Reducing Obesity in Australia

Running head: OBESITY 1
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Title: Reducing Obesity in Australia

OBESITY 2
According to 2014/15 research on the rate of overweight and obesity in Australia, it was
discovered that 6 million Australians aged above 18 were overweight. This is equivalent to a
third of the total adult population in the nation. Among these 6 million, more than 3.5 million
were men, equivalent to 42 percent of the total men population. About 2.5 million of the
population affected with obesity they are women, accounting for 16 percent (Hayes, Lung,
Bauman and Howard, 2017). Obesity is not just a cosmetic concern but also increases the risk for
other health problems and infections, including diabetes, hypertension and heart infections. For
people who are obese, modest weight loss could prevent or improve the consequences associated
with obesity. However, with the increased rates of obesity in Australia, the Australian Institute of
Health and welfare (2017) thinks that this health issue should be dealt with from the grass root.
They meant that, if the fight against obesity is to be won, children and the young people should
be the main focus. According to their research most people become obese in their childhood and
adolescent stages then graduate to adulthood with the complication. Therefore dealing with it as
one is young would be a better strategy to overcome this health menace.
One is said to be obese when their body mass index is 30 and above. The body mass
index (BMI) is the ration of one’s mass in kilograms to their height in metres. According to
Sahoo et al. (2015), obesity in the past years was a case of the adults, but current its prevalence
among the young people and children is alarming especially in the developed countries. Gupta
(2009) claims that increasing rates of obesity are now being reported in the developing nations,
with females being more affected than males due to their inherent hormonal differences.
Obesity and overweight are as are as a result of imbalance in the rate of energy intake and
its expenditure. Researchers link positive energy balance with adopted lifestyle and dietary
preferences. Research has also linked obesity with one’s genetic background. In Australia,