The rising rates of obesity in Australia
Discusse about the importance of food labels in reducing obesity prevalence.
Rising cases of obesity have become a public health concern in every industrialized country in the recent years. Obesity is a severe, chronic disease that can have adverse effects on body systems. It increases an individual’s risk of developing non-communicable and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer (1). It also exposes individuals to various infections and inflammation. Individuals are required to reduce weight to reduce the risk of developing these conditions. The rate of obesity has tripled in Australia in the last three decades with two out of three adults (63%) and one in four children aged 5 to 17 years having the condition with a Body Mass Index of 30 and above.
The cost of treating obesity is estimated at $56 billion annually in Australia (2). The primary cause of obesity is engaging in unhealthy and unbalance eating with lack of physical activity. Some medical conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism may also result to obesity. Some genetic factors such as increased appetite may be inherited from parents and hence making it difficult to lose weight. Policy makers and health professionals have put into place policies that may help reduce the occurrence of the condition. They can achieve this if more emphasis is made on the importance of reading food labels.
Having weight problems is a major concern for Australians. According to the 2014,15 Australian Health Survey, around 11.2 million people (63.4%) aged over 18 were overweight or obese The overall results indicate that men and women have the percentage ratio of 70.8% and 56.3% respectively. It is also clear that obesity increases with age. 79.4% and 65.7% of men and women aged 45 years and above were overweight (3, 4). This problem can be solved by encouraging individuals to practice healthy lifestyles and consume healthy foods from early childhood to adulthood. Reducing too much sugar intake from soft drinks, sweet foods and decreasing the portion of food one eats can also help fight obesity.
Reducing physical activity helps in reducing weight by burning excess calories in the body and hence reducing the amount of both waist and total fat. Cases of obesity have also risen in children. Research demonstrates that children with obesity are more likely to remain the same while transitioning into adulthood. Teens from poor socio-economic backgrounds are also at risk of having the condition. Exposure to obesity increases their risk of developing noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases at a young age. It also results in the low quality of life and poor academic performance. It may also lead to early deaths as a result of the diseases (4).
Causes of obesity
Obesity poses various kinds of health effects on individuals. The threats it poses affect the physical, psychological, emotional well-being and self-esteem of a person (4). Obesity is a pro-inflammatory state and increases inflammation which may link to depression. The social effects of obesity include low wages, discrimination of the poor, reduced quality of life and increased susceptibility to depression. Obese teens have higher possibilities of developing mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem (5). There is a strong association between socioeconomic status and obesity.
Females are at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Research states that hormones play a crucial role in metabolism and maintaining optimal health. Changes in hormone levels in women throughout their life predispose them to weight gain. Obesity triggers and increase many co-morbidities like coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) (6). Childhood obesity can add up health problems and often in adults it will increase the risk of contracting heart disease, developing type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar), certain cancers and hypertension (high blood pressure) which is the primary cause of stroke and other chronic conditions (7).
In recent years, promoting health has gained maximum attention in Australia. According to the obesity policy coalition, investing in illness prevention strategies reduces the losses incurred in treatment. It leads to the decreased burden of diseases, efficient use of limited health resources and increased economic productivity due to the presence of a healthy workforce (8). Relevant policies, regulations, and laws are often required to compel changes in the environment and social life of individuals to ensure reduced cases of obesity. Since the leading cause of poor health in Australia is unhealthy diets and obesity, a comprehensive government policy action is needed in Australia to improve the overall health of the people. Ensuring proper population nutrition and creating a healthier environment for the Australian population is key to developing a productive nation.
There are ongoing plans in Victoria to promote better health, improve population nutrition through health promotion agency (Vic Health). Vic health promotes the health of populations through offering training that encourages schools, people in the workplace and community organizations to provide healthy meals. It also discourages them from engaging in the improper advertisement, sponsorship, and marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks that contrast with the Healthy Food Charter to youths and children. Strong investments have been made to promote healthy eating through high-quality public education campaigns. The education campaigns aimed at creating awareness of the adverse effects obesity has on the health of the people (16).
Effects of obesity
The government plays a vital role in making sure that people make healthy choices and reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods. It has put in place measures such as placing heavy levies on advertising fast foods and alcohol to reduce the exposure of the Australians to advertisements that promote unhealthy consumption of such foods and drinks. Food policy index was developed in Australia to evaluate food and diet-related policies that have been implemented. It also aimed at identifying the gaps that exist and the proper way that they can be filled (16).
The policy index is built on Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI), 1invented by an international network of professionals in food policies, INFORMAS. It covers all the critical policies including food environment aspects which includes labeling, food composition, promotion, provision and prices which has a significant impact on population diet and obesity. It also entails infrastructure support such as governance, leadership, funding, and monitoring to help useful policy implementation facility. Main policy recommendations in Victoria include supporting communities by putting in place structures that create healthy environments and encouraging proper food labeling (16).
Food labeling is crucial in making sure that individuals make healthy food choices by choosing food with the appropriate nutritional value. Food labels contain information such as the number of calories, carbohydrates, proteins and fats present in a product. They also provide knowledge of the health effects of each food and the presence of an allergen in the food. Proper food and menu labeling can positively impact the health of people. For instance, it helps individuals look out for food with high levels of calories and sugar and hence reducing obesity cases. Proper education on the benefits of reading food labels can also reduce obesity since people will be more informed on what to check out for while buying foods and drinks (15).
There is the existence of food labels policies in Australia. They enhance the proposed implementation of kilojoule menu labeling in fast food chains and to apply to more settings like cinemas with health star rating scheme for menu labeling purposes for potential adaptation (13). Food labeling is mandatory in fast food outlets where the average energy content and the average daily energy intake is present to assist in continued monitoring. Studies have shown that the consumption of fast food is a key contributor to obesity since the current food choices do not support healthy options. As a result, food labeling will play a vital role in fighting obesity in Australia (15). Health Services policies that focus and extend to children, such as health service retail outlets markets which include hospitals recommends and promotes the use of the healthiest (green) options to consumers. The choice of appealing and tasty meals followed by identifying product from amber, green and red food and drink categories, assist in more nutritious options selection (8).
Government policies and actions
The sustainable pattern of food consumption is essential in future food policy to ensure that there is sufficient supply of foods that are rich in micronutrients. It is also necessary for discouraging the use of low nutrient energy-dense food. Improving awareness and decreasing exposure towards sugar-sweetened foods could help and guide consumer’s food choice (9). The use of health food policies has to continue to reduce the consumption of innutritious foods. New policies are targeting at reducing the intake of unhealthy and highly processed foods. However, food policies can only be useful if there are combined efforts from both the health and agricultural sectors. The agricultural sector helps people improve their diets with the aim of creating healthy lives. It achieves this by impacting on the economic life of people and hence reducing poverty, a leading cause of obesity and poor health.
The marketing and distribution systems of food industries have a significant effect on the patterns of food consumption. Marketing has excellent advantages in increasing food industry income, and it receives much attention from consumers. Exposure to television advertisements on soft drink consumption or other sugary drinks, refined sugar and highly processed foods is one of the most substantial factors that is responsible for the obesity epidemic (10).
The roles of the food industry are to help reduce sugar and calorie intake for consumers. This is quite challenging since sugar reduction and replacement in products requires consideration of the sugar properties, including the sweetening and bulking effect. It also considers the mouthfeel and the preserving properties. It also requires coordination from different stakeholders including consumers themselves. Since food preferences are shaped from early childhood life, food policies have to limit food marketing in children and training parents, teacher, childcare providers. This will promote healthy food preferences and limit processed foods to improve the overall health and prevent the potential health issues and chronic conditions (11).
Obesity and Nutrition
According to the world health organization, the proposals to reduce obesity and increase the strength of the immune system include consuming balanced and healthy food which contain all the macronutrients and micronutrients (14). Secondly, decreasing the daily calories intake and getting rid of saturated fats helps fight obesity. Thirdly, increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables that are consuming two cups of fruits and 3 cups of vegetables per day. Both vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and antioxidants and have enough protein to help immune system work well. One should also engage legumes, whole grains, and nuts into their diet and change from consuming the white cereals to the brown cereals. Finally, engaging in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes spread through the week for adults) results to the reduction of the calories in the body and reduces the cases of inflammation (12).
Increasing consumer awareness is also crucial in ensuring that food labeling is successful. For instance, a customer may assume that he or she is eating healthily by consuming foods that adds his or her kilojoules up to the approved 8,700 while ignoring the portion of the food they have requested for and the number of meals they have taken during the day. Therefore, adequate health education and awareness on food labeling may lower the level of obesity by ensuring that people are more attentive on their sugar and calorie intake (1).
In conclusion, several food policies have been put in place to help reduce obesity prevalence. Due to increasing awareness on the benefits of good nutrition and the numerous health and economic effects of the epidemic, relevant stakeholders have taken active measures to support food policies that aim at preventing obesity. Food labels policies have a greater potential of reducing the occurrence of obesity. Therefore, more emphasis should be made on proper implementation of the policies.
References
- Obesity and overweight [Internet]. World Health Organization. 2018 [cited 12 April 2018]. Available from: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/1. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2017;4.
- Colagiuri S, Lee CM, Colagiuri R, Magliano D, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Caterson ID. The cost of overweight and obesity in Australia. Med J Aust. 2010 Mar 1;192(5):260-4.3.364.0.55.001 – National Health Survey: First Results, 2014-15 [Internet]. Abs.gov.au. 2018 [cited 12 April 2018]. Available from: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/4364.0.55.001
- Bhadoria A, Sahoo K, Sahoo B, Choudhury A, Sufi N, Kumar R. Childhood obesity: Causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2015;4(2):187.
- Social Anxiety, Depression and Self-Esteem in Obese Adolescent Girls with Acanthosis Nigricans. Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology. 2015;7(1):63-68.
- Strissel 16K, Denis G, Nikolajczyk B. Immune regulators of inflammation in obesity-associated type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Current Opinion in Endocrinology & Diabetes and Obesity. 2014;21(5):330-338.
- Obesity Health Problem, Healthy Weight Basics, NHLBI, NIH [Internet]. Nhlbi.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 12 April 2018]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/obesity.htm
- Obesity Policy Coalition [Internet]. Opc.org.au. 2018 [cited 12 April 2018]. Available from: https://www.opc.org.au/downloads/food-policy-index/VIC-food-epi-report.pdf
- Dietary carbohydrates: A food processing perspective. Nutrition Bulletin. 2015;40(2):77-82.
- Food consumption trends and drivers. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2010;365(1554):2793-2807.
- The Development and Public Health Implications of Food Preferences in Children. 2018 [cited 12 April 2018]. Available from: https://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/obesity-and-the-immune-system
- Obesity Action Coalition » Obesity and the Immune System [Internet]. Obesityaction.org. . Buchmueller T, Johar M. Obesity and health expenditures: Evidence from Australia. Economics & Human Biology. 2015;17:42-58.
- MacKay S. Legislative solutions to unhealthy eating and obesity in Australia. Public health. 2011 Dec 1;125(12):896-904.
- Cecchini M, Sassi F, Lauer JA, Lee YY, Guajardo-Barron V, Chisholm D. Tackling of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and obesity: health effects and cost-effectiveness. The Lancet. 2010 Nov 20;376(9754):1775-84.
- Magnusson RS. Obesity prevention and personal responsibility: the case of front-of-pack food labelling in Australia. BMC Public Health. 2010 Dec;10(1):662.
- Hawkes C, Smith TG, Jewell J, Wardle J, Hammond RA, Friel S, Thow AM, Kain J. Smart food policies for obesity prevention. The Lancet. 2015 Jun 13;385(9985):2410-21
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