Your health can benefit from eating nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables daily. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy, so be sure to eat a wide variety of produce.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of certain diseases or health conditions, as stated by Health Canada, Harvard School of Public Health, Canadian Cancer Society, Dietitians of Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The majority of Canadians do not meet the recommendation of eating 5 to 10 fruits and vegetables per day (1). Yet it is worth the effort to increase your daily intake.
Healthy Eating and Obesity
What is OBESITY?
Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30 and normally indicates that there is an excess of body fat. Obesity typically results from an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie usage. There are many contributing factors - diet is one of them as excessive calorie intake leads to weight gain (2).
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in metres) squared (2) and is used for evaluating health risks associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates that weight is in the healthy range when it falls between 20 and 25. A BMI above 25 is associated with an increased risk of health problems when the waist circumference exceeds 94 cm for men and 88 cm for women (3). A BMI over 30 is associated with higher risks for these diseases, and is even higher when waist circumferences exceed these same measures (3).
You can calculate your own BMI at this website: Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/bmi_chart_
java-graph_imc_java_e.html
Canadian obesity trends
In 2004,the Canadian Community Health Survey reported that 8.6 Canadian adults (36%) between the ages of 20 and 64 years old were overweight and another 5.5 million (23%) were obese (4). Together they represent nearly 60% of the adult population. The prevalence of overweight children is increasing. In 2004, 18% of children between the ages of 2 and 17 years old were overweight and 8% were obese. Obesity in children increased by 200-300% between the years of 1981 and 2001 (4).
Obesity and aging
Every day this year, almost 1,000 Canadian Baby Boomers will turn 60, the prime age for heart disease and stroke. Increasing obesity rates and inactivity among this group could threaten the steady progress towards better heart health that has been enjoyed by past generation (5).
Obesity and heart disease
Obesity will increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes (5).
Work with a doctor to control obesity and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Manage risk factors by eating healthy foods, having a healthy weight, keeping physically fit, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, managing cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, and managing diabetes (5).
References
- Overview of Canadians Eating Habits 2004
http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-620-MIE/82-620-MIE2006002.pdf
- Library of Parliament
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0511-e.htm
- Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/weight_book-livres
_des_poids-05_e.html
- Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050706/d050706a.htm
- Heart & Stroke of Canada
http://ww2.heartandstroke.on.ca/Page.asp?PageID=33&ArticleID=4639&Src=news
&From=SubCategory