Fit Facts

• 57% of 20 to 64-year-old males in Canada are overweight; an additional 14% are considered obese.¹
• 35% and 12% of similar-aged females in Canada are overweight and obese respectively.¹
• Overweight and obesity are linked to heart disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems, and psychological disorders such as depression.²
• Approximately 300,000 deaths per year in the United States are attributable to obesity, which makes obesity the leading cause of preventable death after smoking-related mortalities.^{2, 3}
• 91% of women who were surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting.⁴
• 22% dieted "often" or "always".⁴
• Disordered eating increases the probability of health problems such as heart conditions, electrolyte imbalance, and kidney failure, which might lead to death.⁵

Activity Facts:

• The most popular physical activities among Canadian adults are walking for exercise, gardening and yard work, home exercise, swimming, and bicycling.⁶
• The majority of adults in Canada are at increased risk of chronic disease and premature death due to sedentariness.⁶
• 77% of women and 74% of men in Canada are considered physically inactive.⁷
• 57% of Canadian adults aged 18 years and older are considered insufficiently active for optimal health benefits.⁶
• In 1999, approximately $2.1 billion of the total direct costs to Canada's healthcare system were attributable to physical inactivity.⁸
• A 10% reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity among the Canadian population might reduce direct healthcare expenditures by $150 million per year.⁸
• Physical activity is associated with healthy dietary habits.⁹
• A high consumption of plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke.¹⁰

Benefits of Activity:

• 3 10-minute bouts of brisk walking accumulated over the course of a day can lead to risk reductions in cardiovascular disease and reduce anxiety and tension in previously sedentary adults.¹¹
• Physical activity is associated with a 20-30% risk reduction in all causes of mortality.¹²
• Physical activity reduces the risk of lung and rectal cancer.^{13, 14}
• Furthermore, physically active men and women are at a 30-40% reduced risk of acquiring colon cancer when compared to inactive people.¹⁵
• Physically active women have a 20-30% reduction in risk of breast cancer when compared to inactive women.¹⁵
• Physical activity has a protective effect against breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women.^{16, 17}
• Both walking and vigorous exercise are associated with substantial risk reductions in cardiovascular events (eg. heart attack) among postmenopausal women.¹⁸
• Physical activity lowers blood pressure.¹⁹
• Occupational and leisure-time physical activity are generally associated with reduced symptoms of depression.²⁰

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