in An illustrative look at news and events

minutes

A growing problem
On Monday, Canadian Health Ministers launched a program to help Body Mass Index
fight childhood obesity in Canada — a problem which is escalating Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of
one’s weight in relation to height.
The percentile is the number that
According to Statistics
17% 9%
ranks your child's size among other
children of the same gender and age.
Canada, in 2009: BMI
35
BMI chart for boys, 2-20 34
33
of children and youth were were Obese
32
31
30
overweight obese 95th 29
28
90th 27
85th 26
25
75th 24
Percentage of overweight 23
children around the world Overweight 50th 22
21
25th 20
The worldwide prevalence of childhood 10th 19
5th 18
overweight and obesity increased from Healthy weight 17
4.2% in 1990 to 6.7% in 2010. 16
15
14
13
Underweight 12
U.S.
0% 6 12 18 24
AGE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
BMI
In Canada, the percentage of BMI chart for girls, 2-20 35
34
overweight/obese 15–19 year olds has 33
32
increased dramatically since 1981. Obese 95th 31
Brazil 30
To calculate BMI: 29
31% Weight (lbs.) 90th 28
27
In 2003-2004: In 2002: Australia ÷ Height (in.) 85th 26
25
25%
35.0%
÷ Height (in.)
23.1%
75th 24
x 703 23
In 2002: Overweight 50th 22
21

22.0%
of boys were of boys were 25th 20
14% overweight or obese overweight or obese 19
14% 10th
18

35.9%
5th

21.1%
Healthy weight 17
of boys were overweight or obese 16

24.0%
15
14
of girls were of girls were Underweight 13
overweight or obese 12
1981 2009 1981 2009 overweight or obese of girls were overweight or obese
Boys Girls AGE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

25%

Proportion of overweight and obese children, by country

20
Ages 10-16 years, 2001-02
15

10

0
S.
ly
y

da

es

ta
nd

ce
ce

ia

ia

nd

nd
ar

ai
an
Ita
t

U.

al
al
ee
an

na
la

tla
oa

st

Sp
ng

gl
nl

M
W
Ire

Gr
Au
Fr

Ca
Cr

En
Fi
Hu

Sc

Sources: Statistics Canada; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; International Association for the Study of Obesity SUSAN BATSFORD, GRAPHICS EDITOR; INFOGRAPHIC BY MEGAN DINNER/QMI AGENCY