Obesity is a national health crisis, Government needs to act

AMA (NSW) President, Prof Brad Frankum, is today challenging federal politicians to take a stand on overweight and obesity and begin work on a national prevention plan.

“Today’s report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that even in the slimmest part of the country, more than 50 per cent of the population is overweight or obese.

“This is more worrying than nearly 65 per cent of the entire population of Australia being overweight or obese.

“This is a national health crisis but it is a slow-moving one that will be difficult to solve and these sorts of problems are often put into the too-hard basket by Australian governments.

“The longer we go without action, the more difficult it will be to solve,” Prof Frankum said.

“This is a health issue, which makes it something the Government definitely has a role in.

“It is not about nanny-state politics, or body-shaming, or someone being the “fun police”.

“This is about overweight and obesity being a health issue that presents a greater danger to the Australian population than smoking and the need to do the responsible thing.

“The fact is, if you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to die from any cause than someone of a healthy weight.

“If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

“And if you are overweight or obese, you are more likely to have poorer quality of life than someone of a healthy weight,” Prof Frankum said.

“The Federal Government needs to develop a national obesity plan, focussing on prevention, helping people lose weight, and education.

“We need better access to healthy eating, meal plans, exercise programs, better urban design to facilitate activity, access to public transport, and, in some cases, better access to weight loss surgery.

“There is also a need to dissuade people from buying things like sugary drinks – a sugar tax on them is a good starting point.

“Channelling revenue from such a tax back into health would be an even better plan,” Prof Frankum said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955