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Nearly half of Saskatchewan adults are obese — a significant jump from a decade ago, and far above the Canadian average.

According to data released this week from Statistics Canada’s community health survey, 45.9 per cent of Saskatchewan residents had body mass indexes (BMIs) greater than 30 in 2015. That’s an increase from 30.8 per cent since 2004.

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Across Canada, 26.7 per cent of the population included in the community health survey in 2015 were obese, up from 23.1 per cent 11 years earlier.

Saskatchewan was followed by Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island as the provinces with the highest obesity rates (at 45.9, 38.9 and 36.7 per cent respectively). British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario had the lowest rates (at 21.4, 23.1 and 25.9 per cent respectively).

Saskatchewan also leads the country in child and youth obesity. Nearly one in five young people aged five to 17 — 19.1 per cent of them — were obese in 2015, up from 14.2 per cent in 2004. Canada-wide, 12 per cent of children and youth were obese, down from 13.3 per cent.