Canada - World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe

Health systems in transition Canada 17
Table 1.14
Self-reported obesity by province, ages 18 years and older, 2003, 2005
and 2007–2008
2003 2005 2007–2008
British Columbia 12.0 13.4 12.8
Alberta 15.9 16.2 19.0
Saskatchewan 20.5 21.2 23.9
Manitoba 18.8 18.5 19.6
Ontario 15.4 15.5 17.2
Quebec 14.2 14.5 15.6
New Brunswick 20.7 23.1 22.2
Nova Scotia 20.6 21.3 23.2
Prince Edward Island 21.6 23.0 23.7
Newfoundland and Labrador 20.6 24.6 25.4
Canada 15.4 15.8 17.1
Source: PHAC & CIHI (2011).
Table 1.14 illustrates the large variations in self-reported obesity among
provinces. Less rural and more urbanized provinces such as British Columbia,
Ontario and Quebec tend to have lower rates of obesity than more rural and
sparsely populated provinces. At the same time, however, obesity is on the
increase in all provinces.
Multiple indicators demonstrate that the health status of Aboriginal
Canadians is well below the Canadian average. While Aboriginal health
status has improved in the post-war period, relative to overall Canadian health
status, a significant gap continues to persist (Frohlick, Ross & Richmond,
2006). Compared to the Canadian average, Aboriginal peoples suffer from
considerably higher rates of chronic diseases, infectious diseases, injury and
suicide. As with Aboriginal populations in other OECD countries such as
Australia and the United States, the causes of these health disparities have long
historical roots in settlement, containment and educational policies (Waldrum,
Herring & Young, 2006).