Healthy active living: A goal or a mirage? A survey of Canadian paediatricians

Childhood obesity is a major health concern. Inactivity is a major cause of this epidemic. The Healthy Active Living Committee of the Canadian Paediatric Society sampled 1866 paediatricians across Canada to assess members’ knowledge of healthy active living (HAL), how they currently use HAL materials, what new materials would be most useful, and who would be most likely to carry the messages forward. The survey had only a 16% response rate. The results are published to help educate members, demonstrate the apparent lack of interest in a decidedly important area (and give reasons for this apathy), provide members with information on HAL materials, and update members on HAL committee actions since the survey was sent.