Environmental Support for Physical Activity (Motion #36-07)

Moved by Edwards, Gagné. Approved by the Sudbury & District Board of Health.

Motion

WHEREAS the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion recognizes that effective health promotion must be inter-sectoral and include approaches that build supportive environments for individual healthy decision making; and

WHEREAS the World Health Organization identifies that the promotion of physical activity requires the action of local governments and municipalities to develop local legislation and policy to support physical activity; and

WHEREAS the Prevention Institute indicates that there are seven key aspects of the built environment that appear to be central to reducing health disparities: activity-promoting environments, nutrition-promotion environments, housing, transportation, environmental quality, product availability and aesthetic/ambiance; and

WHEREAS in May 2006, the Sudbury & District Board of Health motion #19 06 adopted the Municipal Pedestrian Charter that encourages the provision and maintenance of infrastructure that gives pedestrians safe and convenient passage; and

WHEREAS in May 2007, the Sudbury & District Board of Health assumed the lead role in ‘championing’ the Healthy Lifestyle/Active Living pillar of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Healthy Community Strategy; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sudbury & District Board of Health endorses a supportive environment approach to physical activity promotion and directs the Medical Officer of Health to continue to seek opportunities to enhance public health programming in this area; and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Board of Health recognizes that coordinated action with other sectors, including local municipalities, is required in order to develop a comprehensive, community-based approach to address supportive environments for physical activity, and

FURTHER THAT the Sudbury & District Health Unit staff continue to educate the public and policy makers on the link between supportive environments and physical activity;

FURTHER THAT copies of this motion be shared with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health Promotion, Association of Local Public Health Agencies, Ontario Public Health Association, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and all Ontario Boards of Health.

This item was last modified on June 12, 2015