We’re fat, but we might not know it yet.

A recent study released by Statistics Canada shows adults are getting fatter as they age.

The Canadian Community Health Survey was done last year, surveying four million people aged 18 and older.

Participants were asked to self-report their height and weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI) numbers were used to determine if people were overweight or obese. A BMI reading between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

The final results were posted, but participants weren’t advised which category they were in.

In Ontario, 33 per cent of participants were overweight, and only 16 per cent were obese.

Of those numbers, men were more likely to tip the scales – especially in the 25 to 44 age group – while women in that age category were in better shape.

As a general rule, adults aged 45 to 64 were the ones most likely to be obese.

A word of caution came with the survey, saying people usually claim to be taller and skinnier than they are. That means the results likely underestimate how heavy society has become.

Locally, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit showed that 32 per cent of the population over age 18 was overweight, and 21 per cent was obese.

Results from the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) showed that 31 per cent of residents are overweight, and 20 per cent are obese.

The study also linked obesity with the amount of time spent watching television or sitting in front of the computer.

To see results of the survey, click the link provided and click on the link for The Daily report for June 18.

E-mail reporter Janis Ramsay at jramsay@simcoe.com