Key Messages
Current Prevalence
By Sex
By Age
By Education
By Chronic Conditions
Technical Notes
Key Messages
- More than one-third of Simcoe Muskoka adults are obese, which is significantly higher than the provincial average.
- Obesity prevalence is significantly higher among adults 25 to 64 years with a high school diploma or less when compared with those with a university degree or higher.
- Obesity prevalence is significantly higher among those with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and mood disorders when compared to those with-out these conditions.
Current Prevalence
According to the 2019/20 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) conducted by Statistics Canada, just over one-quarter (27% (22.9%, 32.2%) of Simcoe Muskoka adults (18 years and older) are considered normal weight, while 35% (30.8%, 40.0%) are overweight and 36% (31.5%, 41.5%) are obese. Significantly more Simcoe Muskoka adults were obese when compared with the provincial average.
Since there were no significant changes in the prevalence of obesity between 2015 and 2020, the estimates by sub-population presented below are based on the six years of combined data to increase statistical precision.
By Sex
From 2015 to 2020, obesity prevalence was not significantly different between Simcoe Muskoka males and females. Both males and females had a significantly higher rates of obesity prevalence when compared with the provincial average.
By Age
From 2015 to 2020, obesity prevalence in Simcoe Muskoka did not differ significantly by age; however, for Ontario, obesity prevalence among younger adults (18-44 years) was significantly lower when compared with adults 45 to 64 years and seniors (65 years and older) and obesity was significantly higher among adults 45-64 years when compared with younger adults and seniors.
By Education
From 2015 to 2020, obesity prevalence was lowest among those with a university degree or higher and this was consistent in both Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario as a whole. In Simcoe Muskoka, 27% (21.7%, 33.1%) of adults 25 to 64 years with a University degree or higher were obese compared with 39% (33.5%, 44.9%) of those with a high school diploma or less.
By Chronic Conditions
Obesity prevalence among those with certain chronic conditions is significantly higher when compared to those that do not have the chronic condition. From 2015 to 2020 among Simcoe Muskoka adults (18+), 60% (50.4%, 68.8%) of those with diabetes were obese compared with 31% (28.4%, 34.1%) among those with-out diabetes. Obesity prevalence among those with hypertension was 49% (42.6%, 55.3%) compared with 29% (26.0%, 32.1%) for those without hypertension. Obesity was also significantly higher among those with a mood disorder at 46% (38.6%, 54.1%) compared with 31% (28.5%, 34.6%) for those with-out a mood disorder.
Technical Notes
Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in meters). For adults, aged 18 and over, this score is grouped into the following categories: underweight (BMI <18.5), normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9) and obese (BMI ≥ 30.0).
Please note that the BMI classifications reported on this page are based on self-reported height and weight of survey respondents. The results of a systematic review of the literature (Connor Gorber et al. 2007) concluded that the use of self-reported data among adults’ underestimates weight and overestimates height, resulting in lower estimates of obesity than those obtained from measured data. To improve the accuracy of the BMI estimates, Statistics Canada applies a sex-specific correction equation to the self-reported data (-1.07575 + 1.07592*BMI for males and -0.12374 + 1.05129*BMI for females). The adjusted BMI classification estimates are reported on this page.
Date last updated: August 1, 2023