Anglophone culture, Francophone culture, family behaviours, and childhood obesity in Sudbury, Ontario

Abstract

In general, Francophones in Ontario are more likely than their Anglophone counterparts to suffer from overweight and obesity. It has also been established that Francophones, Canada-wide, eat fewer daily servings of fruits and vegetables than Anglophones and tend to consume more kilocalories from fat (Batal et al., 2013). Despite these trends, comparative investigations amongst Francophone and Anglophone children in Ontario have not been completed. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review will be to investigate research evidence regarding Francophone children in Ontario and whether they are more likely or less likely to suffer from overweight or obesity than Anglophone children in Ontario. In addition, we will examine research on cultural factors that may be different between the two linguistic groups and which may contribute to the prevalence of obesity. This literature review will present an overview of childhood obesity in Northern Ontario and Francophone and Anglophone culture as well as identify the gaps within the literature for that require further research attention.

Keywords

• culture
• childhood obesity
• sudbury