• Rates of obesity amongst children and youth aged 2 to 17 in Canada are increasing. In 1978/79, 3% of Canadian children and youth were obese. By 2004, 8% or an estimated 500,000 were obese.
• An additional 18% of Canadian children and youth are overweight. Combined, one quarter (26%) of Canadian children and youth are either overweight or obese.
• Weight gain during adolescence and young adult life may be one of the most important determinants of future development of heart disease and stroke. Eating a healthy diet from a young age and continuing throughout life are important to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Unhealthy eating during childhood may interfere with optimal growth and development and contribute to poor eating habits during adolescence and adulthood.
Between the ages of six and twelve, children are learning to make decisions and beginning to make more choices on their own. They are developing eating habits and attitudes they may carry with them for the rest of their lives. Peer pressure influences children and youth of all ages and is particularly strong in the early teen years.
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