GET OFF COUCH, OTTAWA TELLS OVERWEIGHT KIDS

EDMONTON--Canadian children are increasingly overweight and that spells trouble for the country's medical system, Health Minister Anne McLellan says.

She wants kids to get off the couch and out the door.

The minister has her work cut out for her, according to Sue Varano, who teaches at St. Cyprian Catholic School in Toronto. "They spend a lot of time in front of the TV, also playing video games, less time playing outside."

A new poll released Friday backs up Varano's observations.

The Canadian Paediatric Society says 78 per cent of Canadians believe children and teenagers spend too much time staring at screens, and not enough being physically active.

It cited another study showing obesity tripled among boys and girls between 1981 and 1996.

But "Canadians may not be fully aware of the of the dangers of this inactivity," said Dr. Claire LeBlanc, who heads the society's committee on healthy active living.

Half of our children are not active enough to achieve optimal growth and development, she said, and a lack of exercise can contribute to cardiovascular, diabetic and bone problems later in life.

McLellan is hoping to take a run at the problem with activity guidelines for kids. The federal government suggests children start by spending an extra 30 minutes a day exercising, eventually reaching 90 minutes a day.

That may not be so easy, warns the Paediatric Society's survey. Competing priorities, from part-time jobs to school to TV, are barriers to activity.

Obesity expert Dr. Lance Levy says the minister has not gone far enough.

Kids should have 40 minutes of exercise a day at school, and there is a need for tax incentives so parents will enrol their children in activities. That would cut health costs in the future, he said.

Some schools are already trying to fight the flab. Wendy Barrett runs a nutrition program in Pitt Meadows, B.C., "We need to reach people at an early age to establish healthy eating," she said.

McLellan admits more could be done, and she is thinking about spending more money to promote fitness among children.

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