Health committee  I have just a couple of points to add to this. One is that we have to think about this across the life course. Actually, the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging that's being funded by CIHR is a good example of where we're starting to look at a cohort of people at age 45 and above, because we know that patterns of physical activity are also very important as you get older.

Health committee  I just have a couple of examples. One is an initiative that we're involved in with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, which is actually looking at research that targets the built environment. The built environment is something that's so important to promote physical activity in youth, and in older people as well.

Health committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to thank the House of Commons standing committee for this opportunity to speak to you as you prepare for your study on chronic disease prevention and health promotion. Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and, according to recent World Health Organization statistics, kill 36 million people globally each year.