Authors' recommendations: Compared to Ontarians, people in British Columbia have more favourable health behaviours for all of the five risks examined in this study, particularly in being physically active and having healthy diets. In large measure, this is why British Columbia has had the leading life expectancy in Canada for almost 20 years. To achieve leading status, Ontario needs to build on its successes in smoking reduction and focus similar attention on increasing physical activity and healthy eating. Previous reports have examined how British Columbia and other leading jurisdictions have achieved healthier populations. Contributions include a clear vision, sustained attention and a high level of government funding directed at improving population health; healthy living goals with specific targets; a whole-of-government approach; and earlier adoption of healthy public policy. Compared to Ontario, British Columbia has a strong level of commitment to all of these attributes, including establishing the measureable healthy living goals we used in this study. Momentum for further action is building in Ontario, where 86% of members of the provincial legislature endorse a goal of supporting and promoting better health in Ontario. Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health has called for a new initiative geared towards promoting good health and preventing chronic disease and injury. Work on this initiative is underway, including the development of a blueprint for chronic disease prevention by Cancer Care Ontario and Public Health Ontario. The blueprint will recommend coordinated strategies to improve Ontarians' health behaviour in four of the five areas studied in this report: smoking, alcohol, healthy eating and physical activity. Most recently, the Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services recommended that Ontario adopt British Columbia's healthy living initiative: "Recommendation 5-82: Replicate British Columbia's Act Now initiative, which has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a best practice for health promotion and chronic disease prevention, in Ontario. Our findings in this report could serve as benchmarks to inform future initiatives toward making Ontario Canada's healthiest province.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2012

URL for published report: http://www.ices.on.ca/file/HealthImpact_ICES_Report3_web_jp21.pdf

URL for additional information: http://www.ices.on.ca/webpage.cfm?site_id=1&org_id=68

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences

Contact Address: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Avenue, G-Wing, Toronto ON, Canada, M5N 3M5. Tel: 416-480-4055; Fax: 416-480-6048

Contact Name: info@ices.on.ca

Contact Email: info@ices.on.ca

Copyright: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)