DOHaD Canada Joins Global Initiative to Promote Health for Future Generations

DOHaD Canada is proud to announce the launch of International Future Generations Day, observed on the third Friday in March, this year on March 21, 2025. This initiative highlights our collective responsibility to create healthier, more sustainable futures for all people worldwide, by fostering well-being from early life.

Despite increased awareness of healthy living, chronic diseases among Canadian children continue to rise. Statistics Canada reports childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled over past decades, with approximately 30% of Canadian children now classified as overweight or living with obesity. Mental health challenges affect one in five Canadian children. More concerning, these figures differ by region, highlighting significant disparities in child health outcomes, including access to support services.

International Future Generations Day serves as a focal point for uniting diverse interest-holders around a common vision of healthier, more resilient generations. This day emphasises the critical importance of the early life phase in influencing later life health outcomes.

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework, championed by DOHaD Canada, recognises that health risk and resilience are shaped before birth, starting in the preconception period, by a complex interplay of biological, environmental, and psychosocial factors. Canadian research has demonstrated how parental health significantly affects a child’s long-term outcomes. For example, maternal nutrition during pregnancy can influence childhood obesity rates by up to 25%, whilst paternal stress levels prior to conception may have measurable impacts on offspring mental health. Sustained research, knowledge mobilisation, and advocacy for the reproductive, pregnancy, infancy and early childhood stages, along with targeted interventions during these formative periods, are critical to reducing disease incidence and burden, and fostering robust, lifelong well-being.

DOHaD Canada leads national efforts to:

• Support innovative research in early life health and development
• Promote education about DOHaD principles among professionals and the public
• Facilitate collaboration between researchers, healthcare providers, policy experts, and people with lived/living experience
• Contribute to public health strategies supporting healthy early development

Through these coordinated activities, DOHaD Canada champions evidence-based approaches to secure the well-being of future generations. The organisation collaborates with healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and families across Canada to promote programmes that safeguard future generations. These actions are aligned with the goals of International Future Generations Day, which reinforces that the health of future generations depends on strong multi-sector partnerships and the actions we take today. By emphasising the critical importance of the early life phase in influencing later life risk of chronic diseases, disorders, and overall well-being, International Future Generations Day encourages collaborative research and intervention efforts to help families and children embark on journeys towards healthier, more fulfilling lives.

DOHaD Canada invites all Canadians to recognise March 21st as International Future Generations Day, and join the movement to prioritise early-life health interventions.

About Future Generations Day
Learn more about the founding of this day from Dr. Kent Thornburg and the Moore Institute.

For International Women’s Day, we celebrate the remarkable contributions of women in the DOHaD Canada community and their impact on health research. From exploring how early-life influences shape lifelong health to driving innovation in public health, epidemiology, and clinical science, their work is transforming the future of health for all.

In this video, you will hear from some of our members of DOHaD Canada as they share their journeys, their research, and their insights. They will highlight:

As we reflect on progress and look ahead to the future, let us continue to celebrate, support, and learn from each other, not just today but everyday.

Happy International Women’s Day!