Obese in Australia.

Australia beats US to title of most obese nation, report finds

Obesity is now the biggest threat to the health of Australians, according to a new study

Paul Larter in Brisbane

in one field Australians are, unexpectedly, leading the way as the heavyweight champions of the world — with arguably a greater proportion of obese citizens than even the notoriously supersized Americans.

A study released yesterday shows that Australia’s obesity epidemic has been considerably underestimated, with almost 60 per cent of the adult population overweight.

Described as the most thorough study of the problem in Australia for a decade, it also shows that 26 per cent of adults, or four million people, are obese. Researchers say that the once mid-ranking nation, in terms of obesity, now weighs in at the top.

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Simon Stewart, who led the research team, said that obesity was the big threat to Australia’s future health, with an estimated nine million people obese or overweight. “That is a million more obese adults than we had thought,” he said.

The study, which comes before a government inquiry into the epidemic, charted the height and weight of 14,000 adult Australians on a single day in 2005. It shows that the middle-aged are the fattest of all, with about seven in ten men and six in ten women aged 45 to 64 now registering a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more — a definition of being overweight.

An over-abundance of food, particularly those high in fat and sugar, and reduced levels of physical activity, are blamed for the expansion in Australian waistlines.

Neighbourhoods near main roads with many fast food chains, poor quality footpaths for exercise, no parks, low price and easy availability of healthy food were the likely reasons to have more overweight people. Some of the areas are Reservoir, Thornbury, Dandenong and Sunshine. On the other hand high-income suburbs with parks and good recreational facilities had less overweight residents. Examples of some are Sandringham, Doncaster and Templestowe. Health promotion activities should focus in these areas of high obesity levels and try to change the environment into a healthier one. This survey also reveals the relationship between individual’s health and urban planning. Food in plenty and lack of exercise among the urban poor leads to obesity. Statistics show that 54% of the men, 38% of the women and 23% of children suffer from obesity hence government should encourage and provide incentives for people to use pavements and cycles instead of traveling by cars. Related medicine news : 1. Lean Protein Could Be Key to Obesity Drugs 2. Obesity raises IVF miscarriage risk 3. Obesity a risk for pancreatic cancer 4. Obesity shortens lifespan 5. Is Obesity a risk factor? 6. Obesity a global problem 7. Obesity increases health costs 8. Obesity in children a risk factor for diabetes 9. Decrease of Hunger Hormone after Obesity Surgery 10. Obesity risk for immobilized adults 11. Obesity risk can be reduced by eating breakfast regularly.

Will thin girls be out of fashion?

Flotation device on backwards?

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Bush telegraph 'ebin tellum me they got lots big fat girls in Australia. I wanna git me a couple for wives. In New Guinea Highlands all wives too skinny and they don't keep me warm. Also maybe they be good eating, when our taro and yams have bad season. signed: Kikuyu Kenny.

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This man seated might live a long time.

Finally some good news for people on the heavier side: those ugly-looking love handles and a double chin can help you live longer.

That's the conclusion of a new study by the Japanese Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, which found that people who are overweight at the age of 40 live longer on average than people with other physiques.

The research, which reached the conclusion after studying the health of about 50,000 people aged 40 or older over a 12-year period, showed that thin people had the shortest life expectancy, on average dying six or seven years earlier than overweight people, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

While studying the volunteers, scientists looked at the past physiques of the participants and how long they lived past the age of 40, and grouped them according to their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how fat a person is.

Cummon! We're late for our appointment at the Life Insurance office.I'm taking out a million dollar policy and you better die soon.

Nobody wants me in Australia!