Each and every one of us has unknowingly played a part in the obesity problem.
Indra Nooyi
I recently saw a large advertisement for an Australian clothing company that caters to those wishing to buy low price items. The male model sported a protruding abdomen of fecund proportions. I understand the issues with fashion models and body morphology but this is taking things to the opposite extreme and normalising another illness behaviour.
It astounds me seeing the growth of the average person in Australia, New Zealand and the United States over the last 20 years. And most recently I have witnessed such a change in body morphology in regional Sumatra.
Unfortunately, new normals develop and what visually was an overweight person 10-20 years ago, now seems average. Societally we are being conditioned to accept overweight and obesity as the new normal body appearance: hence the “obesapathy” moniker.
Here are some staggering statistics from the World Health Organization:
Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
38 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019.
Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
Obesity is preventable.
We are obese and getting bigger!
In Australia, from 1989 to 2012, the average body weight of adults increased by 5.4kg for women and 7kg for men. The average waist circumference increased by 10.7cm for women and 7.3cm for men. The finding suggests that our muscle mass is decreasing while our waists are increasing due to increasing sedentary behaviour. And cardiovascular risks remain increased with elevated waist circumference independant of BMI.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data states that 70% of adults living in outer regional and remote areas and 71% in Inner regional areas were overweight or obese, compared with 65% in major cities (after adjusting for age).
Australians aged 18 and over in the lowest socioeconomic areas were more likely to be overweight or obese than those in the highest socioeconomic areas in 2017–18: 72% compared with 62% (after adjusting for age).
Although in these populations, the problem is worse in lower socioeconomic groups and is also being seen in developing nations it really reflects increasing affluence and sedentary lifestyles.
Diets increasingly contain energy dense foods high in sugars and fats and there has been a shift to more sedentary forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization.
Australia and New Zealand are seeing even more staggering increases in child and adolescent obesity.
Why does the obesity issue matter?
Increasing body mass and waist circumference are independently linked to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.
As health coaches , we are focussed on helping the individual overcome barriers to change and discover pathways to their ideal health and wellness. We should also be at the forefront of creative cognitive change among government, food industry and media stakeholders to promote a change in societal understandings and attitudes toward obesity , high energy diets and physical activity.
Lifestyle change ends with the individual, yet requires societal support and understanding. We can only achieve this by advocating evidence based approaches to lifestyle to effect change. A recent Australian study found that myocardial infarction rates were higher in ares with a higher density of fast food restaurants and this was after multivariate adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors. This is a problem that burdens our health care system and is easily preventable.
Some ideas include:
Social Health and Welfare focus on health coaching to achieve meaningful change rather than government funded "one size fits all " activity programs
Government and health insurance subsidies for activity trackers: let technology be a cure as well as cause.
Taxes on sugar laden products.
Limits on advertising unhealthy foods , particularly aimed at children and adolescents.
These changes may be too socialised for some but we have such a passive society that change needs to come from some active leadership. So be the client’s and your communities’ advocate and spread the word about what we are doing to ourselves. Get involved and be the solution. It’d be great to hear what you think.
If you are a man over 40 and struggling with your own weight issues despite knowing the facts, you may be in need of some health coaching. Gentle outdoor exercise is a great way to start
