Report: Immigrants losing ground in Canada

OTTAWA, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Canadians are getting fatter and immigrant families are falling behind financially, said a report on the quality of life in Canada.

The obesity rate rose to 16 percent in 2007 from 12 percent in 1996, said the annual report released Tuesday by the Community Foundations of Canada.

The median incomes of non-immigrant Canadian families rose more than 5 percent from 2000 to 2005, while the incomes of immigrant families dropped 1 percent and the incomes of recent immigrants -- those in Canada less than five years -- fell more than 3 percent, the group said in a release.

Child poverty in Canada remained at virtually the same level as in 1989 Canadian leaders vowed to eliminate child poverty by 2000, the group said.

On a positive note, more Canadians are finishing high school, the group said, noting the high school dropout rate had decreased from 38 percent in 1990 to 22 percent in 2007.