Factors that Contribute in Increasing Number of Obesity among Aboriginal Youth in Canada Obesity among the Aboriginal youth is an increasing problem in Canada. WHO (2015) defines obesity as an “...abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health”. Serious diseases such as hypertension, cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, and gall bladder diseases are diseases linked to obesity (WebMD, 2014). In Canada, Aboriginal people such as the First Nations, Inuits and Metis, have a higher rate of obesity compared to non-aboriginal ancestry. Based on study conducted by Statistic Canada (2009) among inactive Aboriginals and non-Aboriginal people, about 50% of the aboriginal people were identified obese compare to 23% of the non-Aboriginal ancestry. Factor known as social determinants influence the growing number of Aboriginal youth obesity rate. Social determinants “…are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age” (WHO, 2015). The youth can be easily influence by the people around them in their eating habits. Social and economic status of Aboriginal household can
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Many of the aboriginal communities are located in remote areas where food marts and resources are scares. According to an informant from the research conducted by Yi et al (2015), “…Aboriginal youth [has] greater exposure to fast food outlets and fewer resources of reaching supermarkets or major food retailers”. In addition to that, Smoyer-Tomic et al. (2008) says Aboriginal youth have high risk of obesity causes by "...limited access to, and choice of, healthier and nutritious foods" (as cited in Yi et al., 2015). The weather in the area where the community lives also impacts the youth risk for obesity. Cold weather, which is common in Canada decreases people's activity. A correspondent who is living on Edmonton says that the long winter limits their physical activities (Yi et
Many of the aboriginal communities are located in remote areas where food marts and resources are scares. According to an informant from the research conducted by Yi et al (2015), “…Aboriginal youth [has] greater exposure to fast food outlets and fewer resources of reaching supermarkets or major food retailers”. In addition to that, Smoyer-Tomic et al. (2008) says Aboriginal youth have high risk of obesity causes by "...limited access to, and choice of, healthier and nutritious foods" (as cited in Yi et al., 2015). The weather in the area where the community lives also impacts the youth risk for obesity. Cold weather, which is common in Canada decreases people's activity. A correspondent who is living on Edmonton says that the long winter limits their physical activities (Yi et