An online survey conducted on about 2,000 Canadians by the Heart and Stroke Foundation has stated that about 62 per cent had lost at least five pounds in the past five years but the weight bounced back. Seventy per cent of those who were overweight stated that the lost weight had come back and in some cases, even more weight came back.

Heather Hedley, the foundation's Belleville-area manager said, "When we work with the statistics it really starts to get rather scary."

The report added that in Canada, about three million people from 20 to 39 years of age were inactive and 2.5 million were obese.

Dr Marco Di Buono, the foundation's research director said, "We know that within the past 30 years, the prevalence of obesity doubled among those ages 40 to 69 and tripled among those 20 to 39."

Losing weight slowly was the best way to lose weight in a healthy manner and this would keep the weight from bouncing back, the foundation said.