Unlike issues such as the proposed incinerator, obesity isn’t at the top of Durham Regional Council’s agenda. And, while some would argue it has no place at all at the Regional level, we believe all levels of government need to at least begin talking about it as a precursor to taking action.

Thus, we commend Ajax Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan for doing so at Ajax and regional councils.

The issue arose when the Region’s health and social services committee was asked to endorse a ban on all food and beverage advertising directed at children under the age of 13. The committee voted to receive the memo for information and did not endorse the call for the ban. When the matter came before the whole council, Coun. Jordan was unable to get the necessary two-thirds majority to change the committee’s motion into an endorsement and the issue wasn’t debated.

“I think it’s a very important issue, especially when you look at the statistics of obesity and excess weight among young people and when you look at the billions of dollars directed at advertising junk food to children,” she said.

Coun. Jordan’s position is supported by hard data.

According to Statistics Canada, obesity rates among children and adults increased markedly between 1978 and 2004, according to results from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which directly measured the height and weight of respondents. Increases in overweight and obesity were similar among boys and girls. However, trends differed for various age groups. Most notably, the overweight/obesity rate of adolescents aged 12 to 17 more than doubled from 14 to 29 per cent, while their obesity rate alone tripled from three to nine per cent.

Stats Can noted that “this upturn among adolescents is of particular concern because overweight or obese conditions in adolescence often persist into adulthood.” Translation? Overweight or obese young people often become overweight or obese adults.

As Coun. Jordan noted, the costs to our health-care system are immense. A healthy, fit population requires less medical care than an obese one, as the latter are more prone to develop diseases and other health problems.

But, on a more human level, the quality of life of obese youngsters is substantially lower.

Coun. Jordan was successful in getting Ajax council to endorse a motion calling on the federal and provincial governments to take action. She plans to again introduce the issue at Regional council on Wednesday.

Action indeed needs to be taken on the issue and, while a junk food ad ban is not the only answer, it certainly is a step in the right direction and something area politicians should support.