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HomeNewsCanada making progress on obesity rates among children

Canada making progress on obesity rates among children

The number of overweight and obese children between the ages 3 to 19 in Canada fell to 27% in 2013.

That is a decline from 31% a decade earlier.

However, the progress is limited to a certain demographic according to Dr. Atul Sharma with the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg.

“Most of the progress that we’re seeing is the top third of families in terms of income. Families with post-secondary education are also doing better, periodically immigrants tend to be leaner but that tends to change the longer they stay in this country.”

Sharma’s adds provinces like BC are doing their part to tackle the problem while other provinces are struggling. “British Columbia and Quebec are doing relatively well while Ontario and the provinces are in the middle and Atlantic Canada is doing quite poorly in either the overweight or obesity rate.”

If the situation doesn’t improve serious ramifications to the health care system could follow.

“It’s important we tackle this epidemic now or we are going to be living with the consequences 20-30 years from now and the World Health Organization has warned us based on the European data they have gathered they aren’t sure if the developed countries health care system will cope says, Sharma.”

Between 1978 and 2004 rates of overweight and obesity among Canadian Children soared to 35% from 23%.

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