City living keeping obesity in check
A new study says Canadians who live in big cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver tend to weigh less than their rural counterparts.
The report, "Regional differences in obesity," is based on actual measurements of height and weight from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey. The study, published in the latest issue of Health Reports, examined obesity and overweight individuals inside and outside census metropolitan areas.
In 2004, 20 percent of Canadians living in urban areas were obese, compared to 29 percent of those who lived outside a metropolitan area.
The larger the city, the smaller the likelihood of being obese. In Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, only 17 percent of adults were obese, the study found.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
