A new report is calling on schools to help children increase the amount of physical activity they do each day.
The report, titled "Moving Ahead: School-Based Interventions to Reduce Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour" and authored by researchers from the Conference Board of Canada, examined the best methods to get Canadian children more active.
It says that only nine per cent of school-aged children get the recommended hour of "vigorous" physical activity per day, six days a week, with researchers saying the most alarming problem is the increasing amount of time children spend sitting in front of a screen.
Combined, these two elements are then leading to a rise in obesity and an increased risk of chronic diseases as children age.
"Since children and youth spend most of their waking time at school, the school environment can help promote and provide opportunities for increased physical activity and decreased sedentary time," the report says.
It notes that in a previous research briefing, if 10 per cent of Canadians who don't do enough physical activity changed their lifestyle, it could create $2.6 billion in cost savings to the healthcare system and provide a $1.6 billion boost to the country's GDP.
Surveying 11 types of physical activity interventions from across the world and Canada, the report examined the ease of implementing them as well as the cost of doing so.
On a scale out of five, the report ranked the adaptability, feasibility, acceptability, reach and adoption of each.
The top ranked method was the Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC) program, which integrates 90 minutes of vigorous activity a week through academic lessons which aren't a part of P.E. class.
For example, physical activity breaks would be incorporated into a math class.
In the schools the method was tested in, Grade 2 and 3 students had 27 per cent higher activity levels compared to schools that didn't use it.
One concern for the researchers is that children from higher socio-economic backgrounds appear to benefit more often from interventions than others.
"This raises special concerns for policy-makers and health practitioners aiming to ensure that obesity prevention and healthy living promotion via school-based programs do not deepen existing economic inequalities," they noted.
Rather than pinpointing a method to implement across the country, the report notes that the interventions must be suitable for the size of school and student makeup.
Researchers say that teachers should discuss the best way to increase kids' physical activity with both children and their parents to ensure there is a consistent message of being active.
