An Econometric Analysis of the Obesity Problem in Canada's Aboriginal Population

Abstract

This paper examines the factors that contribute to a high rate of obesity among Canadian’s Aboriginal population. It compares Aboriginal people to the Canadian population as a whole to help identify the factors that lead to Aboriginal obesity using logit models of the probability of being obese. The data used are from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2012: Annual Component Master File. The population studied is people aged 19 to 70 years old. Econometric analyses are performed to investigate the relationship between Aboriginal obesity and various risk factors. Based on the econometric analysis, I find that genetic differences, socioeconomic status (income and education) and some behavioral factors (smoking patterns, drinking patterns, sleep duration and frequency of exercise) are related to the high prevalence of obesity in the Aboriginal population.