Related Information

• Project LINK for Health officially started in the schools in May of 2003 with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada Population Health Fund.  At this time, Project LINK was primarily for just two of the schools in the division, St. Andrew's School in High Prairie and Good Shepherd School in Peace River.
• In September 2004, Project LINK for Health moved into all the schools in the division still with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
• In April 2005, funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada came to an end.  Project LINK for Health is now continued as an initiative of Holy Family Catholic Schools.

• Studies support that good nutrition contributes to the well-being of children and their potential learning ability, thus contributing to better school performance (Public Health Nutrition, 2001).

• During childhood and adolescence, negative dietary practices become the foundation of lifestyles in later years (Journal of Adolescent Health, 1999).
  • This means that if our children are eating poorly now, they will continue to eat poorly for many years to come - that has huge health impact!
• Although heart disease does not become symptomatic until adulthood, the risk factors develop during childhood (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1999)
  • This means that what children's lifestyles really do affect their likelihood of developing "adult" diseases!

• Only 20% of children eat the recommended daily minimum of five servings of vegetables and fruits each day (Heart and Stroke Foundation, 1998).

• 25% of what adolescents eat is less nutritious (i.e. French Fries, soft drinks, potato chips).  They live on "empty calories" (The Health Line).

• In the past 15 years, the prevalence of overweight children aged 7 to 13 in Canada has tripled (Tremblay and Willms, 2000).

• The purchase of snack foods such as potato chips, taco chips, and nuts rose 60% between 1980 and 1992 (California LEAN, 2002).

• More than 84% of young people eat too much fat, and more than 91% eat too much saturated fat (Heart and Stroke Foundation 1998).

• Overweight children in Canada has increased by 92% in boys and 57% in girls in the last 20 years (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 1998).

• In the Peace Region, most adolescents consume less than one glass of milk per day, and consume about one can of pop per day (PATH, 2000).

• At least 50% of girls/boys 11-15 consume some sort of junk food weekly (PATH, 2000).

• Only 19% of males and 24% of females eat vegetables more than once per day (PATH, 2000).