Environments That PromoteHealthy Lifestyles

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ADAPTED VERSION FOR THE

FIRST NATIONS AND INUIT COMMUNITIES

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Introduce Yourself

Your name

Your position

Give an example in your personal or professional life where your environment prompted you to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Outreach Session Objectives

Learn about the obesity problems that exist in Québec, especially in Aboriginal communities, as well as their impact on health.

Better understand the impact of physical, sociocultural, economic and political environments on our lifestyles.

Reflect on the means available to create environments that foster healthy lifestyles.

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Module 1

Highlights

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JUST THINK…

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…future generations might enjoy fewer healthy years than

their parents.

Why?

Obesity has a negative impact on health and increases the risk of developing the following problems:

Cardiovascular disease Diabetes Stress on joints Restrictions on daily activities

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ObesityWhat is the obesity percentage among adults from First Nations in Québec?

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Obesity = Body mass index of 30+

Source: ERS 2008

41%First Nations

We’re all getting heavier!

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1980

Today

In recent years, the average weight and proportion of people who are obese have increased

throughout the world.

Impact on the health of young people

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50% of obese children inelementary school are atrisk of becoming obese adults.

Psycho-social problems represent the greatest cause for concern.

What accounts for these changes?

The lifestyle of our societies has undergone several radical transformations in a relatively short period of time:

A sedentary lifestyle Changes in diet A faster pace of life

In addition, issues related to Aboriginal people’s loss of identity (mental health, dependencies…) tend to overshadow the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits.

Limited access to and the high cost of healthy foods affect more remote communities.

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Target the environments

Goal:

“Make healthy choices easier

and unhealthy ones difficult.”

13Milio N. (1981) Promoting Health Through Public Policy. FA Davis Pub, Philadelphia

Target the environmentsWhy?

To adopt sustainable preventive strategies that address problems before they start

To benefit the entire target population

To do a better job of reaching vulnerable groups

To make investments that yield results

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The health sector cannot provide all the solutions:

YOU can also make a difference in the environments!

Four environments

Set of natural elements: physical sociocultural political economicthat surround all living things

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Physical environment

Natural

Built and planned

Technological

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The elements:

Sociocultural environment

Social relations

Norms and conventions

Visions and representations of reality

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The elements:

Political environment Political system and culture

Political parties

Public policies*

*Definition: a statement or strategic action produced by a public authority

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Economic environment

Price of goods and services Is it less expensive to shop for

groceries in town than in the community store?

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Business practices Why are soft drinks always on

special?

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Environment that promotes healthy eating, a physically active lifestyle and the prevention

of weight-related problems.

Reflection and Commitment

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What would be your role in this approach?

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Production of initial version:

Darvida Conseil (Bertrand Turbide, Sonia Ribaux)

Contributors – version adapted for Aboriginal communities:FNQLHSSC (Francine Vincent, Alexandra Picard-Sioui, Marie-Noëlle Caron)

CBHSSJB (Isabelle Barbeau)FNIH (Paul El Haddad)

FEPS Université de Sherbrooke (Alain D’Amboise)Institut national de santé publique du Québec (Suzanne Bruneau)

Québec en Forme (Mathieu Vallet)RRSSS Nunavik (Marie-Josée Gauthier, Véronique Dion-Roy)

Linguistic review: Marie-Claude Labrie

 Contributors – initial production:Institut national de santé publique du Québec

(Marie-Claude Paquette, Éric Robitaille)Catherine Gervais, consultant

Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (François Benoît)Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (Lyne Mongeau)

Québec en Forme (Steeve Ager)

© Québec en Forme 2013