There’s much good news nowadays where modern health issues are concerned.
Stories abound about medical advancements – bionic replacement parts for pretty much every thing that can break down in the human body – but, generally speaking, humans are getting fatter and lazier.
We’re spending more time in front of our computers and fiddling with our smartphones than we are in the great outdoors. We’re often quick to get a gym membership – but we fall off the treadmill just as quickly.
So we were overjoyed to see that a new health survey has found that Burnaby has lower levels of obesity, smoking and binge drinking when compared to other municipalities in the Fraser Health Region.
Yes, comparisons are often deceptive, but we’ll take any news that’s positive where our health is concerned.
The survey (see full story here) asked roughly 33,000 respondents from across Metro Vancouver questions about their healthy behaviours. Among Burnaby participants, 19 per cent reported a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater, eight per cent lower than the average.
And, surprisingly, only nine per cent of those who responded said they smoke either daily or once in awhile. Now, 15 per cent did say they binge drink at least once a month – which, depending on your views on alcohol consumption, can seem either really low or really high.
And, not surprisingly, nobody eats enough fruits and veggies. Less than one in four respondents reported eating five or more servings of fruits or vegetables a day.
What was really fascinating – although not a specific health kind of question – was how many people felt “connected to their community” in Burnaby. According to the survey, 49 per cent of Burnaby participants felt they had a solid connection to their community. Perhaps it’s because Burnaby has a large immigrant population, or perhaps it’s because Burnaby, given its proximity to Vancouver, doesn’t have a strong self-identity. While some might see 49 per cent as a low number, we actually think that could be viewed as a positive.
As with all surveys, looking at results without context and more analysis is really just a shot in the dark. But what we do know is that there’s always room for improvement.
So, grab a banana and go for a long walk around Deer Lake. And don’t go to the pub afterwards.
