2018 is almost here so it’s time to look at the numbers, evaluate, and pledge a new path in the right direction. Australians are known across the world for being great sportsmans and athletes, who triumph in the face of difficulty with a great sense of humour and mateship.
Though, there are things we shouldn’t want to be winners in. In 2015, we climbed to fifth-place in the obesity rates of all OECD countries for people aged 15 and over. Worse still, the number of Aussies who are overweight and obese is getting bigger.
In 2014-15, 63.4% of Australian adults were overweight or obese while only 35.0% were normal weight. This has increased by 7.1% since 1995, which is about 1.6 million people. It gets worse for people aged 45 and over; 79.4% of men and 65.7% of women were overweight or obese in 2014-15.
More than one quarter (27.4%) of Australian children aged 5-17 years were overweight and obese in 2014-15. “Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing both short and long-term health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease”.
For the sake of our children, and their children to come; for the sake of our own health and wellbeing, it’s time for Australians to stand up and make a change for the better. It’s time to eat more fruit and vegetables. It’s time to get active. It’s time to prioritise our health over our tastebuds and creature comforts so that we can be well enough to enjoy our kids and grandkids growing up and lead them on the right path.
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