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 300 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.
Note: some people, like weightlifters, have a BMI of 25 and over due to their bulky biceps. They are not considered overweight/obese because they are carrying extra muscle not extra fat.
Who is getting bigger and where in the world are they?Obesity can affect anyone—it does not discriminate. Australia has
the third-highest rate of obesity in the developed world, with 20.8% of the population affected. More facts about obesity in Australia include:
- In 2005 Research indicates that 20 to 25% of Australian children and young people are overweight or obese.
- Around 80% of these obese young people become obese adults.
- Since the 1980s the amount of overweight and obese Australian children has more than doubled.
- It is estimated that at least 60% of Australians aged 18 years and over will be overweight or obese by 2010, this will increase to 65% by 2020.
Supersized developed nations
- United States—30.9% obese
- United Kingdom—22% obese
- Australia—20.8% obese
Stats from OECD, 2003
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.
Globesity—the term for the global obesity epidemic.
How do I know this?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.orgNSW 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.pdfRuppel 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.pdfAffected by this issue yourself or know someone who is? Check out our sister site http://www.reachout.com.au/ 
