HEALTH AND WELLNESS

What are our biggest health challenges?

Most Torontonians report very good or excellent physical health, but obesity and diabetes rates are growing:

> 70.5% of all Torontonians report very good or excellent physical health.

> Less than half (46.1%) of Torontonians 12 and over report being at least moderately active during their leisure time.

> 50.7% of adults report being overweight or obese, up from 46.2% in 2013.

> The youth (12-17 yrs. old) obesity rate is greater in Toronto (27.0%) than nationally (23.1%) and provincially (23.3%).

> Self-reported diabetes rates have increased by almost 43% since 2003.

> 7% of Toronto’s population 12 yrs. old and over has been diagnosed with diabetes (up from 4.9% in 2003).

Most Torontonians believe their mental health is good, but almost a quarter of the population experiences high levels of stress:

> 7 in 10 Torontonians say they are in very good or excellent mental health.

> 70.9% of youth (12-19 yrs. old) perceive their mental health as being very good or excellent, a decrease from 77.3% in 2003 and lower than national (73.9%) and provincial (72.3%) averages.

> 22.8% of the population 15 yrs. old and over report that most days are quite a bit or extremely stressful.

> 262 people took their own lives in 2013 in Toronto. That’s more than 4 times the number of homicides, and 4 times the number of road user fatalities.

How do inequities impact health and wellbeing?

Lower-income Torontonians have poorer health:

> Health status indicators show significant inequities. When the health status of the lowest-income group is compared to that of the highest-income group: • men are 50% more likely to die before age 75, • women are 85% more likely to have diabetes, • babies are 40% more likely to be born at a low weight.