Overall Results
By Sex
By Socioeconomic Status
Body mass index (BMI) is a ratio of weight to height (weight (kg)/height(m)2) and while it is not a direct measure of body fat, it is considered to be one of the most useful indicators of population health risks associated with overweight and obesity.
The classification of BMI for children and youth is different than for adults. Statistics Canada currently uses the World Health Organization (WHO) age-/sex-specific classification cut-offs for children and adolescents aged 5 to 19. The following table provides some example BMI cut-off scores for boys and girls between 12 and 17 years of age. For more information visit the following WHO site - http://www.who.int/growthref/who2007_bmi_for_age/en/index.html.
| Child Body Mass Index (BMI) Cut-off Scores |
| AGE | BOYS | GIRLS |
| OVERWEIGHT | OBESE | OVERWEIGHT | OBESE |
| 12.0 | 19.9 | 23.6 | 20.8 | 25.0 |
| 12.5 | 20.4 | 24.2 | 21.3 | 25.6 |
| 13.0 | 20.8 | 24.8 | 21.8 | 26.2 |
| 13.5 | 21.3 | 25.3 | 22.3 | 26.8 |
| 14.0 | 21.8 | 25.9 | 22.7 | 27.3 |
| 14.5 | 22.2 | 26.5 | 23.1 | 27.8 |
| 15.0 | 22.7 | 27.0 | 23.5 | 28.2 |
| 15.5 | 23.1 | 27.4 | 23.8 | 28.6 |
| 16.0 | 23.5 | 27.9 | 24.1 | 28.9 |
| 16.5 | 23.9 | 28.3 | 24.3 | 29.1 |
| 17.0 | 24.3 | 28.6 | 24.5 | 29.3 |
| 17.5 | 24.6 | 29.0 | 24.6 | 29.4 |
Adapted from the WHO BMI-for-age (5-19) tables available at http://www.who.int/growthref/who2007_bmi_for_age/en/index.html
Overall Results
According to the 2019 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), over one-quarter (29% (25.0%, 32.5%)) of Simcoe Muskoka students (Grades 7-12) were considered to be overweight or obese according to the WHO BMI-for-age cut-offs. This was not significantly different than the 29% (27.7%, 31.1%) of overweight or obese Ontario students during this same time period. The percentage of Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario students (Grades 7 to 12) that were overweight or obese in 2019 was not significantly different from what was reported in 2015.
By Sex
In 2019 among Simcoe Muskoka students (Grades 7-12), significantly more male students were overweight or obese compared with female students: 31% (27.0%, 35.9%) for males vs. 26% (21.5%, 30.0%) for females.
By Socioeconomic Status
In 2019 among Simcoe Muskoka students (Grades 7-12), significantly more students with lower perceived socioeconomic status (SES) were overweight or obese compared with students with higher perceived SES: 35% (26.4%, 44.8%) among those with lowest perceived SES vs. 24% (20.4%, 28.5%) among those with highest perceived SES.
Page last updated June 23, 2022