Australia is now the chunkiest country

[Queasy]

crikey

Australia is officially the heavyweight champion of the world, according to new figures showing the nation has a greater proportion of obese citizens than the United States.

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.

 

[biggestmuff]

GJ!

 

[Riverhound777]

Based on BMI? Lame.

 

[Fritzo]

Yay! The economy in the US is so bad people can't afford HoHos anymore.

 

[skace]

If it's based on BMI they could also be the strongest nation. Lol.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
Based on BMI? Lame.

Walk through through the mall or grocery store and tell me what percent of people are fat and what percent are lean mean muscled machines.

BMI is objective scale for the average person. There are way way way more flabby people than solid muscle people.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
Based on BMI? Lame.

Walk through through the mall or grocery store and tell me what percent of people are fat and what percent are lean mean muscled machines.

BMI is objective scale for the average person. There are way way way more flabby people than solid muscle people.

Except that with the current scale, flabby people are classified as obese. We have tons of overweight people, myself included, but not nearly as many truly obese people as the stats imply.

 

[Dirigible]

Time to start winning that title back! Nom nom nom nom...

 

[senseamp]

I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

 

[ElFenix]

my county has more fat people than your whole country. and you guys call yourself a continent?

texas is now it's own continent.

 

[Auggie]

What the FUCK?! Denying surgery based on BMI? As in... discrimination?

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: Auggie
What the FUCK?! Denying surgery based on BMI? As in... discrimination?

Surgery is often denied based on liabilities. Being fat is not a race, religion, or gender.

 

[Pocatello]

This is an outrage! Houston and Philadelphia, you're slacking!

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: Riverhound777
Based on BMI? Lame.

Walk through through the mall or grocery store and tell me what percent of people are fat and what percent are lean mean muscled machines.

BMI is objective scale for the average person. There are way way way more flabby people than solid muscle people.

Except that with the current scale, flabby people are classified as obese. We have tons of overweight people, myself included, but not nearly as many truly obese people as the stats imply.

But without playing games with the stats you can't justify implementing government controls on those evil fast food producers.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: senseamp
I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

:thumbsup:

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: senseamp
I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

Isn't that technique one of the rules for arguing on the internet? Taking an exception and using it to refute a generality?

 

[meltdown75]

fatty mcgee, you're the FATTEST, mate.

 

[senseamp]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: senseamp
I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

Isn't that technique one of the rules for arguing on the internet? Taking an exception and using it to refute a generality?

Because BMI is a useless generality that needs to be refuted. Just a way to pigeonhole all different types of bodies under one metric. The point is that just because they are 25+ BMI, they aren't necessarily overweight/obese, unless you consider a 6 footer with 13% body fat and 30 inch waist line borderline obese. There are wide variations of healthy weight for a given height for different people, and BMI completely ignores that.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: senseamp
I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

Isn't that technique one of the rules for arguing on the internet? Taking an exception and using it to refute a generality?

Because BMI is a useless generality that needs to be refuted. Just a way to pigeonhole all different types of bodies under one metric. The point is that just because they are 25+ BMI, they aren't necessarily overweight/obese, unless you consider a 6 footer with 13% body fat and 30 inch waist line borderline obese. There are wide variations of healthy weight for a given height for different people, and BMI completely ignores that.

Again I repeat. Your typical 30-50 year old that this article is talking about is NOT fit in the least bit. It's a very simple, objective scale that is geared at the general public.

If you are fit, you don't have to care about BMI. For the other 60%+ of the US in that age group, it's a simple measuring stick of relative weight problems.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Again I repeat. Your typical 30-50 year old that this article is talking about is NOT fit in the least bit. It's a very simple, objective scale that is geared at the general public.

If you are fit, you don't have to care about BMI. For the other 60%+ of the US in that age group, it's a simple measuring stick of relative weight problems.

yeah but this is ATOT. we're all atheletic, well paid, drive sports cars, and give the best cunnilingus or fellatio ever.

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Fuck BMI, the jiggle test is where it's at.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Australia just needs to eat more Mickey D's.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: senseamp
I got BMI of 27 and 13% body fat. It's a lame metric.

Isn't that technique one of the rules for arguing on the internet? Taking an exception and using it to refute a generality?

Because BMI is a useless generality that needs to be refuted. Just a way to pigeonhole all different types of bodies under one metric. The point is that just because they are 25+ BMI, they aren't necessarily overweight/obese, unless you consider a 6 footer with 13% body fat and 30 inch waist line borderline obese. There are wide variations of healthy weight for a given height for different people, and BMI completely ignores that.

Again I repeat. Your typical 30-50 year old that this article is talking about is NOT fit in the least bit. It's a very simple, objective scale that is geared at the general public.

If you are fit, you don't have to care about BMI. For the other 60%+ of the US in that age group, it's a simple measuring stick of relative weight problems.

Please note that the entire premise of this thread depends on only a 1% difference in obesity rates based on BMI.

If we need a simple measuring stick of relative weight problems, then IMO it should be waistlines.

 

[AndrewR]

Australia's Future Fat Bomb!! LOL, that's an awesome name for the report.

In this country, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance would eat...er, have a cow over that one.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Yay! The economy in the US is so bad people can't afford HoHos anymore.

I can help. Where do I donate? $ or HoHos.