Report on Obesity in Canada
Printer-friendly versionThe Obesity in Canada report released this year by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information finds some significant differences between women and men when looking at obesity. It shows that income, for example, is more strongly related to obesity for women than for men.
The report also finds that income, rural residence and minority status (mainly Aboriginal) are related to obesity in women and men even when controlling for health (or lifestyle) behaviours, such as inactivity, fruit and vegetable consumption and alcohol use.
Their analysis of obesity is limited, as the authors note, by fact that data on “access to healthy foods and food outlets, consumption of traditional diets, caloric density, marketing of foods and beverages high in sugar and fat to children, and portion sizes have not been considered in the analysis.”
The report was also limited by other factors, such as the fact that those not reporting body mass index (BMI) measurement (e.g. pregnant women) were excluded
To download the report, visit CIHI’s website.
The Canadian Women's Health Network and the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health program are financially supported by Health Canada through the Women's Health Contribution Program. The views herein do not necessarily represent the official policy of Health Canada.