"Today, more than one in four young Canadians is overweight or obese, with rates even higher among aboriginal people," Canada`s Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said.
Ottawa (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Canada is facing an epidemic of childhood obesity, with more children being diagnosed today with dangerous conditions like high blood pressure and Type 2 Diabetes, Canada`s Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq warned on Monday.

"Today, more than one in four young Canadians is overweight or obese, with rates even higher among aboriginal people," Leona Aglukkaq said at the opening of a federal-provincial summit on healthy weights in Ottawa, capital of Canada.

"We owe it to our children - and to future generations - to reverse the obesity trend, so that they can live long, healthy lives."

Information released by the government shows the number of obese children is rising at a startling rate. Overweight adults are a serious problem in Canada, but the rate of increase in childhood obesity is even higher.

According to Statistics Canada, the federal department that collects data on national trends, 17 percent of children in Canada are overweight; nine per cent are obese.

The proportion of teenage boys classified as overweight or obese has more than doubled since 1981, climbing to 31 percent in 2009. Among teenage girls, it has increased to 25 percent from 14 percent.

Aglukkaq said Monday`s summit "represents a `first` in bringing together such a broad cross section of partners to address this issue."

The one-day meeting heard from Canada`s chief public health officer, Canada`s federal minister of sport, Olympic gold medalist Adam Kreek, health officials from across the country, along with fitness and education associations.

There are differing theories about the reason for the rapid increase in childhood obesity. Some nutritionists blame diets rich in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Others blame computers, video games and televisions for children`s lack of exercise.

And, in the past generation, Canadian children, especially in cities, rarely play outside without adult supervision, a trend that began when the country`s media began covering cases of child molestation and pedophilia.

Aglukkaq announced 4 million Canadian dollars in additional federal funding for an initiative aimed at promoting healthier eating.

Severe obesity - meaning a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more - affects three percent of the adult Canadian population and its prevalence has tripled over the past three decades, says a study in a recent issue of the Journal of Obesity.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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