Activities that boost children's "cardio-respiratory fitness" should be the focus of a federal tax credit, an expert panel urged Thursday as it outlined the types of activities and costs that should qualify.

The panel was appointed to advise Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives on their proposed tax credit for parents with children in organized sports, proposed in May 2006 to fight obesity and encourage fitness among young Canadians.

The panel gave priority to activities that boost kids' cardio-respiratory fitness.
(CBC)

As the Expert Panel for the Children's Fitness Tax Credit released its recommendations, its chair, Dr. Kellie Leitch, told a news conference in Ottawa that for the exercise to boost children's fitness, the activity has "got to make them sweat."

"While we do not pretend that the Children's Fitness Tax Credit will be a panacea that will end most childhood obesity, we passionately believe the tax credit is an important component of what must be a broader strategy to encourage activity among young people," Leitch said in a letter from the panel to Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, which was also released Thursday.

Although the final approval for the panel's recommendations is up to the cabinet, the Conservatives have said they plan to introduce the credit on Jan. 1, 2007. It's expected to cost the federal government $160 million a year.

The panel's recommendations emphasize cardio-respiratory fitness, said Leitch, who is the chair of pediatric surgery at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario in London. 

At a news conference, the panel recommended that:

• The tax credit not be issued unless the activity includes at least one session per week for a minimum of eight weeks.
• For children under 10, eligible activities should include at least 30 minutes of sustained and vigorous activity.
• For those over 10, the time rises to 60 minutes.
• The federal government let parents claim up to $500 per child, but give them an annual maximum refund of $78.50 per child.

"The tax credit can be a catalyst that supports programs for children, increased levels of activity, and hopefully — a lifelong love of active lifestyles for thousands of young Canadians," the panel said in the letter to Flaherty.

'The tax credit can be a catalyst that supports programs for children, increased levels of activity, and hopefully — a lifelong love of active lifestyles for thousands of young Canadians.'-Expert panel, in a letter

During the campaign before the Jan. 23 parliamentary election, Stephen Harper proposed that parents with children under 16 be able to claim $500 in registration fees per child participating in organized sports.

Rates of overweight and obesity nearly tripled among Canadian children over the past two decades, the Canadian Institutes of Health Information reported in 2004.

To help reverse the trend, Canada's Physical Activity Guide advises children should aim for 90 minutes a day of physical activity. The guide suggests families:

• Increase the time currently spent on physical activity, adding another 30 minutes per day.
• Reduce "non-active" time spent on TV, video, computer games and surfing the internet, starting with at least 30 minutes less per day.
• Accumulate the 30 extra minutes of physical activity in bouts as short as five or 10 minutes.

The panel also suggested a provision for children with disabilities. Their parents can claim up to $1,000 per child per year, up to and including the age of 21.

Money back a beginning, parent says

The money could be better spent, said NDP Leader Jack Layton.

"What we need is to fill our gyms with active kids to get them out in the play yards. That means investing in our schools and through our municipalities and provinces."

Janine Frechette, a single-mother of a five-year-old in Ottawa, said she wants to make sure her daughter is exposed to sports.

"I realize when you talk numbers, it's not a lot back," said Frechette. "But at least it's a beginning."

The panel's recommendations now go to government. Revenue Canada will come up with a list of sports that qualify for the tax credit, which will be available next year.