Health Experts want Obesity Top of Agenda

Whitney Everett/Heath Experts want obesity top of agenda/April 18, 2008/9:28am/post 13

Obesity is being claimed as the new tobacco and is a major threat to Australia’s economic future according to four internationally renowned health experts. The experts insist to the prime minister that the obesity epidemic be on the top 2020 Summit agenda. They said that the nation has put on 2.4 million kilograms since federal Labor came to power. They believe that obesity should be treated as a “national emergency” and given the same health status as smoking, HIV and immunizations. They say that the epidemic already costs Australia twenty one billion a year and the problem is still continuing to grow. One of the experts says “By 2020 we will have amassed an additional 100 million kilos of unwanted blubber and the obesity epidemic will be biting deeply into every aspect of national life.” They urge everyone to look at the wider social consequences of the nations growing weight problem. Sleep disorders will continue to increase and climate change will be affected as moving heavier people requires more fuel regarding hospital beds and ambulances. The most recent Australian figures show the 60% of adults and 30% of children are overweight or obese.

I believe that obesity should be put on the top priority of the population. In Australia alone added up, adults and children who are obese adds up to 90% of the population. This is unacceptable and something serious needs to be done about this. It is causing major problems with health care and the health to the people who are obese. Something needs to be done and I believe that moving up obesity as an issue in accordance with HIV and smoking, this might help and cause people to actually look at obesity as something that needs to change.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/health-experts-want-obesity-top-of-agenda/2008/04/17/1208025382147.html