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Health care providers can play a unique and important role in helping
Canadians achieve better health through increased physical activity and better eating habits Why? First, because physicians are a primary and respected source of health care and information in Canada. Consider that Canadians make in excess of three physician visits each year. Among older Canadians, this figure jumps to over six visits per year. Most older Canadians rely heavily on the care and direction provided by their family physicians to maintain their health and independent living status. Providers, then, are ideally positioned to have ongoing, substantial input into the decisions patients make about their health-related behaviours.
Second, physical inactivity and eating behaviours are modifiable risk factors and as such, are open to change. In their role as trusted health care advisors, physicians can play an important and valuable role in helping patients manage health-related change through the use of behaviour change principles and programs such as PACE Canada.
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