Canadians are officially flabby and unfit.
Statistics Canada released the Canadian Health Measures Survey on Wednesday, a comprehensive fitness survey that actually directly measured Canadians of all ages, rather than relying on less reliable self-reports on data such as weight.
"The results demonstrate a significant deterioration since 1981, regardless of sex or age. In particular, muscular strength and flexibility have decreased, and all measures of adiposity [fat] have increased," the authors of the report on children's fitness levels concluded.
"Children are taller, heavier, fatter and weaker than in 1981."
Among young children, 17 per cent are overweight and nine per cent are obese, based on the body mass index.
Among those aged 15 to 19, the percentage whose waist circumference put them at an increased or high risk of health problems more than tripled, from less than three per cent to 15 per cent among boys, and from nine per cent to 28 per cent among girls.
Who loses?
