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Measured adult body mass index (BMI), by age group and sex, household population aged 18 and over excluding pregnant females, Canada, 2005


                                      Measured adult body mass index
  Total Underweight, BMI under 18.50 Normal weight, BMI 18.50 to 24.99 Overweight, BMI 25.00 to 29.99
   number % number % number %
Total, 18 years and over 24,244,962 421,827 1.7 9,420,360 38.9 8,459,582 34.9
Males 12,054,200 121,817 E 1.0 E 3,879,933 32.2 4,954,748 41.1
Females 12,190,762 300,010 E 2.5 E 5,540,427 45.4 3,504,834 28.7
18 to 34 years 6,979,396 240,968 E 3.5 E 3,925,073 56.2 1,902,158 27.3
Males 3,582,003 F F 1,835,534 51.2 1,238,553 34.6
Females 3,397,393 185,069 E 5.4 E 2,089,539 61.5 663,604 19.5
18 to 24 years 3,076,625 167,335 E 5.4 E 1,956,603 63.6 703,966 22.9
Males 1,659,860 F F 1,038,069 62.5 466,121 E 28.1 E
Females 1,416,765 120,636 E 8.5 E 918,534 64.8 237,846 E 16.8 E
18 to 19 years 956,867 F F 602,446 63.0 241,611 E 25.3 E
Males 575,335 F F 352,418 E 61.3 179,365 E 31.2 E
Females 381,533 E F F 250,028 E 65.5 F F
20 to 24 years 2,119,757 118,365 E 5.6 E 1,354,156 63.9 462,356 E 21.8
Males 1,084,525 F F 685,650 63.2 286,755 E 26.4 E
Females 1,035,232 F F 668,506 64.6 175,601 E 17.0 E
25 to 34 years 3,902,771 73,633 E 1.9 E 1,968,471 50.4 1,198,191 30.7
Males 1,922,143 F F 797,466 41.5 772,433 40.2
Females 1,980,628 64,433 E 3.3 E 1,171,005 59.1 425,759 21.5
35 to 44 years 5,075,993 F F 2,207,978 43.5 1,517,726 29.9
Males 2,615,029 F F 906,519 34.7 986,602 37.7
Females 2,460,963 F F 1,301,459 52.9 531,124 21.6
45 to 64 years 8,265,669 F F 2,154,644 26.1 3,445,597 41.7
Males 4,111,572 F F 719,321 17.5 1,958,855 47.6
Females 4,154,098 F F 1,435,323 34.6 1,486,742 35.8
45 to 54 years 4,570,393 F F 1,320,744 28.9 1,833,696 40.1
Males 2,122,550 F F 453,633 E 21.4 996,572 47.0
Females 2,447,844 F F 867,111 35.4 837,123 34.2
55 to 64 years 3,695,276 F F 833,900 22.6 1,611,902 43.6
Males 1,989,022 F F 265,688 13.4 962,283 48.4
Females 1,706,254 F F 568,211 E 33.3 649,619 38.1
65 years and over 3,923,904 48,088 E 1.2 E 1,132,664 28.9 1,594,101 40.6
Males 1,745,596 F F 418,558 24.0 770,738 44.2
Females 2,178,308 F F 714,107 32.8 823,363 37.8
65 to 74 years 2,239,326 F F 560,672 25.0 882,297 39.4
Males 1,197,252 F F 236,935 E 19.8 E 512,893 42.8
Females 1,042,074 F F 323,737 31.1 369,404 35.4
75 years and over 1,684,577 F F 571,993 34.0 711,803 42.3
Males 548,343 F F 181,623 E 33.1 257,845 47.0
Females 1,136,234 F F 390,369 34.4 453,959 40.0

1. Canada estimates are based on sub-sample weights.
2. Body mass index (BMI) is a method of classifying body weight according to health risk. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Canada guidelines, health risk levels are associated with each of the following BMI categories: normal weight = least health risk; underweight and overweight = increased health risk; obese, class I = high health risk; obese, class II = very high health risk; obese, class III = extremely high health risk.
3. Body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing the respondent's body weight (in kilograms) by their height (in metres) squared.
4. A definition change was implemented in 2004 to conform with World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Canada guidelines for body weight classification. The index is calculated for the population aged 18 and over, excluding pregnant females and persons less than 3 feet (0.914 metres) tall or greater than 6 feet 11 inches (2.108 metres).
5. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Canada guidelines, the index for body weight classification is: less than 18.50 (underweight); 18.50 to 24.99 (normal weight); 25.00 to 29.99 (overweight); 30.00 to 34.99 (obese, class I); 35.00 to 39.99 (obese, class II); 40.00 or greater (obese, class III).
6. When comparing estimates, it is important to use confidence intervals to determine if differences between values are statistically significant. Confidence intervals describe sampling variability and give an indication of the precision of a given estimate.
7. Bootstrapping techniques were used to produce the coefficient of variation (CV) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
8. Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) from 16.6% to 33.3% are identified as follows: (E) use with caution.
9. Data with a coefficient of variation (CV) greater than 33.3% were suppressed due to extreme sampling variability and are identified as follows: (F) too unreliable to be published.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 3.1), 2005 (CANSIM table 105-0407).