Michelle DaCruz
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 13/02) - The NWT and Nunavut have the highest obesity rates in the country, according to the latest Canadian Health Survey by Statistics Canada.

Unhealthy food choices and lack of physical activity leads to obesity. New information released by Statistics Canada shows the rate of obesity among adults in the NWT has increased by almost six per cent between 1994 and 2001. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo illustration

Between 1994 and 2001, the rate of obesity has increased almost six percent in the NWT and over 10 per cent in Nunavut, in adults between 20 and 64.

"It's simple. To maintain body weight you have to burn off what you take in," said Mark Tremblay, dean of kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Tremblay has been researching obesity for the past 15 years.

Obesity is endemic to Western culture; there are gizmos that prevent activity and labour, and good-tasting, inexpensive food that is high in calories, said Tremblay.

Rates predictable

High obesity rates in the North, he said, are predictable when the influence of contemporary society on aboriginal culture is considered.

"Traditionally indigenous people were very active," said Tremblay. "Then conveniences arrive, easy access to food, motorization,"

Also, for millions of years humans were programmed to eat when they had access to food, now we have food all the time, he said.

Northerners have access to healthy food choices, but it comes down to a combination of cost and choice.

Mike Doucette, grocery supervisor for Fort Good Hope's Northern store, said fresh fruits and vegetables are always well-stocked, but are not usually a customer's first choice and are high in cost due to shipping.

"I sell triple the amount of Pepsi to produce each day," said Doucette.

Bob Young, general manager of the Northern store in Panniqtuuq, tells a similar story.

Young admitted the demand for soft drinks is so high he stocks in excess of 10,000 cases of soft drinks a year, even though his store is one of three in the community.

"Fruits and vegetables do sell a lot, but they never catch up with pop," said Young.

Also the sale of fresh meat is minimal, as Panniqtuuq relies heavily on hunting and residents consume a more traditional diet, which is typically low in fat.

"Seal may have blubber, but when cut away, the meat is close to fat-free. You actually have to cook it in fat," said Young.

"The same is true for caribou, rabbit, whale."

People eating healthier in Yellowknife

John Taylor, general manager of the Yellowknife Co-op said people in the capital are eating much healthier than the most of the territory.

His top five selling items for the last week are all healthy choices: bananas, eggs, bread, oranges, and strawberries top the list.

Health problems related to obesity are heart attack, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even depression.

"The scariest thing is the rate of increase is happening so fast that we cannot even predict the cost to our health care system. All we know is at the rate we are going, the current system will not sustain our future problems," said Tremblay.

The national percentage of obesity has increased 24 per cent to nearly 2.8 million people Canada-wide or one out of every seven Canadians.

Tremblay suggests increasing physical activity instead of limiting caloric intake as the best way to stay healthy.

The same study indicates that the rate of physical activity has increased over 16 per cent in Nunavut and decreased almost nine per cent in the NWT.

Outside of Yellowknife, few communities have health club facilities. Although communities like Fort Good Hope, and Tulita do provide adults after-hours access to their school gymnasiums.

Using the body mass index, the survey calculated obesity by dividing an individual's weight in kilograms by the square of his or her height in metres.

A result of more than 30 indicates obesity.