Health Risk Factors

Topic Box from the Final Benchmark Report

Health Risk Factors

Cancer, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in both Canada and BC. In 2008, they accounted for 30, 21 and six percent of deaths in Canada, respectively. The most prevalent types of cancer in BC are lung, prostate, breast and colorectal, estimated to have accounted for over half (53.7 percent) of all cancer occurrences in the province in 2010. In 2007-2008, nearly four percent of British Columbians reported having heart disease. Cancer, heart disease and stroke share common risk factors – tobacco use, obesity, physical inactivity, poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption – that can be mitigated.

Smoking and Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is the single greatest cause of preventable death and disease in Canada. It is the main cause of lung cancer, which at 26 percent, is the leading cause of cancer deaths in BC. Smoking is also responsible for one-seventh (14.5 percent) of heart disease- and stroke-related deaths in Canada. Heart disease rates are 70 percent higher for smokers than non-smokers.

Over 20 percent of Canadians aged 12 and over (5.7 million Canadians) smoked either daily or occasionally in 2009. BC (16.0) and Ontario (18.6) had the lowest rates in the country.

Obesity and Physical Inactivity

A recent Statistics Canada/National Center for Health Statistics study noted that 24.1 percent of adult Canadians were obese between 2007 and 2009. The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. during that time was over two-fifths higher at 34.4 percent. For men, obesity rates were one-third higher among Americans than Canadians while for women, rates were over 50 percent higher among Americans. Although the prevalence of overweight adults in Canada has not yet reached American levels, it has increased ten percentage points since the early 1990s.

Excess body weight and inactivity are the cause of one-quarter to one-third of all breast, colon, esophagus, kidney and uterine cancers. Overweight individuals are also at higher risk of high blood pressure, high blood lipids and diabetes, in turn increasing their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Half of all Canadians aged 12 and over are physically inactive. The Heart and Stroke Foundation estimates that by becoming physically active, Canadians can reduce their risk of heart attack by 35 to 55 percent. BC had the lowest proportion of overweight adults among the provinces in 2005, although at 31 percent there is considerable room for improvement.

Poor diet & Alcohol Consumption

In 2007, the daily recommended consumption of five servings of fruits and vegetables was not met by 55.2 percent of British Columbians aged 12 and over. It is estimated that diets low in fruits and vegetables have contributed to 13.7 percent of heart attacks globally. In 2004, one in five Canadians' fat consumption exceeded the upper limit of total recommended calories from fat (25 to 35 percent of daily caloric intake).

Excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure, the risk of obesity, some forms of heart disease and stroke. To avoid long-term unhealthy consequences, it is recommended that individuals consume fewer than three alcoholic drinks a day.

Sources: BC Stats; BC Vital Statistics Agency; Canadian Cancer Society; Statistics Canada; International Agency for Research on Cancer; Heart and Stroke Foundation; Health Canada; BC Cancer Agency.