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Australia's health at a glance: We're fat, depressed and battling cholesterol

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Administrator. Graeme
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AUSTRALIA has been warned of the urgent need to tackle the growing obesity crisis after we ranked as one of the fattest nations in the developed world. The latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation shows Australia has jumped from fifth to fourth fattest nation with 28.3 per cent of the adult population obese.
We are just behind the US (36.5%), Mexico (32.4%) and New Zealand (28.4%).
"Obesity is a leading cause of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Governments need to invest in cost-effective strategies to reverse the obesity epidemic," the organisation says in a new report on health in developed countries.
The OECD's Health at a Glance report shows Australia has the seventh highest life expectancy in the developed world.
Life expectancy at birth now stands at 82 years in Australia; almost 2 years above the average life expectancy of the 34 OECD countries.
We are in the top five countries for survival after a cancer diagnosis or a heart attack, proof of our high quality health system.
The could be because our use of cholesterol busting drugs is the highest in the world with 137 in every 1,000 people using them.


Australia's health at a glance: We're fat, depressed and battling cholesterol | News.com.au
 
How many of those that live beyond 70 are a helpless burden to their familis rather than useful members of society?
 
In no period of history have we been so concerned about the subject of diet and nutrition
Yet if we accept the premise that what we eat determines our health, then we must add the observation that in no period of our history have we eaten so poorly.

Is this a coreect statement?

If so, what is it, we are doing wrong?
 
The "western" style of diet is the cause of a huge percentage of our current lifestyle diseases, take a look at the 7 countries study, lyon heart study, nurses health study etc. that look at huge portions of varying populations over long periods of time.
 
I think its the quantity that's the issue. We're a country with a high availability of food and calories and we basically consume whatever is put in front of us.
 
People blame the western diet. I would say its more because food is readily available here and people do minimal physical activity.

Eat a bit less, move more, don't be so fat and watch most of the problems go away.
 
it should not be that hard to stay in shape with a bit of common sense; more exercise and generally eat healthy.

Most fatties I know are very good at eating high-density food which virtually everyone knows is not good for you, say chocolates and chips.

Having said that, I have to monitor my calorie intake to keep in shape, and I exercise quite a bit for someone with a sedentary occupation. Now I only need 3000 calories a day to gain weight slowly as have lost half a kilo per week on 2500 for past 8 weeks.

When a labourer, my natural food intake left me struggling to put on weight. Probably needed 4000-4500 just to maintain weight.
 
Ive started tracking my activity and found I'm losing weight eating the same foods I was on what I'd normally call maintenance, and all Im doing is "not sitting down" except lunch and dinner.
I believe we have become a sedentary nation and don't think too much into food prep.
 
I believe we have become a sedentary nation and don't think too much into food prep.

Agree. I downloaded a pedometer app for my iphone. Now farming isn't even anywhere near as physical as it used to be anymore but I am usually up around 30,000 steps every day, not including any extra exercise I do.

My missus did a pedometer challenge at work and some of the office girls were lucky to get 1000 steps a day. No surprise they are fat.

These same fatties say how lucky I am to have a fast metabolism. Luck has nothing to do with it.

People are pegging the blame on diets and certain foods but I would guess a huge part of it is we don't do the amount of activity we used to.
 
again, it is common sense: appropriate balance between exercise and diet.

I have seen plenty of fat labourers who pride themselves on proving their manhood by scoffing down burger after burger or pie after pie, not to mention their obligatory great levels of nightly drinking. Beauty Norm.
 
again, it is common sense: appropriate balance between exercise and diet.

I have seen plenty of fat labourers who pride themselves on proving their manhood by scoffing down burger after burger or pie after pie, not to mention their obligatory great levels of nightly drinking. Beauty Norm.

That's the other side of it. If you have a reasonable appetite with the availability of food it pretty easy to down a few thousand calories over maintenance. Then people blame the foods.

Is the pie and burger at blame or is it the fact the bloke downs 3 pies and 3 burgers every day.

Also like I said physical jobs these days are no where as physical as they used to be. For example we are carting in hay at the moment. In my dads day it was all small square bales loaded and stacked by hand. Brutal work. These days you sit on your arse in an air con tractor lifting 1 ton+ of hay at a time. Then get annoyed when you have to get off the tractor to open a gate.
 
yes, nothing wrong with a good pie or burger, but plenty wrong with gluttony.

I agree with what you generally say with all food, nothing wrong with virtually any of them.

I eat small doses of chocolate and ice cream every day, and consistently lose weight.
 
Some interesting discussion here. Technology marches on, as does time, for a never ending pursuit to make things better, make life easier, tasks more convenient.

It's vital for society that we have this continual pursuit, but the impact to the human body becomes more and more detrimental.

First world countries prosper socially, but physiologically they're regressing. Governments try and educate their ppl about the problem, but not enough are getting the message.
 
yes that is a good point.

we have more info out there, more info that is easily available say through the internet and even various tv health shows, yet we become fatter and fatter.

Sad really, as best things in life are often free and good health outcomes from exercise available to all, like going for regular walks in our beautiful country. I see all these expensive bike paths and walkways, but few are ever on them.

But now even many kids are consumed by internet games and so on, whereas we (as kids) were mostly on streets riding our bikes as kids.

I have a four year old (nearly five), and we just merely try and promote a balance. Fortunately she is quite lean (maybe too much), and she even asks for water at McDonalds (on our rare visits when she wants a toy).
 
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How long till those 2 wheel Segway things start to become more and more mainstream? Aren't the QLD cops using them? Just a matter of time till they take off and help worsen obesity problems.
 
yes good point. sometimes the supposed novel innovation brings more problems than benefits.

Humans are animals, and like all, need to exercise.

Yes, and I have long been amused by fat cops, they should have to pass a fitness test each year, or move to sedentary duties, albeit our's seem a lot fitter than those on COPS.
 
Lets see if some of the proposed changes to the health care laws make it through.

Some of them supposedly include allowing lowered premiums for fit healthy people, allowing health funds to direct members to preventative activities i.e fitness or gym course

But I don't like the government's idea of trying to copy the US system and making private insurance employer based.

Other problem with US system is over 30% of their population don't get access to health care
 
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