Provincial program aims to fight childhood obesity

THUNDER BAY -- Mackenzie Johnston and her friends are considered unusual in the school yard.

Instead of sitting down and pulling out their phones at recess, the 13-year-old Algonquin Avenue Public School Grade 8 student and her crew actually use that time to run and play.

"They don't really think about going outside and staying active," she said of most of her classmates.

Mackenzie's class is far from an anomaly as nearly one-third of Canadian children are overweight or obese. With health indicators in the region being some of the worst in the province, Thunder Bay became one of 45 communities Monday to take part in Ontario's Healthy Kids Community Challenge.

The program will see around $825,000 in Thunder Bay over the next three years to change a culture and attitude of poor eating and sedentary lifestyle that's skyrocketed obesity rates in a shockingly short amount of time.

"It's almost a bit sad that it's necessary," Natural resources minister Bill Mauro said as he and northern development minister Michael Gravelle announced the funding in Algonquin's gymnasium.

"But we know that the landscape has changed. People are not as active as they used to be."

Run, jump and play every day is the first theme to roll out of the funding.

"It's really about getting back to basics," healthy kids coordinator Marianne Stewart said.

Stewart said the goal is to get long-term, sustainable programs into the community that will lead children to healthier lives.