HEALTHY EATING GUIDES FOR PUNJABI AND CHINESE SENIORS

VANCOUVER – Chinese and Punjabi versions of British Columbia’s Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook will help more older British Columbians eat well and live well, announced Healthy Living and Sport Minister Mary Polak today at a multicultural event.

“Chinese and Punjabi versions of the Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook give more of our seniors access to healthy eating information in their own language, supporting them to live healthy, active lives,” said Polak. “With a diverse and multilingual population in British Columbia, as well as an aging population, we realize that providing healthy aging information in other languages is important. Chinese and Punjabi are the top two non-English mother tongue and home languages in British Columbia.”

The new guides are customized with culturally specific stories and recipes, and designed to address the specific eating habits and nutrition needs of seniors in British Columbia’s Punjabi and Chinese speaking communities.

Seniors, cultural experts, and nutritional and health professionals contributed to customizing the content of each handbook to make sure they will be relevant and helpful to their target populations. Ten thousand copies of each handbook have been produced and they will be distributed at no charge to seniors throughout British Columbia.

“We welcome government’s release of the translated and culturally adapted Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook,” said Mr. Tung Chan, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. “More Chinese seniors in communities will be able to access valuable health information written in their own language.”

Development of Chinese and Punjabi-language handbooks builds on the English version of the Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook that was released by government in October 2007.

“The translated Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook will become an important resource for seniors in South-Asian communities,” said Mr. Charan Gill, CEO of the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society. “The Punjabi translation of the handbook has been widely anticipated and it builds on the success of the translated BC HealthGuide, which has become popular.”

The Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook supports two of government’s Great Goals, to lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness and to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk and seniors.

The Chinese and Punjabi versions of the Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook are available through a wide range of community agencies across the province. To get a free copy, seniors can call the Health and Seniors’ Information Line (1-800-465-4911) or download it from the ActNow BC web site www.ActNowBC.ca.

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Media contact:	Anne McKinnon Communications Director Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport 250 812-4012 (cell) 250 953-3677 (direct)

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