Obesity, overweight and ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES This article describes the prevalence of self-reported overweight and obesity, based on body mass index (BMI), by ethnicity and examines the influence of time since immigration within and between ethnic groups. DATA SOURCES Results are based on data from two cycles of Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey, conducted in 2000/01 and 2003. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES Weighted prevalences of overweight (BMI > or =25) and obesity (BMI > or =30) were calculated by sex and ethnicity for the population aged 20 to 64. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine associations between overweight/obesity and ethnicity, and within and between ethnic groups based on time since immigration, controlling for age, household income, education and physical activity. MAIN RESULTS Aboriginal men and women had the highest prevalences of overweight and obesity; East/Southeast Asians, the lowest. Independent of age, household income, education and physical activity, Aboriginal people had elevated odds of overweight and obesity, compared with Whites; South Asians and East/Southeast Asians had significantly lower odds. Recent immigrants (10 years or less) had significantly lower prevalences of overweight, compared with non-immigrants, but this difference tended to disappear over time.