Canadians may be exercising more but overweight and obesity rates haven't significantly changed since 2008, states recently released statistics by Health Canada.
The 2013 Canadian Community Health Survey reports that, based on body mass index, 62 per cent of men and approximately 45 per cent of women are classified as either overweight or obese.
The rate of overweight and obese men increased significantly from 2012, while the combined rate for women has remained stable since 2010.
One local expert isn't surprised by the new data.
"There's a new normal and it's normal to be obese," said Glenn Wilson, phys-ed instructor at Leo Nickerson and executive on the St. Albert Physical Education Council.
Roughly one in five youth aged 12 to 17 were classified as overweight or obese in the survey, up from 18.7 per cent in 2007.
It's important that people understand that being overweight and obese is not normal even though the statistics show it's common, commented Wilson. "It's still an epidemic."
Obesity has been linked with many chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer.
Results also showed that 2013 data marked the first significant increase since 2009 in diagnosed high blood pressure in Canadians aged 12 and older.
Good news
Obesity and overweight rates for both adults and youth have been climbing over the last decade, says Claire Izcovich, a registered dietitian with the St. Albert and Sturgeon Primary Care Network.
"Obviously we want to start seeing those numbers go down, but seeing a plateau is a good thing," she said.
One positive change the survey showed was a shift in health behaviour.
The number of people aged 12 and older being moderately active – a 30-minute daily walk or half-hour exercise class, three times a week – slightly increased from 2012.
Self-reported surveys are not a completely accurate depiction of health behaviours, cautioned Izcovich.
"It is proven that people will under report how much they're eating and over report the amount of physical activity they do," she said.
A study published by researchers from York University in Toronto last month found that people overestimate how hard they work out. Of the 129 adults who were instructed to walk/jog, the majority underestimated the intensity of physical activity required to obtain health benefits.
Healthy role models
The rate of fruit and vegetable consumption in people aged 12 and older has remained unchanged for the past two years. About 41 per cent are eating five or more fruits and vegetables per day, reports the survey.
Izcovich discusses the Canada Food Guide with many of her patients, but the decisions kids make with food is highly dependent on their family members.
"I do believe the public health messaging is getting out there, but just not as fast as we think it is," she said.
Teachers and parents need to be active living role models for their kids, added Wilson. There should be more of an onus on physical education within schools to teach the skills necessary for active living, not just sports.
"People view organized sport as active living as opposed to going for a bike ride," he said. "The message we should be trying to get across is it's OK to just participate, you don't have to be first."
Although there are some positive trends in physical activity, the overweight and obesity statistics are still alarming, Wilson said, adding that it's quite common to grasp onto something positive and say to ourselves we're doing a good job when we really aren't.
"It's still a sad state when we can say that over 50 per cent (of our population) are overweight or obese."
