OBESITY

Obesity

Obesity

Why obesity is a National Health Priority in Australia

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfares [AlHW] report on 'Australia's Health (2010)' has acknowledged that Australia has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Many health problems can be caused by obesity and this health issue significantly increases health care costs in Australia (Abbott, 2010). Obesity is a National Health Priority in Australia because, this issue is in the entire population of Australia, what really perplexing is it prevalence in the young children. Child obesity is the most dangerous threat. The obesity and overweight are the threats which are faced by most of the population in Australia.

This area is considered as the highest rate of obesity prevalence. The statistics of obesity in this area is as following: there are six children who are 26%obese. Australia borough's obesity rate is increasing with 14.4% every year. In Australia the adults who are suffering from this threat are 50000 (Abbott, 2010). There are 125 Australia residents who died in 2003 because of obesity. There is 7% of the population who died in Australia due to this threat. In Australia, the overall cost of the diseases which are related to obesity and overweight is forecasted for the next year as $86.1 million and this rate is increasing by 2015 to $92.1 million (Willis, 2011).

Determinants of Health

Obesity is considered as the chronic condition in which the person has excessive amount of fat in his body (Speiser, 2005). This fat can cause his health negatively, in adults and children this threat is classified initially with the abnormal weight that can cause the health impairment. The body mass index defines obesity and overweight among people. Body mass index has been calculated as kilograms divided by heights. BMI has somewhat limitations. These limitations are there is no distinguish between lean mass and fat. BMI is the great estimation of the total fat of the body and its population level (Barness, 2007). The body fat distribution is significant because there is a strong relationship between the cardiovascular disease risk and the abnormal fat. The better prediction of obesity is the waist circumference. This prediction is pertinent to the disease in relation to childhood obesity in Australia. There are numerous factors, which add to this issue, or rather cause the factor of obesity to be induced in to children. These factors or causes range from both the genetic aspects to the self-induced features (Prender, 2011).

Health promotion in relation to childhood obesity as a health issue in Australia

It clearly depicts that if the factor of obesity is not tackled in the initial years of a child's life, then it is liable to pose numerous consequences for the child, which will be detrimental to his/her psychological, emotional, physical and social development. The child is prone to have numerous health related issues, such as eating disorders, heart related issues, imbalance physical structure and much more. Moreover, if it is not catered in the childhood, there are fair ...