Slimmer in the City

Life's slimmer in the big city: Report
Aug. 22, 2006. 10:12 AM
CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - There's a new report indicating that adults who live in
cities are less likely to be obese that those living in outlying areas.
Statistics Canada says it found that overall, 20 per cent of residents
aged 18 or older who lived in large centres were obese in 2004,
compared with 29 per cent of those who lived outside a metropolitan
area.
And as the size of the city increased, the likelihood of being obese
fell.
In areas with a population of at least two million, such as Toronto,
Montreal and Vancouver, 17 per cent of adults were obese.
The comparable figure for areas with a population of 100,000 to two
million was 24 per cent, and in urban centres with populations of
10,000 to 100,000, 30 per cent of adults were found to be obese.
The study found that the national average for obesity among adults was
23 per cent.
However, "While there was a relationship between excess weight and
urban-rural residence among adults, the same was not true for
children," Statistics Canada says.
Nationally, the proportion of two- to 17-year-olds who were overweight
or obese was comparable in cities and rural areas.


Diva

Diva wrote:
Life's slimmer in the big city: Report
Aug. 22, 2006. 10:12 AM
CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - There's a new report indicating that adults who live in
cities are less likely to be obese that those living in outlying areas.
Statistics Canada says it found that overall, 20 per cent of residents
aged 18 or older who lived in large centres were obese in 2004,
compared with 29 per cent of those who lived outside a metropolitan
area.
And as the size of the city increased, the likelihood of being obese
fell.
In areas with a population of at least two million, such as Toronto,
Montreal and Vancouver, 17 per cent of adults were obese.
The comparable figure for areas with a population of 100,000 to two
million was 24 per cent, and in urban centres with populations of
10,000 to 100,000, 30 per cent of adults were found to be obese.
The study found that the national average for obesity among adults was
23 per cent.

There is more to it than being in the city or the size of the city I
think I live between San Antonio and Austin. I read a while back that
adults in Austin are thinner than those of San Antonio. I think
socioeconomic factors are a better function of weight than domicile in
a city or rural setting. If you really want to find overweight people,
go to a modestly priced pizza buffet. The fancier restaurants tend to
have slimmer customers, again it's socioeconomic. And it isn't that
cheaper food is necessarily more fattening either. Rice, oats,
vegetables are not expensive and they are low cal and healthy. Perhaps
it boils down to people with higher-paying jobs wanting (and needing
to) present a slimmer image of themselves. dkw
However, "While there was a relationship between excess weight and
urban-rural residence among adults, the same was not true for
children," Statistics Canada says.
Nationally, the proportion of two- to 17-year-olds who were overweight
or obese was comparable in cities and rural areas.


Diva