Obesity in Australia: A Complete Analysis

Why Australia?

In this article, the region of interest chosen is Australia, which is listed as one of the largest countries but is under one of the smallest continents. The land of Australia extends for approximately 7.7 million square kilometres and has a population of approx. 25 million.

Australia has developed in many areas and has become one of the highest-ranked countries on the United Nations HDI (Human Development Index). It offers its citizens quality education and living conditions and has various social welfare programs and policies for the betterment of underprivileged citizens. This country was chosen owing to the alarming rise in obesity rates, which now pose a serious threat to national health.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a disease in which an excessive amount of fat is stored within the body, which comes from eating unhealthy and unhygienic food. Obesity is not only a problem, but why it is a major concern because it brings along numerous other health diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and circulatory problems.

Condition of Obesity in Australia

Obesity is a major concern in Australia, and according to the data of the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 20% of Australian adults are accounted to be obese, whereas more than 53% in Australia reported that they are overweight and soon going to be accounted in the obese category (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2022).

Let’s ignore the data from 2005 and check the 2017 data now. Accordingly, 67% of Australian citizens are accounted to be obese. Also, more than 35% of people are highly obese, which includes adults as well as the younger generation (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018).

Australia has been ranked 5th country globally, where one-third of people are living with obesity. According to the national strategy of the Health and Aged Care Department of the Australian Government, the strategy is to reduce obesity by at least 5% by the year 2030.

Significance of Public Health Issues in Australia

According to the report of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, the national obesity strategy from 2022 to 2030 states that a total of 14 million Australians were examined to be under the obese category, which accounts for every two people among three. For every one child among four children, this situation is becoming common.

The following issue is a significant one in the selected Australian region due to the reason that more than 63% of adults and 23% of children are at a Stake of being obese until the year 2035, and this number represents a rise of 12% compared to the data of 2018.

Target Population

As per the reports of 2014-15, a total of 63% of adults in the country were obese, and this percentage increased to a total of 67% in the year 2017-18. Meanwhile, this accounted for a total of 25% of children as well (Dummer et al., 2012).

According to the target population for obesity, it was accounted that the most critical age where weight gain and obesity are observed is between the ages 20-24 years. Also, obesity has started increasing in children as well. Because one child among four children in Australia is accounted in the obesity category, the target population age has reduced from 20 to 18 years.

According to this data, the target population or community for addressing obesity changes from 20 years to 18 years and, finally, lies between 18 - 24 years. Most probably, all the activities and steps that will be taken in order to reduce obesity will be targeted at this population.

It is also observed that obesity will double in Australia by the year 2030, so all the people who will be accounted in this age group will be eligible for the decrement in obesity activities and steps.

Reasons for Obesity Increase Globally

Here is a list of some major reasons critically involved in increasing obesity worldwide.

• The first major reason for the increment in obesity records was due to the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Another critical reason for rising obesity is due to the availability of ultra-processed foods containing excessive levels of sugar, sodium, carbohydrates, and fats.

• One reason can be genetic disorders, but this is uncommon when the cases are increasing, which used to be lower initially. This is a reason but not the cause of the rising number of obesity cases globally.

• Loss in physical activity due to an endless number of reasons can also cause obesity to increase globally. Because movement speed has decreased due to the rise in technologies and the availability of maximum services online, people have tried to change their lifestyles with the inclusion of these technologies.

• An additional reason for the increase in obesity is the lack of access to healthcare services in less developed regions. Also, because obese people do not wish to seek proper healthcare services, obesity keeps rising.

• Obesity and weight gain not only are because of excess eating habits but can also arise due to live events. This can include parental life, illnesses, medical conditions, pregnancy, or early adulthood.

• Overall, if you think that only physical reasons affect body weight, you might need to rethink. Mental illness conditions along with lack of sleep and stigma are affecting body weight, leading to weight increase.

Measures to be Taken Globally

This issue is significant due to the reason that the World Obesity Federation (WOF) expects that half of the globe will become obese by the next decade. Accordingly, 3% of the global GDP, which is nearly about $6 trillion, will be impacted economically due to obesity.

The reason for the consideration of obesity is that people consider it a normal health concern, and accordingly, they do not seek medical help for controlling weight. More likely, people are observed to lose weight, and they try to control obesity on their own. Due to this reason, people often delay seeking professional Health advice. Because people want to control obesity on their own, they suffer silently, and so, obesity has become a stigma (Kwan, 2023).

The deployment of weight loss programs aims to make sure that the population is fit and weight is controlled. For the aim of reducing overweight and obesity within the global population, some objectives must be deployed, listed below:

• Inform and make people aware of the obesity factors and the impact it has on different physical and mental assets.

• Assist people in opting for a healthy diet and enabling daily exercise in order to reduce overweight and maintain a healthy and fit body (Lockett, 2018).

• Deploy free programs and classes with professionals so that people are encouraged to work on their body conditions and reduce weight.

• Some programs for the project of obesity prevention include:

• Awareness and educational programs: The first step which can be taken in order to reduce the obesity population in Australia is the implementation of health awareness and obesity awareness campaigns.

• Assisting people to have a healthy diet: The second step which can be taken in order to improve the physical fitness of the Australian target population is the implementation and assistance to take a healthy diet and improve physical fitness.

• Some additional steps that can be taken in order to reduce obesity are the deployment of free health campaigns, yoga campaigns, daily exercise camps, and workout classes, where professionals and dietitians can help people make sure they are taking effective steps to reduce their overweight.

• Fitness training in schools and institutions: It has been observed that obesity is increasing in children as well, and almost 25% of the children are overweight and included in the obese category. In order to make sure that children are free of being overweight and obesity is not accounted among children anymore, fitness camps and training must be provided in schools and educational institutions.

Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals

There are a total of 17 SDG goals provided by the United Nations development institution, and accordingly, these SDG goals are deployed as a targeted strategy for improving global conditions. Not only does it focus on health, but it also includes other global factors such as education, employment, water and sanitation, environmental factors, poverty, education facilities, etc.

• As there are a total of 17 goals, the first goal, which aligns with the aim of the following project, is the 3rd SDG goal- Good health and well-being.

• Accordingly, the second relevant goal is the 12th goal, which is- Responsible consumption and production. According to this goal, the global population is consuming more than average, and health is being affected due to this overconsumption.

Why Overconsumption is a Serious Problem?

Overconsumption of food is impacting the globe, and due to overconsumption in some countries, specifically such as Australia, production and agriculture have been negatively impacted. Also, it can be observed that malnutrition is arising in the regions with high poverty, and food production is also impacting the health of people. Due to the major reason that overconsumption and obesity are very common in nature, the following SDG goal to improve production and consumption is relevant to the aim of this project. The aim of this goal is to make sure that the production of food is sustainable and efficient for all living beings on this earth, avoid overconsumption, and this part of overconsumption of food is evenly distributed among the people fighting malnutrition (World Obesity, 2022).