The effects of demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle component on adult obesity in Canada: empirical study

This study estimates the effects of selected demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle variables (gender, age, marital status, province of residence, smoking and alcohol habits, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, education, labor force, and income) on adult obesity in Canada using the Master File of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 2.2. A major advantage of the ordered Probit model is that it accounts for the ordered nature of the Body Mass Index (BMI) used to classify respondents as being normal weight, obese class I, II and III. The study finds that gender, age, marital status, province of residence, smoking and alcohol habits, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, education, labor force participation and income are all significant in determining the risk of being overweight and obese. Furthermore, the finding that location of residence, racial/cultural origin, immigration status, and stress level also affect the risk of being overweight and obese among Canadian adults provides additional evidence for policy making. Keywords: Adult obesity, Canada, Probit model, demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle variables, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 2.2.
INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight and obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health (WHO, 2000). This definition while accurate does not show the [...]