Regional differences in obesity.

In 2004, nearly one-quarter (23%) of Canadians aged 18 or older were obese, and an additional 36% were overweight (data not shown). This means that close to 6 in 10 adults had excess body weight. Excess weight was also apparent among children and adolescents: 8% were obese and 18% were overweight, for a combined obesity/overweight prevalence of 26% among 2to 17-year-olds. These estimates of obesity and overweight are based on data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey: Nutrition, and were derived using body mass index (BMI) (see Body mass index). The 2004 CCHS was the first time in many years that interviewers measured the height and weight of a nationally representative sample of Canadians. Most previous surveys relied on respondents to report their height and weight, a practice that tends to underestimate the prevalence of obesity and overweight.1-4 This article examines provincial and urban-rural differences in the percentage of Canadians who have excess weight. Comparisons for adults focus on obesity, the weight category associated with the greatest health risks.5 Because small sample sizes prevent a separate examination of obesity for children and adolescents, comparisons for 2to 17year olds reflect the obese and overweight categories combined.