Um... woohoo?
America is no longer the fattest country in the world - we've been overtaken by Australia. Do we still get to keep our title as "Fast Food Nation?"
http://www.smh.com.au/news/health/australia-pips-us-as-worlds-fattest-nation/2008/06/19/1213770827371.html
AUSTRALIA has overtaken the United States as the world's most obese nation, a new report says.
The report, Australia's Future Fat Bomb, says 26 per cent of adult Australians - almost 4 million people - are now obese, 1 million more than the last calculation in 1999.
The findings mean Australia is 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, the author of the report and head of preventive cardiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
The report says that 9 million adults have a body mass index over 25, making them overweight or obese, an increase from 7 million. Experts have called for obese people to be given gym discounts and for surgical waiting lists to be prioritised on the basis of weight loss.
The report presents the results of height and weight checks on 14,000 adult Australians nationwide in 2005, giving the most thorough picture of obesity since the AusDiab study in 1999.
The data suggests there will be an extra 700,000 heart-related hospital admissions in the next 20 years due to obesity. Almost 125,000 people will die as a result.
"I would regard this as the biggest threat to our future health," Professor 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 health care system is going to be overwhelmed by weight-related hospitalisations from knee replacements through to heart attacks and strokes."
That last line is actually untrue. Well, in the longer term, at least - because obese people (and smokers too!!!) live shorter lifespans, they put less strain on the healthcare system, given their lack of need for pricey, frequent geriatric medicine, according to a Dutch study of healthcare systems. Insurance companies & gov't healthcare systems will tell you it's their fault your premiums & taxes are so high, but that's a lie. (Thus, it IS patriotic to smoke Marlboros and eat McDonalds!)
I wish I had posted a related blog last night. I found a great article basically detailing how certain frivolous lawsuits cited as reasons for stricter lawsuit regulations are complete fabrications. Like the one about the guy who made $1.25M because he went to the back of his Winnebago to make a cup of coffee while he was driving on cruise control? That one never happened. I swear somebody on LJ told me this already but it's still worth a reiteration.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/health/australia-pips-us-as-worlds-fattest-nation/2008/06/19/1213770827371.html
AUSTRALIA has overtaken the United States as the world's most obese nation, a new report says.
The report, Australia's Future Fat Bomb, says 26 per cent of adult Australians - almost 4 million people - are now obese, 1 million more than the last calculation in 1999.
The findings mean Australia is 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, the author of the report and head of preventive cardiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.
The report says that 9 million adults have a body mass index over 25, making them overweight or obese, an increase from 7 million. Experts have called for obese people to be given gym discounts and for surgical waiting lists to be prioritised on the basis of weight loss.
The report presents the results of height and weight checks on 14,000 adult Australians nationwide in 2005, giving the most thorough picture of obesity since the AusDiab study in 1999.
The data suggests there will be an extra 700,000 heart-related hospital admissions in the next 20 years due to obesity. Almost 125,000 people will die as a result.
"I would regard this as the biggest threat to our future health," Professor 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 health care system is going to be overwhelmed by weight-related hospitalisations from knee replacements through to heart attacks and strokes."
That last line is actually untrue. Well, in the longer term, at least - because obese people (and smokers too!!!) live shorter lifespans, they put less strain on the healthcare system, given their lack of need for pricey, frequent geriatric medicine, according to a Dutch study of healthcare systems. Insurance companies & gov't healthcare systems will tell you it's their fault your premiums & taxes are so high, but that's a lie. (Thus, it IS patriotic to smoke Marlboros and eat McDonalds!)
I wish I had posted a related blog last night. I found a great article basically detailing how certain frivolous lawsuits cited as reasons for stricter lawsuit regulations are complete fabrications. Like the one about the guy who made $1.25M because he went to the back of his Winnebago to make a cup of coffee while he was driving on cruise control? That one never happened. I swear somebody on LJ told me this already but it's still worth a reiteration.