Overweight & Weight Loss Issues in
Canada
Overweight Statistics - Canada
48 per cent of Canadians have a body-mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, meaning
they are overweight according to Statistics Canada. 15 per cent are obese.
Obesity among Canadian children has also increased dramatically in the
last 15 years, more than doubling among boys, and tripling among girls.
Calories - Canada
Canadians are big eaters, consuming on average 2,921 calories daily, deriving
a third of those calories from fat. A moderately active male needs about
2,500 calories a day, and females about 1,800 calories.
Soft Drinks & Obesity
Canadians drink an average of 114 liters of soft drinks annually, almost
a 100 per cent increase in consumption since the early 1970s. A February
2001 weight loss study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health
concludes that there is a link between soft drink consumption and obesity
- independent of the food children eat, how much television they watch
and the amount they exercise. A can of soda has ten teaspoons of sugar.
An extra soft drink a day gives a child a 60 per cent greater chance of
becoming obese.
Source: Toronto Food Policy Council
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