HALIFAX - Canadian Forces personnel are getting fatter, more sedentary in their work, less physically active and becoming heavier drinkers, according to a new military study.

The Health and Lifestyle Information Survey also found that members are still reluctant to seek out mental health care services for fear that it will hurt their military careers, despite several new Defence initiatives to reduce stigma about the afflictions.

The document, which surveyed about 3,700 full-time force members for the 2008-2009 period, found there was a three per cent increase in the number of obese people in the Forces since 2004, even with a renewed push on fitness promotion.

"A statistically significant increase in the overall proportion of CF personnel categorized as obese was observed," the survey states.

Almost 29 per cent were of normal weight, while 48 per cent were overweight and 23.5 per cent were deemed obese.

The survey, which was recently posted on the National Defence website, doesn't offer explanations about the numbers but suggests that inadequate physical fitness, poor diets and sedentary jobs are to blame.

Obese members were also less likely to be able to deploy on missions because of their health, the survey said.

A Defence spokeswoman said no one from the department would be immediately available to comment on the findings.

The voluntary, anonymous mail-out survey also found that the number of people who were physically inactive went up four percentage points to 31 per cent, despite a rise in the availability of fitness classes on bases and satellite gyms across the country. And 80 per cent of Forces members had "very sedentary" jobs, the survey said.

The figures come years after the military redoubled efforts to improve the physical fitness and overall health of its members.

Gen. Rick Hillier, former chief of the defence staff, launched a fitness and healthy eating campaign in December 2005 to build a strong fitness culture in the Forces and to do baseline testing of every member.

Still, in 2007 more than 1,000 military members flunked the first national physical fitness test the Canadian Forces had done in a decade.

Shortly after he took over as chief of defence staff, Gen. Walt Natynczyk introduced a new fitness and healthy eating program "designed to strengthen the Canadian Forces' culture of health and physical fitness," according to the Defence website.

Another finding is that almost half of the respondents had more than two standard alcoholic drinks a day -- above the so-called "low-risk" drinking guidelines set by the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

The heaviest drinkers were males between the age of 18 to 29, the survey found.

Almost six per cent reported driving a vehicle when they had had too much to drink, a figure almost half of the rate for the general Canadian population, the survey said.

The survey differed than previous ones in 2004 and 2000 in that it looked at the impact, if any, overseas deployments had on the lifestyle and health of members.

It found that deployment in the two years prior to the survey had little effect on a member's general health.

Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, often associated with combat and overseas missions, were not significantly different between those who had deployed and those who hadn't.

And while the majority said they felt there were no barriers to receiving mental health care, 11 per cent reported they needed it but didn't receive it.

Of those, the bulk said they feared their unit or supervisor would find out, and that it could affect their career. Others said they couldn't get help because they were training or deploying, while the majority said they wanted to manage it themselves.

Almost 35 per cent felt that seeking mental health care through the Forces would affect their career.

"The fear of negative career impact may relate to the perception that supervisors could treat a subordinate unfairly due to negative beliefs about those who are mentally ill," the survey said.

"There is a real possibility of mental illness affecting one's military career through limiting deployments and, if severe enough, medical release."

The survey also found that 15 per cent of personnel had experienced some form of abuse in their current relationship, with men reporting that they were on the receiving end more often than women.

The intent of the survey, which was commissioned by the Forces, is to help the military identify programs that it may need to improve physical and mental health.