Most Canadians are overweight or obese, data suggests

Jennifer Kuk, an obesity expert at York University, speaks about the implications of Statistics Canada data that found most Canadians are obese or overweight.

Most Canadian adults are now classified as obese or overweight, a significant rise in recent years compared to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic, new Statistics Canada data suggests.

The government agency’s Canadian Health Measures Survey found the following:

• More than two-thirds, or 68 per cent, of Canadians aged 18 to 79 had a body mass index (BMI) that classified them as overweight or obese. StatCan said the finding was based on the period from 2022 to 2024.
• Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 60 per cent of Canadians from the same age range were considered overweight or obese, between 2016 and 2019.

Obesity became more prevalent in recent years, especially among young adults aged 18 to 39, compared to the time before the pandemic.

StatCan’s study discovered the following:

• The proportion of obese individuals rose to 33 per cent from 2022 to 2024. It was previously 25 per cent between 2016 and 2019.

“This is in line with research suggesting that pandemic-related changes in lifestyle, including reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behaviour, may have contributed to higher obesity levels in adults,” it goes on to say in its press release Thursday.

The survey also found that abdominal obesity was widespread. The condition refers to “excessive fat stored around the waist and stomach area,” according to StatCan.

About half, or 49 per cent, of adults have a waist circumference above the Canadian thresholds tied to greater health risks, reads the statement.

Being overweight or obese increases the risks of developing certain cancers, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and other serious health problems, according to StatCan.

Findings on obese and overweight children

Nearly one in three, or 31 per cent, of children and youth were considered overweight or obese. The results referred to those aged five to 17.

“While this proportion has not changed significantly over time, it remains a concern due to long-term health risks associated with excess weight in childhood,” according to StatCan in the release.

“Monitoring overweight and obesity from early childhood is important because excess weight is linked to physical and mental health challenges during childhood and often persists into adulthood.”

How accurate is your BMI?

The BMI has sparked controversy over whether it’s a reliable indicator to assess an individual’s risk of developing health problems linked to being overweight or underweight. BMI is calculated using a person’s weight and height in a formula.

The results from the calculation categorize individuals as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.

BMI has “limitations,” but it’s the best tool right now for that purpose, Jennifer Kuk, an expert in obesity and its related health risks, told CTVNews.ca on Friday.

“A lot of the measures that we have for obesity assessment are either expensive or it’s challenging to do or it’s uncomfortable for the patient,” Kuk, a professor at York University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science in Toronto, said in a video interview.

She said BMI is generally a “pretty good tool” to track obesity trends. “The scales are cheap, height measurements are cheap and people can do them very accurately.

Kuk said using other methods, including a measuring tape to determine the circumference of waists, are more expensive and take more time. It’s also difficult to have consistent results when measuring waists and patients may find it “invasive.”