Canadians continue to get fatter in spite of decades of warnings of health officials about the greatly increased health risks from overweight and obesity. Over 20% of Canadian adults are now classed as obese

Canadians continue to get fatter in spite of decades of warnings of health officials about the greatly increased health risks from overweight and obesity. Over 20% of Canadian adults are now classed as obese
Photo Credit: Shutterstock via CBC

Canada: getting fatter, but smoking less

Medical professionals across Canada have long been sounding the alarm about excess weight and health problems.

This week Canada’s official data gathering agency, Statistics Canada, released it’s annual Canadian Health Survey for 2014.

It shows that Canadians continue to get heavier with one in five people aged 18 or older are now classified as obese.  That’s about 5.3 million Canadians.

Smoking declining

However, the number of smokers, another great health concern, continues its slow decline. In 2014 with just over 18% of Canadians age 12 and over reported smoking daily or occasionally. That’s down from just over 19% in 2013, and down significantly from 2001 when over 28% of males and almost 24% of females reported daily or occasional smoking.

British Columbia (14.3%) and Ontario (17.4%) had the lowest smoking rates, while Nunavut had the highest rate by a significant margin (62.0%) followed by the Northwest Territories (33.3%) and Yukon (26.2%)

Overweight and obese

It terms of obesity,  20.2% of Canadians aged 18 and older were rated as obese. The rate of obese men increased to 21.8% in 2014, up from 20.1% in 2013, and markedly up from 2003 when it was 14.3%.

Among women, the rate of obesity was 18.7% in 2014, up from 17.4% in 2013 and also up significantly from 2003, when it was 14.5%

The rates for those classified as “overweight” has remained relatively stable.

However, taken together, the rate of overweight and obese men now stands at 61.8%  and 46.2% for women. That represents well over 14 million people in an overall Canadian population of about 35 million.

Statistics show overweight and obese children become overweight and obese adults. Medical officials are now seeing chronic weight-related health problems, like diabetes- in younger children
Statistics show overweight and obese children become overweight and obese adults. Medical officials are now seeing chronic weight-related health problems, like diabetes- in younger children. © CBC

Impossible to lose weight?

More bad news came from the US recently from psychologist Traci Mann who has spent 20 years running an eating lab at the University of Minnesota.

She says the evidence is clear that long term weight loss is generally a myth. Only about five per cent of people who try to lose weight ultimately succeed, according to the research.

People point to this small minority as evidence that weight-loss works long term. Alberta professor Tim Caulfield who researches and writes about health misconceptions is quoted in an article by Kelly Crowe of the CBC saying,. “You have this confirmation bias going on where people point to these very specific examples as if it’s proof. But in fact those are really exceptions.”

In the vast majority of cases within a few years any weight lost through dieting or exercise has been gained back.

In terms of children and youth, in 2012 to 2013, 31% of children aged 5 to 17 years were overweight and obese, based on the body mass index (BMI) measured as part of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS).

In a sublte and low-key message shift, many medical officials are now leaning towards the concept of “weight management” rather than “weight loss”.

However, more importantly, as overweight children tend to become overweight and obese adults, the message is to avoid weight gain in the first place

Weight ranges for various heights:

Height      underweight             normal weight     overweight *             obese **

1.63 m    less than 48.8 kg    48.9 to 66.0 kg    66.1 to 79.2 kg    79.3 kg or more
1.73 m    less than 55.1 kg    55.2 to 74.5 kg    74.6 to 89.4 kg    89.5 kg or more
1.83 m    less than 61.8 kg    61.9 to 83.5 kg    83.6 to 100.2 kg    100.3 kg or more
1.63 m    less than 48.8 kg    48.9 to 66.0 kg    66.1 to 79.2 kg    79.3 kg or more
1.73 m    less than 55.1 kg    55.2 to 74.5 kg    74.6 to 89.4 kg    89.5 kg or more
1.83 m    less than 61.8 kg    61.9 to 83.5 kg    83.6 to 100.2 kg    100.3 kg or more

* increased risk of health problems    

**high to extremely high risk of health problems

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