A new study by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute found 70 per cent of Ontario adults are either overweight or obese, making them strong candidates for heart attack or stroke.
The joint study in collaboration with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario looked at 2,552 Ontarians between the ages of 20 and 79 from communities across the province.
The survey revealed 48 per cent of adults were classified as overweight, and another 22 per cent were obese, with levels of obesity increasing with age. Five years ago, health officials say the combined number was much lower.
Although doctors say obese people in Canada are a minority, almost every second person is overweight.
"We don't consider it really that abnormal any more because there are so many, but at the end of the day for your health, overweight leads also to health problems," said Dr, Frans Leenen, of the Ottawa Heart Institute.
Health problems
Among the subjects classified as obese, instances of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes were two to three times higher than people classified as overweight.
The study also showed 52 per cent of Ontarians over the age of 60 had high blood pressure, but most were receiving treatment.
Dr. George Fodor, head of prevention and rehabilitation research at the Heart Institute, highlighted the link between obesity and serious health issues.
"If we reduce weight, then we can help reduce high blood pressure - these facts are becoming more apparent as a way to live healthier," he said in a press release.
The study used Body Mass Index (BMI) to classify subjects. Those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight and those with a BMI over 30 are obese.
With a report from ctvtoronto.ca and CTV Ottawa's Norman Fetterley
