DiscoverThe Big StoryWhat is functional health and why is it declining for Canadians?
What is functional health and why is it declining for Canadians?

What is functional health and why is it declining for Canadians?

Update: 2026-04-031
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A recent report from Statistics Canada found that Canadians' functional health is on the decline, especially so for younger folks.


Functional health has to do with our ability to perform everyday bodily functions - like see, hear, move, and feel. And according to the report, the decline in functional health is directly related to a lack of emotional health among younger Canadians.


Host Catherine Jette speaks to Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, a physician and professor at the School of Public Health in Alberta to break down the study's findings, what Canadians can do on their own to improve their functional health, and how big of an alarm bell this should raise to Ottawa.


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What is functional health and why is it declining for Canadians?

What is functional health and why is it declining for Canadians?

Catherine Jette, Louis Hugo Francescutti