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
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