People in the country unhealthier compared to city folk: Survey
Posted June 7, 2015 10:01 am.
Last Updated June 7, 2015 10:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A new survey pokes holes in the theory that people in the country are healthier than those in the city. It finds people living in the Fraser Valley are actually more overweight than those in Metro Vancouver.
The survey was released by provincial health authorities and shows that obesity is a bigger problem in the Fraser Valley than it is in Metro Vancouver.
Fraser Health Medical Health Officer Dr. Andrew Larder says that’s especially the case in Chilliwack.
“About 37 per cent of respondents in Chilliwack identified that they were obese, whereas compared to the Fraser Health average, it was 27 per cent.”
Larder says that’s because people in the Fraser Valley are much more dependent on their cars. “It’s a much less urban environment in the communities in the Valley, but also the way the communities are designed and the access to public transport will affect how much people are using active transportation, things like biking and walking.”
Larder says community planners are likely aware of the importance of active transportation but says more can always be done to encourage people to be active.
