ITS OFFICIAL: Australia is world's fattest nation (1 Viewer)

[chicky_pie]

AUSTRALIA is officially the heavyweight champion of the world, according to figures showing the nation has a greater proportion of obese citizens than the US.

The latest comprehensive obesity study has shown that 26 per cent of adult Australians – almost four million – are now obese, one million more than the last calculation in 1999.

The findings give Australia top spot as the world's most overweight nation, ahead of the notoriously super-sized Americans, who have a 25 per cent obesity rate.

"That, unfortunately, makes us the heavyweight champions, a title we don't really want," said Professor Simon Stewart, head of preventative cardiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Experts are now calling for extreme measures like gym discounting and denial of surgery based on body mass index (BMI) to rectify the situation.

The report, entitled Australia's Future Fat Bomb, was released ahead of the Federal Government's obesity inquiry.

It presents the results of height and weight checks carried out on 14,000 adult Australians nationwide in 2005, giving the most thorough picture of obesity since the AusDiab study in 1999.

The report reveals that nine million adults have a BMI over 25, making them overweight or obese, an increase from seven million.

Four million are obese, up from three million.

Middle-aged Australians are leading the way, with seven in 10 men and six in 10 women aged 45 to 64 now registering a BMI of 25 or more.

An analysis of the data shows that there will be an extra 700,000 heart-related hospital admissions in the next 20 years due to obesity alone.

Almost 125,000 people will die as a result, many prematurely.

"I would regard this as now the biggest threat to our future health," Prof Stewart said.

"As we send our athletes off to the Olympics let's reflect on the fact that we would win the gold medal now in the world fat Olympics if there was such a thing."

The report calls for a national weight loss strategy on the scale of smoking and skin cancer campaigns, including subsidising gym memberships and personal training sessions for heavier people.

Wait lists for surgery could be prioritised on the basis of weight loss.

"This isn't just targeting a small group," Prof Stewart said.

"We're talking about the majority who fit into these categories now.

"These are some of the controversial things we need to deal with because the healthcare system is going to be overwhelmed by weight-related hospitalisations from knee replacements through to heart attacks and strokes."

Professor Ian Caterson, director of the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise at the University of Sydney, agreed such measures were needed.

"Governments have to start thinking outside the square because as we get fatter and older as a nation things are just going to get worse," Prof Caterson said.


http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23890071-29277,00.html

We're ALL FAT!

 

[boris]

Awesome news.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

Fuck yeah we're #1

 

[bloodyfriday89]

Fuck yeah we're #1

hi chicky_pie

 

[Ms. BRIGHTSIDE]

A proud achievement. About time we won something.

 

[Pace_T]

fuck off subsidise gym membership for fat people. its discrimination.

 

[shannonm]

Yess!!!!!!! One more thing we are better than america at booya

Congrats all round

 

[Captain Gh3y]

hi chicky_pie

nah

 

[Zrap]

I've got a fat

 

[barbecuedflava]

im ashamed...
we're even fatter than america
thats nothing to be proud of

 

[chicky_pie]

nah

yay

 

[kaz1]

Rudds solution: Tax hike on fast foods.

 

[Slidey]

Fuck this shit. Damn fatties.

I say we start preferentially discriminating against fat people.

 

[P_Dilemma]

Awesome idea slidey; finally, an excuse to discriminate against white ppl!

 

[mythical chaos]

now why the hell would we make it cheaper for fat people to attend gyms?

How about making them skip whilst waiting in the line for fast food. You would also have to abolish drive-in takeaway for fats.

How about public humiliation? Torture? Fuck I am good with ideas!

 

[bigboyjames]

^wtf white people?

 

[original123]

Awesome idea slidey; finally, an excuse to discriminate against white ppl!

Hahaha Loved it!

 

[jb_nc]

Don't care, it's a great reason to abolish Medicare so fat people can fund their own medical care or alternatively we can just kill them. and by we, i mean society.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

We should ration food to the exact number of calories per day you need for a healthy life

any extra food produced/imported should be used to help end world hunger

anyone violating the rations should be shot

 

[jb_nc]

We should ration food to the exact number of calories per day you need for a healthy life

any extra food produced/imported should be used to help end world hunger

anyone violating the rations should be shot

what about kilojoule restriction.

if you restrict the amount of energy consumed to like 0.75 of a normal calorie intake you live like 20 years longer.

conclusion: people should be killed upon reaching the age of 80