Fighting a Weighty Issue.

Fighting a weighty issue.

A new report by the Baker Institute has identified Australia as the fattest nation. The report, Australia’s Future Fat Bomb, stated that 26 per cent of the population was considered overweight, overtaking the United States of America with 25 per cent. This has created grave concerns, as the 2006 Brisbane Obesity Summit predicted obesity in Australia would overtake the USA in a decade, it’s been done in three years.

The report also revealed that the Federal Government spent $58.2 billion on obesity in 2008, which is almost triple ($21m) what was spent by the government in 2005. These figures are not only from the support needed to be provided by worker productivity, health system and carer costs, there is also a huge impact on financial hardship on an individual level.

This has put pressure on the Commonwealth to find new ways to educate people about keeping active and eating healthier. One of the ways the Government is looking to pursue a healthier nation is by starting with the younger generation.

Alarmingly, the most recent study into childhood obesity, the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, has found that six per cent of children aged two to 16 were classified as obese, with 17pc of children overweight. An earlier survey, conducted in 1995, showed that 4.6pc of two to 17 year-olds were obese and a further 15.3pc were considered to be overweight.

The 2007 report highlight that food supply and eating habits of Australians, as well as technological advances in the fields of video games and the internet, were considered as key contributing factors in the rise in childhood obesity.

“At this point I want to say the Federal Government does have a plan, and that is to have a plan,” Tasmanian Senator Guy Barnett told the parliament in his August, 2008 address “…We need action, not just words, strategies and plans, and we need it fast,”

“We live in an obesogenic environment, and…at all levels of government, and especially at the federal level, we have a responsibility to tackle it.”

As of May 2009, the government had listed in a report Weighing up Australia:Obesity in Australia recommendations passed down from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing. This investigation had derived from the release of the figures shown in the National Health Survey 2007-08 released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australia’s Future Fat Bomb earlier this year.

The government’s Australian Better Health Initiative has been brought in to help promote a healthier Australia. This initiative will cost the government $872.1m over the next six years, with $162m dedicated to childhood obesity.

One area funding will be increased is included in the continuation of community-based programs that educate children and their parents about healthy eating and regular physical exercise.

This is important when you consider the health problems that can develop if childhood obesity is not readdressed. The Baker Institute report, for example, highlighted the concern of childhood obesity developing into problems as adulthood is reached. Among its concerns include an increased health issues such as risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as orthopaedic complications, sleep apnoea, high blood pressure and cholesterol.

The World Health Organisation also mentioned possible psychosocial problems including depression and poor body image which, they said, could follow the bullying and teasing of children considered to be “too fat” by their peers

As a possible solution to increasing physical activity in school aged children, the Federal Government is looking to expand its Active After School Communities (AASC), which was created in 2005 through the Australia Sports Commission to creates opportunities for primary school children to have access to sport and other physical activity.

The program, which is free community-based, also encourages involvement in physical activity by carers, parents, and even volunteers from the community. To date, more than 900 schools and 150,000 children participate in the sessions which take place after school from 3pm to 5pm.


An interim report of the evaluation of the Australian Sports Commission’s Active After-school Communities program 2005–2007 showed that more than 80 pc of parents of participating children felt that the program boosted interest in physical activity, with these children becoming more active and watching less television. They also felt it boosted body image and self confidence, agreeing that not only the program has helped produce healthier, fitter, more active kids, it attracts kids who aren’t skilful or confident enough to be involved in other sports and then gets them to be involved outside of school.

Speaking with Sports Commission representative, Belinda Zipevski, the Commission feels that the AASC has been successful with creating an opportunity for children to access physical activity.

Ms Zipevski is the AASC Regional Coordinator of the Blacktown area and feels the program has opened up doors for children’s participation in sport.

“It has been successful…in getting the program out there. The program reached 150,000 children with the first lot of funding in 2005,” said Ms Zipevski.

She said that there had been such instances where a child in the program had liked playing a particular sport whilst doing the program and had signed up for their local team following it. It has also been a means for children to try other sports they may not have had the chance of trying.


“[The AASC] opens the kids up to try more than just traditional sports and allows more from smaller sports [for example] fencing, golf, ”

She feels that the program also gives opportunities for the children involved to increase a healthier lifestyle and that continual support and funding by the government would be beneficial.

This feeling is also shared amongst the delivers and carers of many of the OOSH centres involved in the program.

Program deliverer Daniel Bush, first became involved in Active After School Communities three years ago. He is also the owner of Fit4Kids, whose coaches offer a wide selection of sport, from Oz tag, soccer and cricket to mixed and world games. Mr Bush said the AASC program had proven successful at encouraging child participation in physical activity, as well as communication and friendship.

He said the encouragement of a good coach and the participation of parents and carers in the program was key to keeping children interested.

“A good coach will have the child hooked after the first session,” he said.

OOSH Directors Peggy Taiaro and Debbie Powell both agree with this, and also both feel that the program is a small step towards decreasing childhood obesity.

Peggy Taiaro, Director of Vardys Road OOSH and Debbie Powell, Director of Norwest Christian School OOSH, have both had their respective centres involved in the program since 2007. They have found the program to be successful with their children pending the right amount of interest and encouragement. They have found some children reluctant to join in at first, but above all they have found the program to be a great initiative to help children become more active.

Mrs Taiaro says that obesity isn’t so much of a problem at her centre but can see the program being a positive influence in helping to decrease it.

“Here at Vardys our children don’t have a real problem with obesity, but [for] those [schools] who do…it shows they can to be active.”

Debbie Powell agrees but feels that the AASC is only one component to the resolution.

“In some ways, the children are more active” says Mrs Powell, “But I still think that its the parents that also need to be educate in what they feed there children and the portions that they should be eating.”

The issue of obesity is one that resonates and is one that has amounted pressure on the government to come up with ways of educating and preventing this issue from becoming worse. As the issue is one that is constantly updating and changing, it will be one open to further examination for years to come.