The health of two-thirds of Canadian children is threatened through inactivity. Two-thirds of Canadian children are not sufficiently physically active for optimal growth and development.
Boys are more likely than girls to meet the optimal guideline for physical activity.
The difference is more pronounced among teenagers, where almost twice as many boys as girls meet the optimal energy expenditure. During the 1980s boys and girls showed a gradual decrease in strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. In 1988, although children spent more time on physical activities than they did in 1981, these activities were less vigorous and of a lower aerobic intensity. Children aged five to 17 in Quebec have lower levels of physical activity than those in Western Canada. Twenty-five per cent of Canadian children are considered overweight.