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Northwest BC has highest prevalence of obesity in BC, says new report

A joint report from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that northwestern BC has the highest prevalence of obesity in all of the province, and that the prevalence of obesity is significantly higher than the Canadian average.
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A joint report from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows that northwestern BC has the highest prevalence of obesity in all of the province, and that the prevalence of obesity is significantly higher than the Canadian average.

According to the June 20 report the Northwest BC health region is listed as having a 24.2 per cent prevalence of obesity among people 18 and over, which is just .1 per cent higher than northeastern BC, while the Canadian figure of 17.1 per cent based on data from 2007/2008 .

By contrast, the provincial average is 15.1 per cent, with Richmond having the lowest obesity rate in the country at 5.3 per cent and Vancouver not far behind at 6.2 per cent. The ranking puts the region tied for the 28th highest rate of obesity out of the 120 Canadian health regions listed in the country, with the Mamawetan/Keewatin/Athabaska, Saskatchewan region having the highest at 35.9 per cent.

Look for more on this story in Wednesday's issue of the Prince Rupert Northern View.