Hundreds of thousands of Australians will die unnecessarily over the next few years simply for being too fat. Obesity has become the single biggest threat to public health in this country of 22 million. Obesity causes serious comorbidities, shortens life expectancy, reduces quality of life, and increases health care costs. An effective solution that is broadly acceptable is clearly needed. It is predicted that overweight and obesity levels in Australia will continue to rise significantly in the next decade. These increases are expected to occur across all age groups and affect approximately two-thirds of the population.
Obesity is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Around the world, levels of childhood obesity have been rising for a number of reasons including the fact that children are eating more foods that are high in fat and sugars and spending less time on physical activity. We face a major problem with obesity, that it is due to a raft of causes that funnel down to eating too much and moving too little, and that this is not a problem to hand to the churches (because being fat is due to lack of character and self-discipline) or the schools (because it is an educational problem) or the parents (because they don’t switch off the TV enough and aren’t at home enough to supervise afternoon snacking and computer games). This is not a blame game.
Overweight and obesity in children is a major health concern. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing both short and long-term health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Obesity not only has significant health and social impacts, but also considerable economic impacts. In 2008, the total annual cost of obesity for both children and adults in Australia, including health system costs, productivity and carers costs, was estimated to be around $58 billion.
Obesity is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Around the world, levels of childhood obesity have been rising for a number of reasons including the fact that children are eating more foods that are high in fat and sugars and spending less time on physical activity. We face a major problem with obesity, that it is due to a raft of causes that funnel down to eating too much and moving too little, and that this is not a problem to hand to the churches (because being fat is due to lack of character and self-discipline) or the schools (because it is an educational problem) or the parents (because they don’t switch off the TV enough and aren’t at home enough to supervise afternoon snacking and computer games). This is not a blame game.
Overweight and obesity in children is a major health concern. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing both short and long-term health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Obesity not only has significant health and social impacts, but also considerable economic impacts. In 2008, the total annual cost of obesity for both children and adults in Australia, including health system costs, productivity and carers costs, was estimated to be around $58 billion.