How Healthy are Canadians?
Being healthy means different things for different people. However, most of us would agree that it involves a sense of mental and physical well-being. Many factors influence our health, such as our genes, our lifestyles and our environment, to name a few. Health is a state of being but also a resource for everyday life. So, how healthy are Canadians? To find out, we examined health data and indicators from the past 10 to 15 years. This is what we learned.
Interested in learning more about the health of Canadians?
Choose a sex and use the slider to select a birth year.
| 5-17/12-19 | 18-34/20-34 | 35-49/35-44 | 50-64/45-64 | 65-79/65+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity | 12.6 | 21 | 29.2 | 29.6 | 26 |
| Physical Inactivity | 90.7 | 63.8 | 82 | 83.3 | 88.2 |
| Unhealthy Eating | 56.4 | 61.0 | 60.2 | 63.6 | 56.8 |
| Heavy Drinking | 10.9 | 30.6 | 19.7 | 15.5 | 6.0 |
| Daily or Occasional Smoking | 7.8 | 24.3 | 20.3 | 19.9 | 9.3 |
| Cancer (all) | Asthma | Diabetes | COPD | IHD | Stroke | Hypertension | Mood and Anxiety Disorders | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-19 | 0.1 | 15.3 | 0.3 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3.3 |
| 20-34 | 0.3 | 11.4 | 1.1 | n/a | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 10.6 |
| 35-49 | 1.1 | 8.4 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 10.6 | 12.8 |
| 50-64 | 3.7 | 8.5 | 12.5 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 2.1 | 31.8 | 12.8 |
| 65-79 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 24.6 | 17.7 | 24.1 | 7.0 | 61.8 | 11.2 |
| 80+ | 11.2 | 10.3 | 26.1 | 25.4 | 39.5 | 16.9 | 78.6 | 11.4 |
Here is what we did...
This is one of several question cards. You'll find them scattered throughout the report to help guide you along as you read. Answer questions to get points and learn more about certain topics.
Continue
Did you know?
This final card will show additional information or interesting facts.
Here on the back you'll see the correct answer to the question you answered, and statistics on the answer gathered from all users who answered the question.
ContinueWe looked at data from the last 10 to 15 years on the four major chronic diseases (heart disease and stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes) as well as mood and/or anxiety disorders. We also studied risk factors that are modifiable – or within our control to change - like smoking, eating unhealthy foods, not getting enough physical activity, being sedentary for long stretches of time and using alcohol excessively.
Risk factors increase your chances of developing a disease.
Risk factors are either modifiable, meaning you can change them (like a behaviour), or non-modifiable, which means they cannot be changed (like a person's genetics and age).
After much number crunching, the data tell us that Canadians are generally healthy. We are living longer than our grandparents and great-grandparents and our overall health is similar to that of other developed countries. That said, many Canadians experience poor health. Chronic diseases cause 65% of the deaths in Canada each year. Although most often diagnosed in older age groups, chronic diseases could affect everyone.
Here is what we found...
The good news
Canadians are living longer and the difference in life expectancy between men and women is decreasing. The death rate for heart disease is considerably lower than before, thanks in large part to the important decrease in the number of people who smoke.
The bad news
More than 1 in 5 Canadian adults lives with a major chronic disease. As well, in the past 10 years, cancer surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in Canada.
Did you know?
- 2.7 million Canadians are living with diabetes (types 1 and 2 combined), and that number keeps rising.
- 2.3 million Canadians are living with heart disease.
- Almost 2 million Canadians are living with a chronic respiratory disease.
- Between 1999 and 2009, more than 800,000 Canadians received a cancer diagnosis.
- There is a strong link between mental health and chronic disease: 1 in 25 Canadians over the age of 20 say they live with a mood and/or anxiety disorder and a major chronic disease.
First Question
My daughter gets 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Is it a problem for her to spend 3 to 4 hours in the evening watching TV and playing on the computer?
Answer: Yes. Regardless of how much physical activity a child does, Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines for Children & Youth recommend no more than 2 hours per day of recreational screen-time.
Test your knowledge
Question #2
Each morning, I walk briskly for 15 minutes from my home to the bus stop and back when I return at the end of the day. Am I getting enough physical activity?
Answer: Yes. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for adults recommends 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week, accumulated in intervals of 10 minutes or more. Walking briskly for 15 minutes twice a day would achieve that goal.
Question #3
To reduce long-term health risks, Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines recommend limiting alcohol consumption. What is the weekly maximum number of alcoholic drinks recommended for women?
Answer: Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines recommend no more than 10 drinks per week for women. The guidelines also recommend daily limits and non-drinking days.
Question #4
Canada's population is roughly 36 million. In a 1-year period, how many Canadians use health services for mood and anxiety disorders?
Answer: Over 3.5 million Canadians (or about 10%) use health services for mood and/or anxiety disorders in a year.
Final Question
Which of the following conditions has seen the highest relative increase in the last 10 years?
Answer: Diabetes. Between the years 2000 and 2012, the average annual increase of Canadians living with diabetes was 4.2%. Today, nearly 10% of adults 20 years or older live with diagnosed diabetes. This is likely due to the increase in adult obesity and an ageing population.
Performance
Let's recap
Canadians are living longer, but many working–age Canadians are affected by a mood or anxiety disorder, and many live with one or more major chronic diseases. Levels of physical inactivity, sedentary behaviours and obesity continue to be high, especially in children and young adults.
A health story does not start with a diagnosis; it starts much earlier. Four in five Canadian adults have at least one risk factor they can change. Positive behavior changes (like quitting smoking, being physically active, having healthy eating habits and consuming alcohol responsibly) at any age can improve overall health and well-being.
Finally, being in good physical health is only part of the equation. Maintaining good mental and emotional health helps us solve problems and deal with life’s challenges. Reaching the right balance of physical and mental health means that the odds of leading a healthier and fuller life are on your side.
Want to know more? Check out our latest release!
How Healthy are Canadians?
A Trend Analysis of the Health of Canadians from a Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Perspective
Good health is a major resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension of quality of life. Healthy, productive citizens reduce the burden on the health care system and contribute to a strong economy.
In general, Canada is a healthy nation. Over the past several decades, the overall mortality rate and life expectancy have improved considerably, and, in general, Canada compares well with the other developed nations. Nevertheless, Canada continues to face significant public health challenges in preventing chronic diseases...