Obesity and Overweight Pandemic in Australia

This article discusses the causes, consequences, and strategies to handle obesity and overweight pandemic in Australia. It presents statistics on the prevalence of obesity and overweight in Australia, risk factors, and consequences of obesity on children. The article also highlights the role of genetics, dietary intake, and parental factors in childhood obesity. Additionally, it discusses the Australian Dietary Guidelines and strategies to handle these dietary risks leading to obesity and chronic diseases.

Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY
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Title: Obesity and Overweight Pandemic in Australia

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According to Tieleman (2014), cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes will be
the leading disease burdens come 2030 due to the increasing consumption of foods and
beverages with saturated fats, sugar and salt contents. Focus should not only be on foods and
beverages but also on the quantity of snacks and food and how frequent one eats. To attain
food security, a nutritionally accessible, adequate and affordable food supply is needed.
Obesity and overweight present a major public health challenge in Australia as they are
among the leading disease risk factors for both children and adults. According to DHHS
(2016), a survey by the National Health Survey shows that 25 percent of adults were obese
and 78 percent were overweight. The survey further showed that 17 percent of children were
overweight and 7.8 percent being obese. For children aged between 5 and 17, 25 percent of
them are either obese or overweight (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009).
A person is said to be obese when they have body mass index of at least 30 and
overweight when the body mass index is at least 25. Obesity and overweight is as a result of
imbalance between the energy consumed and one’s physical activity. High energy intake is
the cause of this imbalance. Rangan et al. (2008) claim that people consume 2-4 times the
required limits of convenience foods, contributing to 36 percent for adults and 41 percent for
children energy intakes and 41 percent and 47 percent fat intakes for adults and children
respectively. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014) carried out a research in 2012-13 that
further showed that obesity and overweight cases are increasing day after day. In 2012-13,
35.5 percent of adults were overweight and over 27.5 percent were obese. The issue of
overweight and obesity in Australia varies with age and gender with men being more
affected. 69.7 percent of men are obese as compared to 55.7 percent of women although the
rates are similar.
In determining childhood obesity, risk factors such as physical activity and sedentary
behavior, dietary intake, parents’ lifestyle and parenting style should be considered. Genetics

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is another factor leading to childhood obesity with some studies showing that BMI is about
20-40 percent inheritable. However, genetics as a factor of childhood obesity is linked with
about 5 percent of obesity cases as it has to be catalyzed by environmental and behavioral
factors (Sahoo et al. 2015). Basal metabolic rate is considered a probable cause of childhood
obesity though it does not account for the increased rates of obesity. Parental factors are
behind the poor diet for most children leading to obesity. Parents and peers have great
influences on children’s preferences and willingness to try new foods. Sahoo and his
colleagues suggested that families who eat together are more likely to consume healthy foods
and eating out or while watching TV is linked with consumption of foods with high fat
contents. Government and social policies play a role in determining dietary behaviors in the
society. Taste and price are the main factors that most adolescents consider when choosing
snacks. Adolescents think liking healthy foods is odd and associate fast foods with
independence, convenience and pleasure.
Obesity has diverse consequences on children. It affects the child’s self-esteem,
physical health, emotional and social well-being. It has a relation with medical conditions
like sleep apnea, asthma, fatty liver disease, CVDs, orthopedic problems and menstrual
abnormalities. In the recent past, most of these diseases were found in the older generation
but they are now prevalent in obese children. Obese and overweight children are
discriminated, marginalized, negatively stereotyped and stigmatized by their peers. These
children cannot take part in competitive social activities requiring physical activity. This can
affect the children’s self-esteem and performance in class as well as their self-confidence.
Obese and overweight children have fewer friends compared to their normal peers which
affects their social life. These children experience shortness in breath after a little physical
activity. Sahoo et al. (2015) claim that children with obesity and overweight conditions are
three times more likely to have problems in school than their normal peers.

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The choice of the kind of food to consume determines one’s health status.
Consumption of high density of calories worsens health problems (Souza et al. 2016). In the
recent days people have adopted the consumption of processed food characterized with high
contents of fats, sodium, salt and sugar. This has constituted to the increased cases in diseases
such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Most nations have
managed to control demographic issues and infectious diseases but as a consequence of their
transition in lifestyles there is increased cases of non-communicable diseases and the
cardiovascular diseases. Many studies have linked dietary transition with economic and social
changes. These changes include new food items, globalization, new dietary habits and
emergence of new marketing methods.
According to ABS (2014), an individual’s locality affects their dietary status. People
living in remote and regional areas have registered higher obesity and overweight cases
compared to those in urban areas. In Victoria, a higher number of ladies living in remote
areas are obese (but not overweight) as compared to those in metropolitan areas (DHHS,
2016). Research by the local government showed high rates of obesity in Hume, Grampians
and Loddon Mallee. For all Australian, including indigenous and non-indigenous, obesity and
overweight rates are similar. However, obesity is more pronounced for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islanders (ATSI) aged above 15 years, with a likelihood of 1.5 times of being obese.
According to ABS (2014), three of ten indigenous children aged between 2 and 14 are
overweight and 10 percent are obese. The ATSI are also three times likely to suffer from
Type 2 diabetes as compared to the non-indigenous population (Tieleman, 2014). 24 percent
of the ATSI population suffers from food insecurity. Other populations affected by food
insecurity are the unemployed, low income earners, young people, rental households and
single parent households.

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. According to DHHS (2016), the Australian Dietary Guidelines has given strategies
and recommendations on how to handle these dietary risks leading to obesity and chronic
diseases. These guidelines includes foods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, lean meat, grains
and cereals. For each group of foods, there is a given concentration that should be available in
a single serve depending on age and gender. It is also of great importance to maintain an
effective food control system by ensuring foods have the sufficient nutrient composition
during preparation, production, processing and packaging. Promoting hygienic practices in
industries and preventing and controlling food contamination is essential. The government
also has a role to play by ensuring a safe, nutritious and varied food supply for the people.
This calls for effective regulation and legislation together with sufficient food supply.

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References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). The 2007-08 National Healthy Survey, Catalogue No.
4364.0. Retrieved from: (http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0/
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2014). Australian Health Survey: Updated Results,
2011-12: Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from: , ‹http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/
abs@.nsf/Lookup/33C64022ABB5ECD5CA257B8200179437 ?opendocument›
Ragan A. M., Randall D., Hector D. J., Gill Y. P and Webb K. L (2008). Consumption of
extra Food by Australian Children: Types, Qualities and Contribution to Energy and
Nutrient Intakes. Eur. J. Clin. Nutri. Mar;62(3):356-64
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). (2016). Victorian Population Health
Survey 2014: Modifiable Risk Factors Contributing to Chronic Disease. Melbourne:
Victorian Government.
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sofi, N. Y., Kumar, R. and Bhadoria, A. S. (2015).
Childhood Obesity: Causes and Consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and
primary Care, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 187-192.
Souza, S. M., Lima, K. C. and Alves, M. S. (2016). Archives of public health. The official
journal of the Belgian Public Health Association. Vol. 74, No. 48. Dio:
10.1186/s13690-016-0160-x
Tieleman, L. (2014). Health Nutrition in Australia. Retrieved from:
http://www.futuredirections.org.au/publication/health-and-nutrition-in-australia/