CANADIAN TEENS FAT, LAZY DOPE SMOKERS WITH BAD DIETS

OTTAWA -- A disturbing number of Canadian teens are fat, lazy, eat poorly,
and smoke too much weed, according to a World Health Organization report.

At first glance, a comprehensive study of more than 150,000 young people
from 35 countries suggests Canada is a nation of physically fit,
computer-literate teenagers in generally good physical and mental health.

But John Freeman, one of the major Canadian contributors to Health
Behaviour in School-aged Children, suggests all is not as it might seem.

Freeman is part of a team of researchers from Queen's University in
Kingston, Ont., who shared in the report, which is conducted every four
years and interviews 11-,13- and 15-year-olds in Canada, the United States
and nearly all European countries. It covers a comprehensive list of health
and health-related behaviours.

Canada prides itself on its level of physical activity and, with our teens
ranking in the top five countries for physical activity at all age levels,
that pride appears to be legitimate.

Our young people also rank extremely high when it comes to computer use.
They were asked if they used a computer for three hours during the week.
Their answers left 11-year-olds ranked sixth, 13-year-olds third and
15-year-olds second. On the weekends, Canada rose to first place in the two
older categories.

So why, asks Freeman, are our youngsters among the most obese among the 35
countries?

We sit sixth most obese among 13-year-olds and fourth among 15-year-olds,
where the United States leads the list.

"This is high and seems to represent a strange juxtaposition with the
physical activity figures because we also have adolescents being more
sedentary in terms of the numbers of them using computers three or more
hours a day," he says.

"We are right near the top in that category and mid-range for TV watching.
So, they are more sedentary, more physically active and more obese. What's
happening here?"

The researchers say they believe the physical active figures may be skewed
because promotion campaigns for active living in Canada encourage things
like walking up and down stairs or strolling to the corner store.

"Perhaps our adolescents are reporting activities others are not, which
would raise our ranking," says Freeman.

"Even if the figures are accurate, however you look at it, we are obese. It
is clear we must increase the level of physical activity and we must change
eating habits."

Freeman hopes the study affects government health and education policies.

Health Canada provided some of the funding for the report. Aggie Adamczyk,
a department spokesman, said they're particularly interested in the
obesity, tobacco and cannabis figures and would be looking at ways to
address the problems.

WHO identifies tobacco smoking as the leading cause of premature illness
and death in developed countries.

It also suggests young people prefer to focus on the habit as a way to deal
with stress and weight control rather than the dangers.