Description: (NC)Child nutrition in Canada is changing. In the past, child hunger was seen as a result of poverty. Today, parents, teachers and principals alike realize that undernourished children come from all walks of life. What's more, they realize that hunger is not the only nutrition issue facing children today. Poor eating habits and inactive lifestyles are also contributing to ballooning rates of childhood obesity and putting kids' health at risk. Did you know?
One-third of all elementary students do not eat breakfast every day1
Undernourished children have difficulty focusing on tasks, have lower self-esteem and are absent more often from school
More than one million children live below the poverty line defined by Statistics Canada
50% of all food bank users are children2
37% of Canadian children aged 2 to 11 were overweight in 1998/99, about half of these could be considered obese3
One in five children in Canada aren't getting the 5 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit they require daily
Children who replace a nutritious breakfast with chocolate bars and soda pop have the reaction levels of a 70 year old by the end of the morning (Appetites, August 2003)
BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING is working with parents, schools and communities to teach and empower children and youth to make informed choices about healthy eating and physical activity. BREAKFAST FOR LEARNING is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to supporting child nutrition programs, partnering with nutrition programs across the country to ensure that every child in Canada attends school well nourished and ready to learn.
1 King, A.J.C. et al 1999. Trends in the Health of Canadian Youth
2 Canadian Association of Food Banks, March 2002
3 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, October 2002
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