Dear Editor:
The cost of maintaining one's health in this age of prepackaged food and sedentary leisure activities is becoming prohibitively high. As a society, we find it is cheaper and more efficient to buy food with no nutritional value and to participate in video games. However, this is something that, as a society, we should begin to actively start combatting far more than we have in recent history. The price of food is, of course, beyond the ability of any government to legislate or regulate, but the price of leisure activities in city facilities is something that can be dealt with and legislated.
The rates of youth in British Columbia who were obtaining the proscribed level of physical activity is alarmingly low, with a corresponding decrease in positive health outcomes that taxpayers must pay for in the form of increased health premiums and a greater drain on the health-care system.
Recent research from the McCreary Society indicates that only 24 per cent of young men and 11 per cent of young women obtain the recommended minimum amount of physical activity each week. There was also a surprising number of youth who stated in the survey that they did not do any exercising at all; seven per cent of males and 10 per cent of female participants in the study indicated that they had not been engaged in any physical activity in the week preceding the survey.
Access is one of the key issues revolving around the recreation system. Lessons, leagues and drop-in activities are prohibitively high for many low-income families. Looking specifically to the Be Active passes, which grant access to any of the facilities owned by the City of Burnaby, the cost for a single use is over $5 for adults and over $4 for children and seniors.
I cannot speak to the cost of lessons for athletics or other physical activities, but I do know that privately run leagues are also quite expensive for people of limited means.
Children from lower-income families are far less likely to be involved in sports, either informally or formally. Only 43 per cent of surveyed children from low-income families indicated they were involved in organized sports, and 55 per cent of low-income youth were involved in informal sports not involving a coach. This compares unfavourably with other youth, 60 per cent of whom have been involved in organized sport and a further 69 per cent who were involved in informal physical activities.
Physical activity, especially when started at a young age, has been shown to have numerous health benefits that carry on throughout one's life and can add considerably to life expectancy and positive health outcomes. Youth who commit to the recommended levels of physical activity each week are positively correlated with a reduced likelihood to begin or continue smoking, and with an increased likelihood of maintaining a healthy body weight. In terms of mental health, at-risk youth who are able to confide in a coach or who feel as though their actions matter in their physical activities report improved mental health.
Burnaby has some of the lowest user fees for any of the cities in the Lower Mainland, with the Be Active pass system existing as a means of paying for drop-in leisure activities in advance. In spite of this, youth participation rates in physical activity have lowered since 1992. What could be done is to lower the cost of the Be Active passes and standard drop-in fees by 15 per cent, which would allow individuals from lower-income families to be able to afford a chance to maintain a healthier lifestyle. This reduction in the costs of the pass would allow youth to be involved more often and help facilitate greater opportunities to maintain healthy lifestyles.
The other idea would be to change when the City of Burnaby hosts its physical activities and ensure they are open at times that are best for its citizens. Many of the public or lower-cost activities, like the public swim or the public skate, start when many youth are either in school or at a job helping to earn money for their families or their personal use.
City council and the parks board should commit to discussions with stakeholders to ensure that user groups and the public at large are both able to use city facilities to the best of their abilities, and allow for greater use by youth who can take the opportunity to maintain or improve their lifestyles.
The savings can be measured beyond simple savings to the health-care budget in British Columbia; it can and should be measured through the ability of our youth to enjoy their lives more, and for longer than they otherwise would.
Trevor Ritchie, Burnaby
