to assist teachers in delivering quality health and physical education programs. It was also designed to include an important Daily Physical Activity component that is linked to physical education learning. All lesson plans throughout At My Best® include links to learning in other subject areas, such as, math, literacy, and the arts.
• At My Best® is supported and developed by research and input from key stakeholders including parents/guardians, educators and healthcare professionals from across Canada.
• During the research phase, parents/guardians, teachers and stakeholders noted that this program strongly differentiated itself from other school-based wellness initiatives. Many liked the strong emphasis on inclusion: Every child can benefit from this program, regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-demographic strata or physical fitness level. The At My Best® concept was especially appealing to teachers who recognize that every child is different and who want to help each child thrive.