Calgary Residents Think “Not Me”
June 13th, 2007 posted by WillsMom
We’ve all heard the news, read the statistics, and perhaps even discussed the topic with family, friends, physicians. Obesity kills. It causes a variety of complications.
So why do we Calgarians feel that we’re not at risk but the rest of the world’s obese is?
In a recent study by the Canadian Obesity Network, 89% of the responses from overweight Calgary residents agreed that the greater the weight, the greater the risk of heart disease. However only 8% admitted that they were included within that risk.
Calgary physician Dr. Rick Ward surmises that the lack of concern may be denial or belief that a busy lifestyle may negate the risks.
“One of the things this survey pointed out is that, while people look around and say that obesity is a bad thing … they tend to minimize their own risk,” Ward said. “The fact that so many Calgary residents are underestimating their personal risk of developing chronic disease is worrisome.”
Obviously, more education needs to be done. Only 50% of the responses correctly identified abdominal fat as riskier than hip or butt fat. And less than a quarter of the people knew that 102 cm is the cut off waist size for men. Worse yet, only 6% knew the 88 cm waist as the recognized cut off point for women.
“We now recognize that where the weight is more important than the actual weight.” Ward said.
And apparently, we need more public awareness that we Calgarians are not immune to the risks.
Source: Calgary Sun
