2014-01-22 | Press release

The 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge—Back for Year 10!

All Quebecers are invited to register today

Montreal, January 22, 2014 – The 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge, the largest public health campaign in Quebec, is back for its 10th year! Mélanie Maynard, actor, TV host, and the campaign’s spokesperson, invites all Quebecers to improve their lifestyle habits by taking up the 2014 Health Challenge. You can register today at HealthChallenge.ca.

“I’m proud to say that this event has been on my calendar for three consecutive years,” said Maynard. “What I love about the campaign’s formula is that it’s done in a spirit of fun. You do the challenge and learn how to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life!”

Celebrating 10 years!

Created in 2005, the Health Challenge is a great chance, for six weeks, to take concrete steps toward eating better, being more active, and taking time for yourself in the name of a healthier body and mind. The campaign has grown bigger and better over the years. Quebecers clearly appreciate that it’s so dynamic and accessible—over a million people have registered since its debut!

“The Health Challenge proposes three goals that instil lifestyle habits important in preventing several health problems. We know that it’s not always easy to incorporate these habits into our daily routine. That’s what’s great about the Health Challenge—you have six weeks to get motivated and pick up some simple tips,” adds Dr. Johanne Blais, family doctor and medical spokesperson for the campaign. “It’s a major health event, year after year, helping you lead a long and healthy life!”

Exclusive, free support and more than $15,000 in prizes

The 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge runs for six weeks from March 1 to April 11, 2014. Whether they register on their own, with their family, or as part of a team, participants will be aiming to achieve the following three goals:

  • Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day (5 Goal)
  • Get active for at least 30 minutes a day (30 Goal)
  • Sleep better for increased wellness in life (Wellness Goal)

Participants will have exclusive access to a number of support tools, including motivational emails and the IGA Passport, which, this year, offers 10 recipes by Ricardo. Participants also have round-the-clock access to a host of tools and information on the campaign website (HealthChallenge.ca) and Facebook page (in French) (facebook.com/defisante). And to commemorate its 10 year anniversary, the Challenge is offering the new 6-Week Program, which consists of daily menus loaded with fruit and vegetables, a walking program (including a downloadable audio file featuring Health Challenge spokesperson Mélanie Maynard), and mini-challenges to help you sleep better. Participants who register for the Health Challenge are also entered to win one of many prizes (total value of more than $15,000), including $5,000 in groceries from IGA!

A challenge for the whole family

Parents are invited to take up the Health Challenge with their families again this year. Parents will have access to the all new Healthy Home Pathway, which will guide them through the six weeks of the Health Challenge. The Healthy Home Pathway offers simple strategies that parents can implement at home to get their kids to eat better and be more active. They’ll also get weekly motivational emails and have a greater chance of winning a prize. The family prize is $5,000 in customized financial products, courtesy of Desjardins.

“I’m happy to see so many families getting involved in the Challenge and with such enthusiasm,” says Eric Myles, executive director of Québec en Forme, a Health Challenge partner. “At Québec en Forme, we believe that through their commitment and actions, parents can be positive role models for their children and promote healthy lifestyle habits. We’ve seen it with the Health Challenge, and we couldn’t be prouder.”

Ten years of the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge in numbers

  • More than 1,000,000 registrations since 2005
  • More than 360 municipalities and local communities registered in 2013
  • More than 600 companies that promote the Challenge every year
  • More than 22,000 likes (and counting!) on the Health Challenge’s Facebook page in December 2013
  • 460,000 IGA kits and Passports distributed among participants since 2007

Registration is open at HealthChallenge.ca until March 1!

About the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge

Launched in 2005, the Health Challenge is an annual public health campaign that invites Quebecers to improve their lifestyle habits. The campaign has since surpassed the million mark in registrations. In 2013, it won the DUX Award in the Public’s Choice category. The Health Challenge, a Capsana initiative, is made possible through the assistance and financial support of Québec en Forme and through partnerships with Quebec’s Directions de santé publique, Agences de la santé et des services sociaux, and the Quebec government (the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux; the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir, et du Sport; and the Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire). The Health Challenge is produced in collaboration with IGA, Desjardins, Danone, Leclerc, Oasis, and Evian.

Since 2011, the Health Challenge for Municipalities and Families aims to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among children by engaging and supporting municipalities, local communities, and Quebec families. It wouldn’t be possible without our partners Québec en Forme and the Quebec government, in collaboration with the Fédération québécoise des municipalités, the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UQM), Kino-Québec, and the Réseau québécois de villes et villages en santé. To learn more, please visit www.healthchallenge.ca.

About Capsana

Capsana is a social enterprise owned by the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Foundation, the ÉPIC Foundation, and the Fondation PSI, and associated with the Montreal Heart Institute. Its mission is to help individuals take an active role in their health. Founded in 1988 under the name ACTI-MENU, Capsana is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of health and healthy lifestyles, as well as the prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Capsana is behind well-known social campaigns such as the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge, the Quit to Win! Challenge, and Smoke-Free Family, which are geared towards the general public, municipalities and families. It also implements health-promotion programs in the workplace and produces publications and other patient information tools for the clinical setting. The organization obtained the Healthy Enterprise – Elite certification from the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (Quebec Standards Bureau). For more information, visit www.capsana.ca.