Study Finds 25 Percent of Canadians Consume Excess Calories

A new study has said that poor eating habits of most Canadians are making them more susceptible to obesity.

Despite this trend, individuals who eat well are 20 per cent less likely to be obese, according to a study by Concordia University economists.

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"The risk of being obese or overweight is directly related to bad eating habits such as skipping meals, eating away from home, high consumption of fast and processed foods, as well as low consumption of fruit and vegetables," said first author Sunday Azagba, a PhD candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics.

"In Canada, food purchased from restaurants accounts for more than 30 per cent of the average weekly food expenditure per household."

As part of their study, the researchers examined data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey to evaluate how eating habits could impact obesity trends among adults aged 18 to 65.

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"More than 25 per cent of Canadians aged 31 to 50 exceed the safe limit of total calories derived from fats," added co-author Mesbah Sharaf.

Azagba said that it is imperative that obesity rates across Canada decline.

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"Health-care costs for caring for obese individuals are estimated to be 42 per cent greater than for people with normal weight."

"Research has found excessive body weight to be a risk factor for many chronic disease, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver diseases, as well as prostate, breast and colon cancer."

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The study has been published in the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health.

Source-ANI