2023-05-22 15:30:00
Since 2018, the prevalence of obesity has been increasing. In 2008, the proportion of Quebecers in a situation of obesity was 16%, while for 2020-2021, this figure increases to 23%.
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However, Karine Gravel, nutritionist, recalled that it is important to interpret these data with caution, since they were identified in a pandemic context.
“People’s lifestyles have changed a lot during this period,” she explained. “So it will be important to keep an eye on the next data to see how the situation develops.”
What is the overweight of Quebecers associated with?
We have power over our lifestyle habits, including our food choices and the amount of physical activity we engage in daily.
However, M.me Gravel added that someone with a bigger body doesn’t necessarily have bad lifestyle habits.
“Our weight is explained by several factors and some of them are non-modifiable, such as our genetics and our heredity,” she detailed. “You really have to be careful and nuance this speech.”
Decrease in physically active people
It is known that the adoption of a physically active lifestyle is associated with a significant reduction in all chronic diseases, whether cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia or several types of cancer.
Unfortunately, this preventive potential remains largely untapped, with nearly three out of four Canadians not doing the minimum recommended physical activity of 150 minutes per week (or 2.5 hours).
“People’s motivation may explain percentages that vary among certain age groups,” said Ms.me Gravel. “As we age, we may engage in physical activity to improve our quality of life and reap the overall health benefits.”
What should we do on a daily basis?
According to Mme Gravel, it is essential to act on the factors over which we have power in order to stay in shape and be healthy.
“We can see in the data that there are 30% of people who are dissatisfied with their weight, particularly women,” confirmed Ms.me Gravel. “We must pay attention to the slimming model constantly offered to the entire population, but which will affect women more.”
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