Recent study turns out striking results for our generation’s health
by Leah Gerber
Statistics Canada has published a recent study stating that Canadians are wider, weaker, slower and generally, more unfit in every way than they were in 1981.
The question is, why?
Is modern food that much worse for the body? Are today’s Canadians really such bad decision-makers?
While health is ultimately a personal responsibility, nation-wide obesity is not so simply explained.
Obesity Canada defines obesity to be, “the accumulation of an excessive amount of fatty or adipose tissue. Obesity results from unbalanced energy budgets. An overweight person consumes food energy in excess of expenditure and stores the surplus in body fat.”
The average Canadian may not be conscious of certain risk factors in today’s society, making leading a healthy lifestyle much more difficult. Increased meal sizes at fast food restaurants, longer hours spent indoors and hidden salts, fats and sugars in food are only the beginning.
“There’s a belief that obesity is an individual’s fault and problem, and that [obesity] is caused by a lack of willpower, eating too much and exercising too little,” said Dr. Judy Sheeshka, a professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. “The government hasn’t really considered all the environmental (physical and social) influences on our food choices.”
The crops that the government subsidizes, chiefly corn and soy, are processed into ingredients for unhealthy food. Most of the sweeteners in today’s products are taken from corn; and soy is often used to make oil. People with limited incomes (students, for example) are more likely to buy cheap, inexpensive food over more expensive healthy food like fruits and vegetables, which are almost completely unsubsidized.
There are also spatial and social issues to consider.
If you live in downtown Guelph, you’ve got a long walk to a supermarket,” said Dr. Sheeshka. “Otherwise, you rely on convenience and corner stores if you don’t have a car or money for bus fare.”
Furthermore, houses are now clustered together in subdivisions, which are further away from amenities. Someone who lives in a subdivision and needs to go to a store, or anywhere for that matter, must drive. Walking isn’t even an option. Not many Canadians think about how the beautiful house in the suburbs they buy will affect their health, or whether or not the political party for which they vote will make them fat. However, perhaps these factors should start to be considered.
One thing is for sure, being healthy is not simply about choosing between carrots and chips, or deciding to run another lap or not.
“It is a very complex problem. Genetics, income, access to good grocery stores, access to fitness facilities and walking trails and parks, level of education and who you live with (e.g., are you living alone?) all play a role,” Dr. Sheeshka summarized. “We are told that it’s our fault if we are overweight, yet, if you don’t have the money to buy healthy food, if you don’t have a good food store nearby and if you don’t have transportation, all these kinds of things affect what food choices you make.”