Sask. men fattest in West?

Saskatchewan men are more likely to be obese than men in any other western province, a new study says.

That's what's shown in new "obesity maps" released by the University of British Columbia and published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.

In Saskatchewan, obesity rates for men are 30-34 per cent, which is higher than any province west of Newfoundland, where obesity rates are the highest.

The obesity rate for Saskatchewan women is 25-29 per cent, similar to the rate for Manitoba and a number of other provinces, but higher than Alberta and B.C.

Looking at data for both sexes, Saskatchewan's adult obesity rate still falls in the 25-29 per cent range, putting it in the middle of the pack across Canada.

While Saskatchewan's obesity rates peaked in 2008, generally rates are still climbing across Canada, the UBC researchers say.

Obesity is considered a major public health issue and has been linked to diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses.

The UBC team created obesity mapsusing data spanning 12 years in order to show changes and trends over time.