Obesity must be the biggest killer in the world

AS I sit aghast watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I applaud the inspirational approach Jamie takes to making change. Well Done!

It also makes me sad though- I feel we are watching forward waiting for a tsunami to hit (such as a HIV endemic, or an anthrax outbreak from a terrorist attack), while a mud slide is coming from behind about to wipe us out.

Obesity is affecting 50% of Australians.

Statistically it has poorer out-comes than breast cancer (from when I last looked anyway)!

If you look at statistics of Australian cohorts:          

                 

figures	obesity	breast cancer
incidences	1 in 2 people (50%)	only 1 in 9
recovery rates	10-15%	80%
cross over with other diseases	Multiple System failure – eg diabetes, heart disease, stroke risk. Terribly high association with obesity.	low. Usually singular disease state
public fear state and attitude	?? too complacent	Terrified

 

How have we allowed this modern and SO PREVENTABLE disease to evolve right beneath our commercially driven eyes? Maybe it is time to reassess who helps obese people in the country now. Maybe the message is wrong, may the professionals “hired to do the job” by the government – ie the general practitioner or dietician are failing to achieve their mandate. Maybe its time to give naturopaths some empowerment. Most of our obesity issue is half what we eat, but also the horrific stressful states we spend our lives trapped in. Life really isn’t so important that we have to get stressed about running late to the hair dresser but we do. So obesity needs to be treated with food in mind, but also the driving factors surrounding people’s perceived lack of time to cook, shop organically etc. and helping people make change in that area of their life, takes trust , inspiration and time. Not 3 minute medicine I am afraid.

Let a whollistic professional give it a go. Empower a few other trained and highly skilled practitioners to have a go. Naturopaths and nutritionist with tertiary education definitely should be medicare recognised.

Go Jamie Go! You are doing great things.