The Age reports on some staggering data on the obesity of Australians - now and going forward:
"Obesity is the new tobacco and poses a major threat to Australia's economic future, a group of internationally renowned health experts warns the Prime Minister.
In an open letter to Kevin Rudd, the specialists call for the obesity epidemic to be top of the 2020 Summit agenda, claiming the nation has put on 2.4 million kilograms since federal Labor came to power.
The four acclaimed professors say obesity should be treated as a "national emergency" and given the same health priority status as smoking, HIV and immunisations.
Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute, Mark Nelson, chair of general practice at the University of Tasmania, nutrition expert Ian Caterson and metabolic health specialist Stephen Colagiuri, both from Sydney University, say the epidemic already costs $21 billion a year and the problem is growing.
"In the 120 days since the Government took office, Australians have gained a staggering 2.4 million kilos between them. Along with this weight has come disease and disability, as well as personal and societal trauma," the experts write. "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."
"Obesity is the new tobacco and poses a major threat to Australia's economic future, a group of internationally renowned health experts warns the Prime Minister.
In an open letter to Kevin Rudd, the specialists call for the obesity epidemic to be top of the 2020 Summit agenda, claiming the nation has put on 2.4 million kilograms since federal Labor came to power.
The four acclaimed professors say obesity should be treated as a "national emergency" and given the same health priority status as smoking, HIV and immunisations.
Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute, Mark Nelson, chair of general practice at the University of Tasmania, nutrition expert Ian Caterson and metabolic health specialist Stephen Colagiuri, both from Sydney University, say the epidemic already costs $21 billion a year and the problem is growing.
"In the 120 days since the Government took office, Australians have gained a staggering 2.4 million kilos between them. Along with this weight has come disease and disability, as well as personal and societal trauma," the experts write. "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."
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