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Body Mass Index

Data sources: Canadian Community Health Survey 2000 & 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2008, 2009 & 2010, 2011 & 2012, 2013 & 2014, Statistics Canada, Share File, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

Sample: Residents 18 years and over in the KFL&A area.

Released: April 2016

Introduction

The Canadian Community Health Survey collects self-report height and weight from respondents. All proportions shown here have been adjusted using a body mass index (BMI) adjustment factor to account for biases in self-reporting of height and weight, as recommended by Statistics Canada.

BMI is calculated by using the formula: BMI=weight(kg)/height(m)²

Table A shows how BMI is classified into categories. For example, if someone has a BMI that is 27.6, they will be classified in the 'overweight' category.

Table 1. BMI Categories
BMI categories	BMI Category¹(kg/m²)
Underweight	< 18.5
Normal	18.5-24.9
Overweight	25.0-29.9
Obese Class 1	30.0-34.9
Obese Class 2	35.0-39.9
Obese Class 3	≥ 40.0

Normal or underweight adults, 18+

Figure A. Normal or underweight adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing normal or underweight adults 18 and over in KFL&A and Ontario

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table A. Normal or underweight adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001*	39.9% (36.0, 44.0)	42.0% (41.1, 43.0)
2003	37.3% (36.4, 42.0)	41.6% (40.7, 42.2)
2005	37.6% (33.6, 41.7)	41.5% (40.7, 42.4)
2007 & 2008	36.9% (32.7, 41.2)	40.0% (39.2, 40.8)
2009 & 2010	31.8% (26.3, 37.8)	39.3% (38.4, 40.3)
2011 & 2012	38.1% (32.1, 44.4)	39.1% (38.0, 40.1)
2013 & 2014	31.1% (26.4, 36.1)	37.8% (36.9, 38.7)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure A

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 31.1% (26.4, 36.1) of the population 18+ was normal or underweight. In Ontario, the proportion of those who are normal or underweight is decreasing over time.

Overweight adults, 18+

Figure B. Overweight adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight adults 18 and over in KFL&A and Ontario

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table B. Overweight adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001*	38.1% (34.0, 42.4)	36.3% (35.4, 37.2)
2003	38.0% (33.6, 42.6)	37.2% (36.4, 38.1)
2005	41.3% (37.0, 45.7)	36.8% (36.0, 37.6)
2007 & 2008	36.0% (32.2, 40.1)	36.5% (35.7, 37.3)
2009 & 2010	36.5% (31.8, 41.6)	36.6% (35.7, 37.5)
2011 & 2012	38.7% (32.7, 45.0)	36.0% (35.0, 37.0)
2013 & 2014	37.2% (33.0, 41.7)	36.2% (35.3, 37.2)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure B

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 37.2% (33.0, 41.7) of the population 18+ was overweight. The proportion of those who are overweight has remained fairly constant over time.

Obese adults, 18+

Figure C. Obese adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing obese adults 18 and over in KFL&A and Ontario

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table C. Obese adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001*	22.0% (18.1, 26.4)	21.6% (20.9, 22.4)
2003	24.7% (21.0, 28.8)	21.2% (20.5, 21.8)
2005	21.1% (17.5, 25.3)	21.7% (21.0, 22.4)
2007 & 2008	27.1% (23.5, 31.2)	23.5% (22.9, 24.2)
2009 & 2010	31.7% (27.0, 36.4)	24.1% (23.3, 24.8)
2011 & 2012	23.3% (18.4, 29.0)	25.0% (24.1, 25.8)
2013 & 2014	31.7% (27.4, 36.4)	26.0% (25.2, 26.8)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure C

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 31.7% (27.4, 36.4) of the population 18+ was obese. In Ontario, the proportion of those who are obese is increasing over time. The proportion of those who are obese in 2013 & 2014 is higher than that of 2009 & 2010 and years prior.

Overweight or obese adults, 18+

Figure D. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18 and over in KFL&A and Ontario

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table D. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001*	60.1% (56.0, 64.0)	58.0% (57.0, 58.9)
2003	62.7% (58.0, 67.1)	58.4% (57.5, 59.3)
2005	62.4% (58.3, 66.4)	58.5% (57.6, 59.3)
2007 & 2008	63.1% (58.8, 67.3)	60.0% (59.2, 60.9)
2009 & 2010	68.2% (62.2, 73.7)	60.7% (59.7, 61.6)
2011 & 2012	61.9% (55.6, 67.9)	60.9% (59.9, 62.0)
2013 & 2014	68.9% (63.9, 73.6)	62.2% (61.3, 63.1)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure D

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 68.9% (63.9, 73.6) of the population 18+ was overweight or obese. In Ontario, the proportion of those who are overweight or obese is increasing over time. The proportion of those who are overweight or obese in 2013 & 2014 is higher than that of 2007 & 2008 and years prior.

Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by sex

Figure E. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by sex in KFL&A

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18 and over by sex in KFL&A

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table E. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by sex in KFL&A, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	Males	Females
2000 & 2001*	63.7% (57.2, 69.7)	56.4% (50.1, 62.6)
2003	71.6% (70.1, 77.8)	53.8% (47.7, 59.8)
2005	67.3% (62.3, 72.8)	57.6% (51.7, 63.5)
2007 & 2008	66.5% (59.7, 72.7)	59.9% (54.1, 65.5)
2009 & 2010	75.1% (68.4, 83.3)	61.8% (54.9, 69.1)
2011 & 2012	71.3% (64.5, 79.1)	53.1% (45.3, 61.2)
2013 & 2014	73.2% (66.5, 78.9)	64.6% (57.4, 71.1)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure E

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 73.2% (66.5, 78.9) of the male population 18+ and 64.6% (57.4, 71.1) of the female population 18+ was overweight or obese. There are no differences between males and females with respect to the proportion of those who are overweight or obese.

Figure F. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by sex in Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18 and over by sex in Ontario

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Table F. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by sex in Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)

Year	Males	Females
2000 & 2001*	64.9% (63.6, 66.2)	50.6% (49.4, 51.9)
2003	65.3% (64.1, 66.5)	51.4% (50.2, 52.5)
2005	66.1% (65.0, 67.3)	50.8% (49.7, 52.0)
2007 & 2008	66.7% (65.6, 67.9)	53.3% (52.1, 54.4)
2009 & 2010	67.5% (66.2, 68.8)	53.7% (52.4, 55.0)
2011 & 2012	67.5% (66.0, 68.9)	54.4% (53.0, 55.9)
2013 & 2014	68.4% (67.1, 69.7)	55.9% (54.6, 57.2)

*Note for years 2000/01, BMI was calculated only for those aged 20 to 64

Interpretation for Figure F

In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, 68.4% (67.1, 69.7) of the male population 18+ and 55.9% (54.6, 57.2) of the female population 18+ was overweight or obese. There are no differences between males and females with respect to the proportion of those who are overweight or obese.

Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by income group

Figure G. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by income group in KFL&A and Ontario, 2013 & 2014

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18 and over by income group

Table G. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by income group in KFL&A and Ontario, 2013 & 2014, % (95% Confidence Interval)

Income grouping	KFL&A	Ontario
Lower income	59.1% (50.0, 67.6)	56.2% (54.6, 57.9)
Medium income	69.5% (61.3, 76.6)	59.9% (58.5, 61.2)
Higher income	63.5% (54.0, 72.0)	59.9% (58.2, 61.6)

Interpretation for Figure G

In Ontario, in higher income areas than lower income areas, a greater proportion of the population is overweight or obese.

Notes on the income groupings:

The income variable was based on a derived income variable from the CCHS. This variable provided a distribution of respondents in deciles based on the adjusted ratio of their total household income to the low income cut-off corresponding to their household and community size. It provides, for each respondent, a relative measure of their household income to the household incomes of all other respondents. The income variables used in this report were determined as follows: the lowest 3 deciles of the derived variable from CCHS were categorized into 'Lower Income', the middle 4 deciles were categorized into 'Middle Income' and the highest 3 deciles were categorized into 'Higher Income'.

Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by urban and rural status

Figure H. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by urban and rural status in KFL&A and Ontario, 2013 & 2014

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18 and over by urban and rural status

Table H. Overweight or obese adults, 18+, by urban and rural status in KFL&A and Ontario, 2013 & 2014, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Urban or rural status	KFL&A	Ontario
Urban	62.4% (56.4, 68.0)	57.9% (56.9, 58.8)
Rural	68.3% (59.8, 75.7)	63.4% (61.6, 65.2)

Interpretation for Figure H

In Ontario, in rural areas, a greater proportion of the population is overweight or obese.

Overweight or obese, adults 18 to 29

Figure I. Overweight or obese adults, 18 to 29, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 18-29

*Use with caution due to high variability.

Table I. Overweight or obese adults, 18 to 29, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)

Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001	38.3% (29.2, 48.4)	41.0% (39.0, 43.1)
2003	45.6% (35.3, 56.3)	38.4% (36.4, 40.5)
2005	37.3% (28.8, 46.6)	40.2% (38.4, 42.1)
2007 & 2008	43.0% (32.7, 54.0)	41.3% (39.5, 43.1)
2009 & 2010	50.7% (39.1, 62.2)	42.2% (40.3, 44.2)
2011 & 2012	42.9% (31.4, 55.2)	43.4% (41.2, 45.7)
2013 & 2014	38.8*% (26.1, 53.1)	41.7% (39.6, 43.8)

*Use with caution due to high variability.

Interpretation for Figure I

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 38.8*% (26.1, 53.1) of the population 18 to 29 was overweight or obese. No trends over time are seen in KFL&A or Ontario.

*Use with caution due to high variability.

Overweight or obese, adults 30 to 39

Figure J. Overweight or obese adults, 30 to 39, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 30 to 39

Table J. Overweight or obese adults, 30 to 39, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001	64.4% (55.3, 72.5)	57.0% (55.1, 58.8)
2003	65.4% (54.8, 74.6)	57.1% (55.2, 58.9)
2005	63.9% (53.0, 73.6)	56.4% (54.6, 58.2)
2007 & 2008	58.8% (47.2, 69.6)	57.5% (55.6, 59.5)
2009 & 2010	62.0% (48.9, 73.5)	58.2% (56.1, 60.3)
2011 & 2012	66.6% (49.4, 80.4)	60.5% (57.9, 63.0)
2013 & 2014	73.9% (59.9, 84.3)	59.4% (56.8, 61.9)

Interpretation for Figure J

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 73.9% (59.9, 84.3) of the population 30 to 39 was overweight or obese. No trends over time are seen in KFL&A or Ontario.

Overweight or obese, adults 40 to 49

Figure K. Overweight or obese adults, 40 to 49, in KFL&A and Ontario

Table K. Overweight or obese adults, 40 to 49, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001	61.2% (49.5, 71.6)	60.5% (58.8, 62.3)
2003	67.1% (55.9, 76.6)	61.2% (59.2, 63.3)
2005	72.2% (62.1, 80.5)	62.2% (60.4, 63.9)
2007 & 2008	63.3% (50.9, 74.2)	63.1% (61.0, 65.1)
2009 & 2010	74.0% (58.9, 85.0)	64.1% (61.8, 66.5)
2011 & 2012	57.7% (42.2, 71.8)	64.1% (61.6, 66.5)
2013 & 2014	80.2% (62.7, 90.7)	67.5% (64.9, 70.1)

Interpretation for Figure K

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 80.2% (62.7, 90.7) of the population 40 to 49 was overweight or obese. In Ontario, there is an upward trend in those aged 40 to 49 who are overweight or obese.

Overweight or obese, adults 50 to 64

Figure L. Overweight or obese adults, 50 to 64, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 50 to 64

Table L. Overweight or obese adults, 50 to 64, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2000 & 2001	70.4% (63.2, 76.8)	70.4% (68.7, 72.0)
2003	73.1% (65.3, 79.6)	70.7% (69.2, 72.1)
2005	73.2% (64.7, 80.2)	69.8% (68.2, 71.4)
2007 & 2008	71.5% (61.1, 800.)	70.0% (68.3, 71.6)
2009 & 2010	72.9% (59.7, 83.0)	69.5% (67.8, 71.1)
2011 & 2012	70.8% (58.4, 80.7)	68.8% (66.8, 70.8)
2013 & 2014	78.4% (68.0, 86.2)	71.2% (69.4, 72.9)

Interpretation for Figure L

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 78.4% (68.0, 86.2) of the population 50 to 64 was overweight or obese. No trends over time are seen in KFL&A or Ontario.

Overweight or obese, adults 65+

Figure M. Overweight or obese adults, 65+, in KFL&A and Ontario

bar chart showing overweight or obese adults 65 and over

Table M. Overweight or obese adults, 65+, in KFL&A and Ontario, % (95% Confidence Interval)
Year	KFL&A	Ontario
2003	60.9% (53.4, 68.0)	64.8% (63.2, 66.3)
2005	64.5% (56.4, 71.9)	63.2% (61.5, 64.9)
2007 & 2008	71.8% (64.8, 77.8)	67.2% (65.6, 68.6)
2009 & 2010	75.7% (68.8, 81.5)	68.1% (66.6, 69.6)
2011 & 2012	68.5% (61.1, 75.0)	66.7% (64.9, 68.5)
2013 & 2014	69.9% (61.8, 76.9)	68.6% (67.1, 70.0)

Interpretation for Figure M

In 2013 & 2014 in KFL&A, 69.9% (61.8, 76.9) of the population 65+ was overweight or obese. In 2013 & 2014 in Ontario, there was a higher proportion of those overweight or obese than in 2003 and 2005 in those aged 65+. Please note that the CCHS 2000 to 2001 cycle did not collect BMI information on those aged 65+ and thus cannot be included in Figure M.

Confidence intervals explained

Researchers look at the "confidence levels" of percentages being compared to decide if there is a statistically significant difference between percentages. A statistically significant difference means that:

the difference between two percentages is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone, and
there is a true difference or change in the percentages.

In this report, 95% confidence intervals will accompany each percentage in all figures and tables. This interval represents the range in which we are 95% confident the true percentage will fall within. In tables, the 95% confidence intervals will be written with the percentage, followed by the 95% confidence interval range in brackets (e.g., 25% (12.3, 32.4)). In figures, the 95% confidence interval is represented by vertical bars in each bar line.

References:

Health Canada. Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults. Ottawa: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada; 2003. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/bmi_chart_java-graph_imc_java-eng.php