Two thirds of American adults are now considered overweight or obese, and a recently published 2013 study by Statistics Canada shows that Canadian numbers are equally sad. Nationally 53.6% of Canadians are rated overweight or obese. The leanest province is British Columbia at 46.9%, with the heaviest–at more than 60% overweight–throughout the Maritimes, Saskatchewan and the Yukon. See more at How Stat’s Can measures the nation’s obesity.
This is not a vanity issue, it is a sickness epidemic that is costing us all by debilitating our population and undermining our medical treatment capacity. Remarkably, most people surveyed reportedly did not realize that they were affected by excess weight or obesity, or at risk for weight-related conditions. See: Why your weight matters for more.
The health crisis has prompted an intelligent new approach to urban planning away from cars and junk food “swamps” and towards fresh food and mobility. Researchers in London, Ontario are assessing cities and neighborhoods for what they call “obesogenic” indicators and then recommending health-focused makeovers. Smart, self-sustaining energy for humans and our machines, all part of the exciting revolution in process. See: The geography of obesity for more.
;
