Watching our waistlines

Canada is one of many developed nations experiencing a rise in obesity rates. The international standard for calculating obesity rates is the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. A person with a BMI equal to or greater than 25 is considered overweight, while someone with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 is obese.

The proportion of overweight men and women in Canada has increased over the years. In 2000/01, in all age groups, men were much more likely than women to be overweight. The difference was especially notable in the 35-to-44 age group, where 58% of men and 37% of women were overweight. Among those aged 20 to 65, almost half (48%) were overweight, and one in three of those were obese.

In 1994/95, 34% of children aged 2 to 11 were overweight. Of these, 47% could be considered obese. By 1998/99, the proportion of overweight children had risen to 37%, of which 49% were obese.

In 1994/95, 45% of men and 47% of women said they had very good or excellent eating habits. That same year, most people reported that they were trying to eat less fat and sugar and more carbohydrates and fibre. Women were more likely than men to be changing their diets: 32% of women said they were modifying their meals, whereas only 20% of men were doing so.