Photographer : Zen Sutherland
What is the issue?
You may have heard that people are getting bigger but do you believe it? Well, the fact is that yes, our bodies are bloating. There is now an estimated 400 million obese people in the world. The problem with obesity is that it is a ticking time bomb of chronic diseases. Obese people, young and old, are at risk of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke and even certain forms of cancer. The health consequences are massive. A person’s quality of life can be reduced and there is even an increased risk of an early death.
How can you tell if someone is overweight or obese?
You are overweight or obese if you have excess body fat. This means you have a bit too much pudge. You can determine if you are fat or not by using an easy calculation called the Body Mass Index, or BMI.
BMI = weight (kg) / height (m) x height (m)
For example: 70 kg/ 1.75m x 1.75m = 22 which is a perfectly healthy BMI.
If your BMI is between 25 and 30 you may be overweight. A BMI over 30 is usually considered obese.
Who is getting bigger and where in the world are they?
Obesity can affect people of all ages, races and in any part of the world. However, evidence shows is that the risk of obesity has links with socioeconomic status. In developed countries (like Australia), those on the lower end of the income scale are more likely to be obese or overweight. On the other hand, in developing nations, those of higher socioeconomic status are at greater risk of becoming obese.
Here are some stats on obesity and overweight in Australia:
- Overweight and obesity affects over half the Australian population
- If you are an obese Australian at age 20, you are likely to lose at least 4 years from your life expectancy
- 25% of Australian children and adolescents are overweight
- More than 100, 000 people will die from cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years as a result of being overweight
- In 2005, overweight and obesity cost Australian society and the government $21 billion
Top three supersized developed nations
- United States—32.2% obese / 66.3% obese or overweight
- United Kingdom—23% obese / 60% obese or overweight
- Australia—21.7% obese / 58.4% obese or overweight
Stats from OECD, 2005
Why is it happening?
A person’s age, sex and genes, psychological makeup and environmental factors may all lead to putting on those few extra kilos. However, the increasing rate of obesity around the world reflects changes in society and people’s behaviour.
Generally, people are eating more and more crap food and exercising less. They are chowing down on fatty and sugary foods and combining this with little, if any, exercise. This imbalance of calories in and out of the body can result in obesity because the person is consuming more calories then he or she is burning.
There are also social factors that may prevent people from having an active lifestyle or eating well, such as working longer hours or not being able to afford or have access to healthy foods. There may also be psychological reasons as to why a person consumes excessive amounts of food such as boredom, depression and anger.
What’s being done?
The dramatic statistics on the obesity epidemic in Australia has made government intervention inevitable and necessary. The most recent initiative has been the Rudd government’s $30 million ‘Measure Up’ campaign, which launched in October 2008. TV and print advertisements encourage people to measure their waists to check whether they are at risk of being overweight or obese. Special tape measures have been made with red and green coloured sections to get the message through even clearer: “green for lean, red for spread”. Waist measurements over 80cm for women and 94cm for men could mean a greater risk of chronic disease.
The campaign is designed to help people come to grips with their lifestyle choices and risks, and to encourage them to take control of their health, before it’s too late.
This page was updated by kate elise
Affected by this issue yourself or know someone who is? Check out our sister site http://www.reachout.com.au/
How do I know this?
‘Australia Measures Up – national obesity campaign’,
Department of Health and Ageing, 17 October 2008,
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr08-nr-nr137.htm
Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity,
http://www.asso.org.au
Brennan, L 2004, Improving body composition and function in overweight adolescents,
http://www.rmit.edu.au
Healey, J (ed.) 2004, 'Issues in Society', Overweight and Obesity, vol. 201.
International Obesity Task Force,
http://www.iotf.org
NSW Department of Health 2003, Prevention of obesity in children and young people—NSW Government Action Plan,
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/obesity/adult/gap/Obe...
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2003, OECD health data,
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/20/2789777.pdf
‘Report Puts Local Focus On Obesity Problem, Australia’, Medical News Today, 5 March 2008
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99415.php
Rodgers, Emma, ‘Obesity Figures Staggering: Roxon’, ABC News, 20 June 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/20/2280723.htm
Ruppel Shell, E 2001, Fat wars—the inside story of the obesity industry, Atlantic Books, London.
World Health Organisation 2003, Obesity and overweight,
http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/gs_obesity.pdf
