Eliminating all physical inactivity among Canadian adults (defined as less than 15 minutes of low-impact activity a day) could help prevent the equivalent of 646,000 cases of obesity in women and 405,000 cases in men, according to an analysis included in a comprehensive joint report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Similarly, improving poor-quality diets—as measured by the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption—could result in the equivalent of 265,000 fewer cases of obesity among men and 97,000 fewer cases of obesity among women.
“Not surprisingly, this report shows that improving lifestyle behaviors, such as healthy eating and physical activity, can have a significant impact on reducing the waistlines and improving the health of Canadians,” said Jeremy Veillard, Vice President of Research and Analysis at CIHI. “However, obesity is complex, and there are many other factors that contribute beyond lifestyle habits.”
“Reducing obesity levels and promoting healthy weights is critical to the prevention of ill health,” said Dr. Judith Bossé, Assistant Deputy Minister. “Obesity increases the risk of a number of chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and some forms of cancers."
Based on measured height and weight, more than 1 in 4 adults in Canada and just less than 1 in 11 children are considered obese. Between 1981 and 2009, obesity based on measured height and weight data roughly doubled across all age groups and tripled for youth (age 12 to 17).