They're enjoying our lifestyle...and they're "embracing a western diet...on their way to developing chronic health problems within five years of their arrival."

This from a recent study from the University of Saskatchewan that took a look at 300 immigrant and refugee children in Saskatoon and Regina.  They found many have poor diets and sedentary lifestyles.

The researchers point out the health of young newcomers is "an important economic and social consideration for the long term."

The concern for these people is that they'll grow up overweight and have to deal with issues like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

One researcher said while "an apple costs about the same as a soft drink and a bag of chips...a child is still hungry after eating an apple," and that's why some parents choose to feed their kids high-fat and high-sugar foods.

The conclusion?  Our public health and social services systems need "to consider social factors...in designing and delivering culturally sensitive screening and health promotion programs to prevent chronic health issues among new Canadians."