We need an Anti-Obesity Program for all Australians
Dr Glasson said obesity in Australia is a national emergency that requires a whole of government approach to the issue.
"We have to get Aussie kids and adults - all of us - eating properly," Dr Glasson said.
"Just as importantly, we have to get everyone off their bums and doing some exercise.
"We need a campaign that encourages a healthy combination of proper diet and exercise.
"At the moment, too many Australians have too much energy going in to their bodies by not eating all the right foods, and not enough energy being used up through walking, running, riding a bike, sport or going to the gym.
"The excess calories are piling up and too many Australians are getting bigger in all the wrong places.
"Worse, many of our kids are being consigned to a life of being overweight, and this will translate to other more complex health problems as they get older.
"As parents and as a community, we must set a better example and show some leadership.
"We need Government policies and programs that encourage and recommend good eating and proper exercise.
"We also need to remove the temptations of an unbalanced poor diet and activity from vulnerable eyes and ears and stomachs.
"The AMA supports the ALP policy to ban junk food advertising in prime children's TV viewing time, but much more needs to be done for our kids' long term health and to steer our adults away from sedentary lifestyles.
"There is enough scientific evidence showing that bombarding our children with advertising increases their consumption of junk foods and is likely to be contributing to childhood obesity.
"The incidence of childhood and adolescent obesity has trebled over the last decade, and many of these children progress into adult obesity.
"Currently, 56 per cent of Australian adults and 27 per of Australian children are overweight or obese.
"The burden that this is placing on our health system is going to be huge.
"The pressures on the health of young bodies and minds is even greater," Dr Glasson said.
New disorders presenting in obese adolescents include:
• type 2 diabetes
• hypertension
• hyperlipidaemia
• fatty liver
• sleep apnoea
• asthma
• orthopaedic complications including postural imbalance and excessive weight bearing
• and poorer psychosocial functioning and reduced self-esteem levels.
Dr Glasson said banning food advertising is only one of many approaches needed in the prevention and treatment of obesity.
"We live in what the experts call an "obesogenic" environment that conspires to make us all gain weight.
"We live in an environment that discourages physical activity and our food supply has gone from low energy, high fibre to one dominated by refined sugars and fat."
A recent article in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) detailed the factors contributing to the rising levels of overweight and obesity, which include:
• Changes in family structures and dynamics, and playtime with children
• Growth of labour-saving devices and decline in incidental exercise
• Increased use of cars, decreasing active travel and use of public transport
• Concerns about road safety, reducing cycling and walking
• Attractiveness of television, videos and computer games
• Decrease in physical activity education and opportunities in schools
• Concerns about personal security, resulting in home-based activities
• Less physically active occupations because of automation
• Changing patterns of family eating and activity
• Decline in cooking skills for healthy eating in shools and homes
• Agricultural subsidies and other incentives for high energy products
• Poor quality and high prices of vegetables and fruit in some areas
• Lower prices for processed food of much greater energy density
• Lack of time for cooking because of competing work and social priorities
• Greater availability of high-energy convenience foods, takeaways, and soft drinks
• Increased food serving sizes and price incentives to eat more
• Misleading or inadequate food labelling and consumer information, and
• Heavy marketing of high-energy foods, drinks and take-aways.
Dr Glasson said the Government and the Opposition should take these issues on board in the development of broad anti-obesity policies and programs to get Australians fitter and healthier.
"Overweight and obese people need support, acceptance, and encouragement from the community," Dr Glasson said.
"People need to be respected regardless of their weight and we should focus on their individual health and positive qualities, not their weight, but we have to assist them to get interested in better diet and exercise regimes.
"A good start would be promoting 'nutritional literacy', especially in schools.
"We need to teach people all about the recommended calorie intake for their body type and age, and how much energy they expend during the day doing their activities.
"We need warning labels on food products that are excessively high in fat or sugar.
"We need to regulate food advertising, such as restricting or banning television advertisements for foods during children's viewing time, and it's good to see initiatives already announced in this area.
"We also need the 'vision thing' and start looking at how we plan our communities.
"For instance, our urban environments should be designed so that we can restore exercise to our daily routines
"Let's look at developing high and medium density housing along transport corridors so that public transport becomes the focus of our urban transport systems.
"More trails and paths would encourage walking, jogging and cycling within our cities.
"Other initiatives worth considering include:
• banning the selling of high fat and high sugar snack foods and drinks in all schools.
• providing subsidised nutritious meal at all schools
• mandating that all school children undertake at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week
• ensuring that all school curricula include units on nutrition and practical cooking.
• tax breaks for businesses that provide health promoting environments
• making gym membership or sports participation fees tax deductible.
"The important thing is that in developing anti-obesity programs for all Australians the Government rule everything in before ruling anything out.
"Obesity will take lives and destroy the quality of life for the next generation of Australians if we do not act now.
"There can be no more important policy for Government than the health of all Australians," Dr Glasson said.
CONTACT:
John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761
Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306
Australian Medical Association
Avem nevoie de un anti-Obezitatea Program pentru toate australieni - We need an Anti-Obesity Program for all Australians - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate