More than half a century ago, my father was already talking about prevention.
On February 14, 1967, my father, Ivan W. Thrasher, stood in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and delivered a speech covering a wide range of issues affecting his constituents and the province.
Near the end of that speech, he turned to a subject that feels remarkably familiar to me today: physical fitness, prevention, longevity and the enormous cost of treating illness instead of helping people remain healthy.
That part of his speech connects directly with what I am trying to do today through Insure Your Health Yourself.
So rather than asking you to begin with the entire speech, I have brought his health message forward here.
My Father’s Message About Health
The following passage originally appeared near the end of Ivan W. Thrasher’s February 14, 1967 speech to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Hansard page 521.
Mr. Speaker, I feel I would be remiss in my duty as a member if I did not mention my feelings toward physical education at this time. For the past two sessions I have spoken quite forcefully on this subject, in respect of what both the federal and provincial governments are doing towards physical education and training. We read daily that some of our young people are competing quite favourably throughout the world in sports, but this is only a drop in the bucket compared to what we as a nation should be doing for our youth.
Mr. Speaker, I have a long-range plan regarding physical training. Let us take two boys or girls, say age six. One gets physical training throughout his or her school years until say, the age of 20 or 25. The other gets little or none. I say and I say emphatically that by the time these two bodies reach 50 years old the amount of time spent in and the cost of visiting doctors or hospitals could be tenfold or even more, comparing one to the other.
The point I am trying to make, Mr. Speaker, is that future generations will not have to pay our astronomical hospital bills if we have the foresight to train our youth in physical training. The best brain in the world is useless without a healthy body to transport it.
CAN EXERCISE HELP YOUR HEART?
I say let us begin this physical training on a large-scale now.
In today’s Toronto Daily Star, in no less than three places, physical training was brought out quite forcefully: once on page 4 by Gary Lautens: “I’ve never felt better in my life, thanks to physical fitness programmes. Three times a week I go to the gym. I run; I do push-ups; I play basketball. You see, my wife cannot keep up with me anymore.”
He asked his wife why she was tired all the time and told her she would not be if she went to physical fitness classes.
And on page 7:
Down neighbourhood streets, in parks and playgrounds, over the open road and on high school and college tracks, middle-aged men, sedentary professionals and housewives are running for their lives.
The “community jog” is more than an expression of togetherness. It is the newest hope for retarding onset of cardiovascular disease.
On page 41, the full page was given to Mrs. Dennis Mobbs, on developing a recreational programme, filling the needs from age six to 106.
I only point out these newspaper remarks to illustrate that seemingly our citizens are awakening to the fact that physical training goes with longevity and freedom from disease. I say we in the Ontario government, as well as the federal government, should create an overall plan to provide facilities for our people to encourage them to participate in a physical fitness programme.
I sincerely hope his committee will bring the programme prepared by the Kingston member (Mr. Apps) to our people in the near future.
Why This Means So Much to Me
When I read these words today, I hear ideas that have shaped much of my own life: move your body, prevent problems before they begin, and take responsibility for protecting your health while you still have it.
My father delivered these words in 1967. More than half a century later, I find myself making many of the same arguments.
Perhaps that is not a coincidence.