OBESITY

• Over the past 30 years, measured obesity in Canada doubled to 25.4% (2008 CCHS)
• This has resulted in increase 2 diabetes, asthma, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, several types of cancers (colorectal, kidney, breast, endometrial, ovarian and pancreatic cancers) and major types of cardiovascular disease (hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease).

• A person is considered obese when their body mass index (BMI) reaches over 30%.
• The vast increase in Obesity occurance in Canada has become an economic burden because it causes direct costs to the health care system and indirect costs to productivity.
• Between 2000 and 2008 the annual economic burden of obesity in Canada increased by $735 million, from $3.9 to $4.6 billion.

Figure 1(click to enlarge):

 

Risk Factors of Obsity:

• Chronic diseases
• Socio-economic status
• The environment (built environment)
• Overall neighbourhood's socio-economic status
• Proximity to convenience stores
• Proximity to Fast Food restuarants
• Lifestyle
• Education
  

There have been recent studies illusrating the significance of the built environment on Obesity. These studies have highlighted that nearness to parks, recreation centres and level of walkability of a neighbourhood are vastly significant. In addition up until recently Geographical Information Science (GIS) has not been utilized to its full potential in Obesity and it's risk factors research. Further use of GIS in Obesity research to determine the level of impact each of it's risk factors have will enable Canada to determine ways in which to reduce the risk factors and thus reduce the level of Obesity within Canada.

Much research has been conducted to determine the factors that affect the prevalence of Obesity within a nation. It has been distinguished that there are many environmental determinants involved in the presence of Obesity within a region. The presence and lack there of for each of the environemental determinants can have a different affect on the obesity rate. Thus these environmental determinantsare deeply studied currently in order to determine what each region lacks and has so that the nation has improve its Obesity Rate.