With the number of children projected to rise dramatically in Abbotsford through the next 20 years and obesity rates already above the provincial average, members of the community are emphasizing healthier lifestyles for today's youth.

"I think the main thing is that as a community we need to make an environment where our kids can be healthy and be active," said Laura Louden, community coordinator with Sustainable Childhood Obesity Prevention Through Community Engagement (SCOPE).

"It's a culture that you have to develop."

In an attempt to improve healthy living, the Fraser Health Authority, in conjunction with Healthy Abbotsford, is partnering with city council in the formation of a Healthier Community Partnership.

The objective of this partnership is to review the city's current health strategies, and make improvements where it is necessary.

According to a Fraser Health Authority report tabled before Abbotsford city council earlier this month, depression, asthma and diabetes are major causes of illness in Abbotsford.

Among the most alarming numbers is that 20.4 per cent of Grade 7 students in Abbotsford are below the provincial standard for reading, and 23.2 per cent of residents don't have a high school education.

Louden said a lack of education can be directly linked to an unhealthy lifestyle.

"There is definitely some correlation there," said Louden.

"I think a lot of it comes down to that physical literacy and health literacy. Evidence suggests that if you don't quite have the education background, then maybe you're not going to learn as much in terms of what is healthy for you."

While Louden was unable to provide local statistics, she said generally children across Canada these days are not as healthy as in the past.

A lot of that, she said, is because Canadian youth are not eating properly and are not getting the daily amount of required exercise to live a healthy lifestyle.

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