The speed at which Canadians are becoming obese and overweight suggests that everyday environments and routine modern behaviours may be to blame, says a new study from Statistics Canada.

Between 1981 and 1996, the prevalence of combined obese and overweight people in Canada jumped from 48 per cent to 57 per cent among men and from 30 per cent to 35 per cent in woman. Rates jumped in all provinces across Canada.

The study, "Body mass index in urban Canada 2001," explored links between body mass index for adults and certain individual characteristics like income level, diet patterns and stress, immigrant status and the characteristics of the neighbourhoods and cities where people live.

Based on data from the 2001 Census and Statistics Canada's 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey, the study found a strong correlation between body mass index and social position.  

Researchers also found that urban environments in Canada played a small but significant role in shaping the distribution of body mass index.

Neighbourhoods and metropolitan area environments showed small incremental effects on body mass index for both males and females.

In general, men and women living in a neighbourhood with residents of low educational attainment had significantly higher body mass index -- regardless of how educated people were on an individual level.

The findings may reflect normal practices related to diet and exercise in the specific neighbourhoods, the study says, but it could also be related to issues of neighbourhood safety, availability and quality of recreational opportunities.

For body mass increases in men, living in a sprawling metropolitan area had more of an incremental influence than individual and neighbourhood characteristics.

Similar findings linking urban sprawl to overweight and obesity have been found in the U.S. but this is the first such reported in Canada.

Body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. For adults, a BMI of 25 or more indicates an overweight person, while 30 or more is considered obese.