VANCOUVER - Obesity rates among Canadian adults surged 200 percent from 1985 to 2011, according to a study released Monday by Canadian Memorial University.

The university's L.K. Twells analyzed national and provincial data based on a number of Canadian health surveys conducted during that period.

The finding, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, predicted more than a fifth of Canadian adults would be obese by 2019.

More alarming was the assertion by Twells and his team that health data might underestimate the problem. They said information on heights and weights collected by health surveys was provided by the individuals surveyed. But people tended to underreport and, therefore, the prediction of Canadians' body mass index was likely an underestimation.

The study also shows Newfoundland, Labrador and New Brunswick had the highest rates of obesity in Canada, while the country's western provinces reported lower rates.

Obesity can easily cause health problem such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer.