NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2008HLS0014-001493 Oct. 1, 2008	Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport
SENIORS’ VIGNETTES PROMOTE HEALTHY, ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

VICTORIA – Ten short videos promoting healthy lifestyle tips for older adults in B.C. will soon begin airing on the Knowledge Network, announced Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.

 

“It’s important that as we get older, we take steps to continue to lead healthy, active lifestyles and we’re pleased through this project to bring this message into people’s homes,” said Polak. “The ActNow BC Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Seniors vignettes encourage older adults to eat healthy foods, get regular physical activity and make simple, healthy choices that can have a tremendous impact on their overall health.”

 

In addition to the 10 English vignettes that will air on the Knowledge Network, there are also six in Cantonese and six in Punjabi available on DVD and online that highlight:

 

·        healthy eating and appropriate serving sizes.

·        ways to get 30 minutes of physical activity a day.

·        the role of supplements in meeting the nutrition needs of older adults.

·        tips to keep bones healthy as people age.

 

English, Cantonese and Punjabi-speaking older adults were all involved throughout the development of the vignettes, which represents a partnership between the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, the BC Dairy Foundation and the Knowledge Network. The Province invested $150,000 in the project.

 

“This was an amazing project for me to be involved in,” said Kamlesh Sethi, one of several British Columbians from the Punjabi community featured in the videos. “By talking about healthy living in our own culture, I know the videos will have a positive impact on my friends, family and throughout the community.”

 

The vignettes are supported by the Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook, released in Punjabi and Chinese in June 2008, and complement government’s recently announced ActNow BC Seniors Community Parks, which support healthy, active lifestyles for older adults in the province.

 

The Knowledge Network will air the vignettes for the next year, and the video shorts will be available on DVD and on the ActNow BC website at www.actnowbc.ca.

 

 

The Province’s overall plan to support older British Columbians to live healthy, active and independent lives was released in September. ‘Seniors in BC: A Healthy Living Framework’ can be found at: www.gov.bc.ca/hls

-30-

 

Media contact:	Anne McKinnon Communications Director Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport 250 952-2387
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.