Playing field far from level on obesity
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 02 June 2008: 3.
Abstract
Professor [Garry Jennings]'s comments follow The Weekend Australian revealing research that found the obesity epidemic had been exaggerated, with low-income families the main victims of increasing obesity. As the debate spilled over into the politial arena, Professor Jennings said there was no doubt poorer children were fatter and childhood obesity was directly linked to poverty.
"The wealthier are getting thinner and the poorer are going the other way," said Professor Jennings, who is also the director of Melbourne-based Baker Heart Institute. "It relates to better education and knowledge in the upper socio-economic groups.
Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson accused the Government of spin and said the Prime Minister had been telling everyone there was "some sort of obesity epidemic or obesity crisis".
THE unmasking of the obesity epidemic myth continued yesterday, with one of the nation's leading medical researchers throwing his support behind its debunking.
Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes president Garry Jennings said slimness had become a sign of affluence, with poorer people more likely to be obese for genetic and economic reasons.
Professor Jennings's comments follow The Weekend Australian revealing research that found the obesity epidemic had been exaggerated, with low-income families the main victims of increasing obesity. As the debate spilled over into the politial arena, Professor Jennings said there was no doubt poorer children were fatter and childhood obesity was directly linked to poverty.
"The wealthier are getting thinner and the poorer are going the other way," said Professor Jennings, who is also the director of Melbourne-based Baker Heart Institute. "It relates to better education and knowledge in the upper socio-economic groups.
"But it is not just that the disadvantaged don't know what they're doing when it comes to their diets."
Professor Jennings said research showed that when life got tough people instinctively went for the maximum number of calories per dollar. That tended to be found in fast fatty foods with lots of refined carbohydrates, sugars and salt.
"Our research shows there are critical times during pregnancy and early life where too much fat and sugar and not enough healthy food can pre-program someone for the rest of their life to gain weight and get heart disease," he said.
"If your mother is fat, your genes function differently. If a child is exposed to a high level of sugar and fats in the uterus, then gene functioning is altered and those children are much more likely to be overweight and suffer all the consequences of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure."
National debate has erupted over the appropriateness of a broadscale $62million federal government obesity campaign. Kevin Rudd has said the campaign will not be altered despite the new findings.
Research by University of Sydney academic Jenny O'Dea, published in The Weekend Australian on Saturday, found that childhood obesity levels had not increased overall between 2000 and 2006. The only statistically significant increases in obesity were among boys and girls from low-income households.
Children from poorer families were 2 1/2 times more likely to be obese than children from high-income families.
Associate Professor O'Dea said the so-called obesity epidemic had been exaggerated, and limited health funds should be more carefully targeted towards at-risk groups.
Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson accused the Government of spin and said the Prime Minister had been telling everyone there was "some sort of obesity epidemic or obesity crisis".
Mr Rudd defended his launch of a broadscale $62million national campaign to fight obesity, saying the rates were heading up, not down, and the Government was determined to act.
Professor Jennings said the research showed anti-obesity campaigns needed to be targeted.
Opinion -- Page 8
Editorial -- Page 9
Credit: John Stapleton
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