Fifty-six per cent of Australian adults and 27 per cent of Australian children are obese or overweight because we eat too much and don't do enough exercise, according to an article published in the current issue of The Medical Journal of Australia.

This obesity epidemic demands an urgent health, social and economic response.

Co-author of the article, Professor John Catford, Dean Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences from Deakin University, said a long-term solution must focus on young people, and particularly the 'obesogenic' environments causing the epidemic.

About 9 million Australians over the age of 18 are overweight or obese. According to an OECD report Australia ranks fourth among industrialised countries in obesity levels, and in Australia they are increasing at the fastest rate.

Professor Catford said childhood obesity levels in Australia rival those in the US and exceed those in the UK.

"Although whole-of-government action is needed, the solution must involve parents, carers, community leaders, healthcare professionals, teachers, childcare workers, urban planners, recreation managers, food manufacturers, employers, advertisers, and communicators," Professor Catford said.

Rising levels of obesity are contributing to increases in heart disease, diabetes, cancers and mental health problems. Combined with inactivity and poor nutrition, obesity is responsible for at least 10 per cent of current health problems and at least equals the contribution of tobacco.

Factors contributing to the rising levels of overweight and obesity include growth of labour saving devices; less physically active occupations; changing patterns of family eating and activity; decline in cooking skills for healthy eating in schools and homes; poor quality and high prices of vegetables and fruit in some areas; lower prices for processed food of much greater energy density; increased food serving sizes and price incentives to eat more; and heavy marketing of high energy foods, drinks and takeaways.

"There are now signs of political commitment to addressing overweight and obesity. Doctors should get behind this and help mobilise community support," Professor Catford said.

In the same issue of the Journal, Professor Timothy Welborn, from the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia, and colleagues, evaluate the effectiveness of the waist-hip ratio for predicting cardiovascular disease.

The study analyses a sample of over 9,000 adults aged from 20 to 69 years from Australian capital cities. Blood pressure, blood fat levels, smoking, history of heart disease or diabetes, and obesity as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-hip ratio were recorded.

The longitudinal study found that obesity, measured by waist-hip ratio (central obesity), is a better independent predictor of heart disease deaths of Australian men and women that waist circumference, which, in turn, is a better predictor than BMI.

Also in this issue of the Journal, Dr Kylie Ball and colleagues from the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (Deakin University), discuss the findings of their investigation into the weight-management strategies of 445 women aged between 18 and 32 years.

Almost a third of the women in the study were overweight or obese and over 60 per cent had used a weight loss method in the past 12 months. Some women spent more than $3,000, with a mean expenditure of $441 per woman among those using a weight-loss method.

"Young women are investing considerable amounts of money to manage their weight," Dr Ball said.

"Increasing rates of obesity suggest that young women's efforts to manage their weight are ineffective.

"Promotion of safe, low-cost weight-management strategies - including low-fat healthy eating, as well as walking for exercise - could help alleviate the substantial health and economic costs of obesity and weight control," Dr Ball said. 

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

CONTACT:     Professor John Catford 03 9244 6025 / 0407 850 056

                   Professor Timothy Welborn 08 9389 8414 / 08 9386 6066

                   Dr Kylie Ball 03 9251 7310 / 0414 683 985

Judith Tokley, AMA 02 6270 5471  / 0408 824 306