Our Expanding Waistlines

Our Expanding Waistlines

As Australians we like to think of ourselves as fit and healthy, beach living creatures.  But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  We are stacking on weight at an unprecedented weight.By 2025 the number of obese Australians will overtake the number of healthy weight Australians, according to a new study by Monash University.  […]

By Katrina RoeThursday 3 Feb 2011Hope MorningsHealth and WellbeingReading Time: 1 minute

As Australians we like to think of ourselves as fit and healthy, beach living creatures.  But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  We are stacking on weight at an unprecedented weight.

By 2025 the number of obese Australians will overtake the number of healthy weight Australians, according to a new study by Monash University.  One of the study co-authors, Dr Helen Walls, says that by 2025 only 28% of Australians will be a healthy weight and 34% will be obese, while the number of overweight people will remain steady at about 38%.
 
Dr Walls says its not too late to reverese this trend but she says it would need to come about through government regulation.  Just as the government has taken measures you reduce smoking and improve the nation’s health, they now need to focus serious efforts on tackling the obesity epidemic. 
 
Listen Now – Dr Helen Walls told Katrina Roe that simply relying on individuals to change their behaviour isn’t working