Post by Jari on Nov 30, 2004 18:50:31 GMT -5
Tue, November 30, 2004
Tubby Manitoba
We're fatter, die sooner than average Canadians
By FRANK LANDRY, LEGISLATURE REPORTER
We're fatter, live shorter lives and contract chlamydia way more often than other Canadians, a new report indicates. About 42% of Manitobans report having an ideal or normal weight, compared with the Canadian average of 48%, according to a report of health indicators released yesterday by the province.
About 18% of Manitobans reported being fat. The national average was slightly less at 15%.
"That's alarming to all of us," Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald told a news conference.
Oswald said an all-party task force is looking for ways to get kids to trim down. Ideas under consideration include mandatory daily gym class and limiting junk food sold in schools, she said.
"We need to do better in the community, we need to do better in schools and, mom and dad, sometimes we need to do better at home," Oswald said.
The bad news didn't end there.
The same report found life expectancy in Manitoba for women is 81.6 years and 75.7 years for men. Both are below the Canadian average of 82.1 for woman and 77 years for men. The figures are for babies born in 2001.
Individuals from higher income groups tend to live longer in comparison with poorer people, the report notes.
Manitoba also has a higher rate of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia -- 289 cases per 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 179 per 100,000.
Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba chief medical officer of health, said the higher chlamydia rate could in part be because Manitoba has a more aggressive strategy for identifying and treating the STD compared with other provinces.
"A lot of this may be our active and effective approach to the disease in Manitoba," he said.
Kettner, however, acknowledged most of the health-care indicators released yesterday "raise more questions than answers."
HIGH RATINGS
Despite the poor showings in some areas, Health Minister Tim Sale noted the report -- which relies heavily on Statistics Canada figures -- found 85% of Manitobans who recently received service rated their quality of care as excellent or good.
"People in Manitoba are generally satisfied with the health-care they're getting," Sale said.
Tory health critic Myrna Driedger called into question the reliability of much of the information, noting aboriginals living on reserves were excluded from the survey data.
Driedger said aboriginals are often in poorer health compared with the general population.
"Their information would change this data significantly and would paint a less rosy picture of the health of Manitobans," Driedger said.
Louis Barre, the province's director of health information management, said it's too expensive for Statistics Canada to do polling on reserves.
Reserve residents were included in parts of the report where surveys were not required, such as life expectancy and chlamydia rates.
Personal care-home residents and full-time members of the Canadian Forces were also excluded from the surveys.
Sale said the information in the report will be used by the province to develop health-care policies.
All provinces, territories and the federal government are reporting on comparable health-care indicators.
Barre said the next report will be issued in two years.
---
UNFLATTERING STATISTICS
Life expectancy at birth:
Man. 81.6 female; 75.7 male
Canada 82.1 female; 77 male
Infant mortality rate:
Man. 4.6% females; 8.5% males
Canada 3.8% females; 5% males
Obesity rate:
Man. 18%
Canada 15%
Heart attack deaths:
Man. 48 per 100,000 people
Canada 52 per 100,000 people
Stroke deaths
Man. 37 per 100,000 people
Canada 34 per 100,000 people
Diabetes rate
Man. 5.5% of people
Canada 4.8% of people
-- Province of Manitoba
www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2004/11/30/740998.html
Tubby Manitoba
We're fatter, die sooner than average Canadians
By FRANK LANDRY, LEGISLATURE REPORTER
We're fatter, live shorter lives and contract chlamydia way more often than other Canadians, a new report indicates. About 42% of Manitobans report having an ideal or normal weight, compared with the Canadian average of 48%, according to a report of health indicators released yesterday by the province.
About 18% of Manitobans reported being fat. The national average was slightly less at 15%.
"That's alarming to all of us," Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald told a news conference.
Oswald said an all-party task force is looking for ways to get kids to trim down. Ideas under consideration include mandatory daily gym class and limiting junk food sold in schools, she said.
"We need to do better in the community, we need to do better in schools and, mom and dad, sometimes we need to do better at home," Oswald said.
The bad news didn't end there.
The same report found life expectancy in Manitoba for women is 81.6 years and 75.7 years for men. Both are below the Canadian average of 82.1 for woman and 77 years for men. The figures are for babies born in 2001.
Individuals from higher income groups tend to live longer in comparison with poorer people, the report notes.
Manitoba also has a higher rate of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia -- 289 cases per 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 179 per 100,000.
Dr. Joel Kettner, Manitoba chief medical officer of health, said the higher chlamydia rate could in part be because Manitoba has a more aggressive strategy for identifying and treating the STD compared with other provinces.
"A lot of this may be our active and effective approach to the disease in Manitoba," he said.
Kettner, however, acknowledged most of the health-care indicators released yesterday "raise more questions than answers."
HIGH RATINGS
Despite the poor showings in some areas, Health Minister Tim Sale noted the report -- which relies heavily on Statistics Canada figures -- found 85% of Manitobans who recently received service rated their quality of care as excellent or good.
"People in Manitoba are generally satisfied with the health-care they're getting," Sale said.
Tory health critic Myrna Driedger called into question the reliability of much of the information, noting aboriginals living on reserves were excluded from the survey data.
Driedger said aboriginals are often in poorer health compared with the general population.
"Their information would change this data significantly and would paint a less rosy picture of the health of Manitobans," Driedger said.
Louis Barre, the province's director of health information management, said it's too expensive for Statistics Canada to do polling on reserves.
Reserve residents were included in parts of the report where surveys were not required, such as life expectancy and chlamydia rates.
Personal care-home residents and full-time members of the Canadian Forces were also excluded from the surveys.
Sale said the information in the report will be used by the province to develop health-care policies.
All provinces, territories and the federal government are reporting on comparable health-care indicators.
Barre said the next report will be issued in two years.
---
UNFLATTERING STATISTICS
Life expectancy at birth:
Man. 81.6 female; 75.7 male
Canada 82.1 female; 77 male
Infant mortality rate:
Man. 4.6% females; 8.5% males
Canada 3.8% females; 5% males
Obesity rate:
Man. 18%
Canada 15%
Heart attack deaths:
Man. 48 per 100,000 people
Canada 52 per 100,000 people
Stroke deaths
Man. 37 per 100,000 people
Canada 34 per 100,000 people
Diabetes rate
Man. 5.5% of people
Canada 4.8% of people
-- Province of Manitoba
www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/News/2004/11/30/740998.html