Canadian Teens Fat and Lazy

WHO Report Ranks the Nation's 15-Year-Olds Fourth in Obesity

OTTAWA -- A disturbing number of Canadian teens are fat, lazy, eat
poorly and smoke too much marijuana, 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. Eleven-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 spokesperson, said they're particularly
interested in the obesity, tobacco and cannabis figures and would be
looking at ways to address 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, which they clearly understand.

The survey sheds a comparatively good light on Canadian teens and
their cigarette habits.

At 4.5 per cent for girls and 3.8 per cent for boys, our 13-year-olds
are about middle of the pack when it comes to smoking every day.

By the time they reach 15, the percentage reaches 11 per cent for
girls and 12.8 per cent for boys. By comparison, Greenland is at the
top of the list in every category surveyed with their 15-year-olds
past 50 per cent.

Adamczyk said the department will be taking a particularly close look
at the cannabis numbers.

The report shows more Canadian 15-year-olds have used cannabis in the
past y ear than in any of the other 35 countries. About 37 per cent of
girls and 43.3 per cent of boys admitted to using cannabis, more than
double the average.

The report also reveals:

- - Canadian teens are in the bottom third at all ages when asked if
they spent three hours a day on homework and almost as low when asked
the same question about weekends.

- - Around 70 per cent of our under-11s eat breakfast compared to almost
90 per cent of the table-topping Netherlands. At older ages, Canadian
girls eat breakfast progressively less -- 49.7 per cent at under-13
and 41.5 per cent at under-15. Boys stand at 62 and 52.8 per cent
respectively.

- - Canadians are in the top third of countries for eating fruit and
vegetables; in the lower third as soft drink consumers and candy eaters.