The need for comprehensive wellness programs in Canadian workplaces and diversified physical activity among Canadian boys and girls
IGWEAGU Kenechukwu O.
7692210
PERS 1200
Reflection 2
30/10/15

The need for comprehensive wellness programs in Canadian workplaces and diversified physical activity among Canadian boys and girls
Talking about the Epidemiological transition, countries in the age of pestilence and famine cannot progress from this stage unless they target the spread of infectious diseases through improvements in sanitation and public health and by stabilization of food supply. Similarly, western countries in the stage of degenerative and man-made diseases must make active efforts to move to the next stage, if the next stage is going to be the stage of delayed degenerative disease. These countries moved from the first to the second to the third stage by making good decisions about the country’s organization and control. There was a clear goal in sight, and then a group of concise plans to achieving the different components of the singular goal. The singular goal was to reduce the mortality rates of people living in that country. In other to achieve this death must be reduced by reducing its causes.
“Life expectancy at birth in the United States was 77.8 years in 2004, which is a dramatic increase from 49.2 years in 1900 to 1902.” The paper attempts to use this information as well as information about the trend in the physical activity levels of to establish a relationship between the physical activity levels of individuals and the mortality rates of individuals. There might be a third variable that caused both trends which is the advancement in technology. According to statistics Canada the 10 leading causes of death are medical and not inactivity. Therefore, for us to state that such a rapid change in the life expectancy of people is the result of a change in physical activity, we would be stating that the change in the occurrence of these terminal diseases is the result of a change in physical activity.
The change in deaths from physical illness is the result of the rapid technological and medical advancement that came with the age of research and information. Similarly, the change in the lifestyles of people with relation to physical activity is the result of a change in the amount of time people spend in sedentary positions in activities that do not require a lot of physical activity. These activities include watching TV, using the computer, or any of the jobs that place people in sedentary positions. With the increase in value for information and research, more and more people began to perform jobs that placed them in sedentary positions. And with the culture of specialization and division of labor in the work places of corporate North America, people and their jobs became more iterative and actually started including a very limited range of required motion, and limited instances of new or challenging problems. If it were the case that an increase in physical inactivity caused a reduction in the life expectancy of North Americans, then the information age should have been marked by a reduction in the life expectancy of individuals. Contrary, with the improvements in technology and research there was an increase in the life expectancy of North Americans.
An increase in physical activity has been proven to help improve the health of individuals. (Warburton, Nicol, & Bredin; 2006) This improvement is especially advantageous to Canadians since the diseases that are most likely to cause death have a likelihood that can be reduced by physical activity. The goal for countries in the stage of degenerative diseases must be to reduce inactivity and iterative lifestyles amongst Canadians. I propose that the Canadian government and medical institutions should carry out an extensive campaign to encourage companies to have good wellness programs that follow a specified curriculum. A curriculum for wellness that would cause a switch from the stage of degenerative diseases to the stage of delayed degenerative diseases would diversify physical activity for individuals. I believe that certain types of physical activity do not peak people’s interests because they serve different interests. Walking, jogging, and running allow individuals to be active without involving the competitive nature of sports. Tennis, squash, and badminton allow people to be competitive but do not require team involvement. Team sports are physical activities that involve competition, and team work.
Depending on an individual’s personal character, individuals may take interest in one type of physical activity or the other and must be exposed to all types. There is a trend amongst Canadian society that may be the reason behind the occurrence of less physical activity amongst women than men. Girls typically are stereotyped into less physical roles. Girls often engage in activities that unlike sports dominated by boys involve more cooperation and less competition. Girls are therefore exposed to fewer interests and may have personal characters that cause them to prefer more competitive team sports. To tackle inactivity in adults, Canadians must tackle inactivity in children. Children who gained interest in physical activity at a young age tend to remain active at later times in their life. Personally, I am still very physically active because I have a lot of my peers who still enjoy playing soccer.
In conclusion, inactivity has been shown to lead to increased likelihood of the degenerative disease that causes most deaths in Canada. An increase in physical activity of Canadian children, and a comprehensive campaign to promote wellness programs in Canadian workplaces will promote increased physical activity amongst Canadians. An increased physical activity amongst Canadians will result in reduced inactivity amongst Canadians. Reduced inactivity amongst Canadians will reduce the likelihood of the degenerative diseases that cause most deaths in Canada. An increase in physical activity of Canadian children, and a comprehensive campaign to promote wellness programs in Canadian workplaces will promote a transition from the degenerative diseases stage to the delayed degenerative diseases stage. This and curing these diseases must be the goal for Canada and Canadian medical institutions.
References
Leading causes of death by sex (Both sexes) http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/hlth36a-eng.htm
Physical Activity Monitor: Facts & Figures (2010). Physical activity levels of Canadians. Canadian Fitness & Lifestyle Research Institute.
Warburton, D.E.R., Nicol, C.W., & Bredin, S.S.D. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174(6), 801-809.