Prevention Needed To Trim The Fat, Australian Medical Association

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;  Diabetes;  Public Health
Article Date: 26 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Australian Medical Association President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said that findings in a new report show the obesity epidemic is costing the nation $58 billion a year and confirms that many Australians are suffering significant health problems due to obesity.

"This reflects the dollar cost to Australians and the human cost to individuals," she said.

Dr Capolingua said the Access Economics report, which was commissioned by Diabetes Australia, reinforces the need for a 'whole-of-society' approach to preventing obesity.

"Governments, the food industry, the health and education sectors, and individuals need to take responsibility for Australia's bulging waistline," she said.

"The factors that contribute to obesity are complex and diverse. There are no 'quick fix' solutions, and the key to success will be in a multi-faceted approach."

Dr Capolingua said doctors play an important role in health advice, monitoring and assessing disease risk, prevention and assisting and managing the individual's particular circumstances in regard to obesity.

"It is vital that individuals are not stigmatized but that they are supported and afforded the dignity of what for some, can be a very difficult issue.

"Doctors play a vital role in early intervention, but help for our overweight community must be backed up with government intervention. Public health programs, changes to food marketing and advertising, food labelling and taxation measures, along with urban planning regulations to make leisure options more accessible for ordinary people are all vitally important." she said.

The Access Economic report found that 3.71 million Australians, or 17.5 per cent of the population, were obese. We know that being that overweight predisposes people to type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, many forms of cancer, and premature death.

Dr Capolingua said she was pleased that Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, was considering the idea of national targets to reduce the proportion of Australian children at an unhealthy body weight - proposing a five per cent reduction within 10 years.

"Targets are important in order to measure success, and we need the government action underpinning these goals in order to achieve or better those targets," she said.

The AMA Position Statement on Obesity can be found here.

Australian Medical Association