Health+Priority+Area+-+Obesity

=Australian Bureau of Statistics= 4829.0.55.001 - Health of Children in Australia: A Snapshot, 2004-05


 * DATA SOURCES **

Unless otherwise stated, information for this article is drawn from the 2004-05 National Health Survey (NHS). Other data sources include the 2001 NHS, 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS), 2003 Survey of Disability Ageing and Carers (SDAC) and administrative data collections on mortality and hospitalisation. This article generally focuses on the health characteristics of children aged under 15 years. Consistent with ABS survey practice, information about the long-term health conditions of children of this age is collected in the NHS from an adult in the household, usually the child's parent.


 * LIFESTYLE RISK FACTORS **
 * The 2004 NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (SPANS) showed that 26% of boys and 24% of girls in NSW aged approximately 5-16 years were overweight or obese, compared with 11% of all young people aged 7-16 years in 1985 (COO 2006).
 * The 2004 SPANS found that there has been a recent increase in the proportion of children who fulfil the exercise requirements of moderate to vigorous physical activity according to the Australian Physical Activity Recommendations for Children and Young People (DoHA 2005). Nevertheless, the level of sedentary behaviour for children is still high. (COO 2006) [|(footnote 13)].
 * In the 12 months to April 2006, 63% of children aged 5-14 years participated in sport, outside of school hours, which had been organised by a school, club or association. This was an increase of two percentage points in the rate of participation from 2003 (ABS 2006d).
 * Children spent an average of 20 hours over a school fortnight in the 12 months to April 2006 watching television, videos or DVDs and also spent an average of eight hours playing electronic or computer games (ABS 2006d).

13. The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Youth aged 5-18 years recommend that students spend at least an hour participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day. They also recommend that children should not spend more than two hours per day playing computer games, watching television or using the internet for entertainment.


 * INDIGENOUS CHILDREN **
 * In 2004-05, 44% of Indigenous children aged under 15 years were reported to have at least one type of long term health condition, which was not significantly different from the corresponding rate for non-Indigenous children (41%)(ABS 2006e).
 * The most common long term health conditions among Indigenous children were diseases of the respiratory system (19%), diseases of the ear and mastoid (10%), and diseases of the eye and adnexa (8%) (ABS 2006e).
 * The prevalence of ear/hearing problems, including total/partial hearing loss and otitis media (middle ear infection), was three times higher among Indigenous than non-Indigenous children (ABS 2006e).
 * Between 1999 and 2003, mortality rates for Indigenous infants were nearly three times higher than those for other Australian infants (AIHW 2006).
 * According to data combined from Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, in 1999-2003, the death rate for Indigenous children aged 1-14 years was 39 per 100,000 children, compared with 16 deaths per 100,000 among other Australian children (AIHW 2006).
 * According to the 2000-02 National Perinatal Data Collection, babies of Indigenous mothers were twice as likely as those born to non-Indigenous mothers to have low birthweight (13% compared with 6%) (AIHW 2005b).
 * In 2004-05, nine in ten Indigenous children who were aged under seven years and living in non-remote areas were reported as being vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and haemophiles influenza type B (ABS 2006e).
 * In 2003-04, Indigenous infants aged less than one year were hospitalised at a rate that was one-and-one-thirds higher than that for non-Indigenous infants while among children aged 1-14 years, rates of hospitalisation were similar for most conditions regardless of Indigenous status (ABS 2005b).
 * Diseases of the respiratory system was the most common reason for hospitalisation for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children aged 1-14 years (ABS 2005b).

=Australian Bureau of Statistics= 4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, Sep 2009


 * CHILDREN WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE**


 * INTRODUCTION**

Obesity is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Around the world, levels of childhood obesity have been rising for a number of reasons including the fact that children are eating more foods that are high in fat and sugars and spending less time on physical activity. ([|Endnote 1])

Overweight and obesity in children is a major health concern. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing both short and long-term health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. ([|Endnote 2])

Obesity not only has significant health and social impacts, but also considerable economic impacts. In 2008, the total annual cost of obesity for both children and adults in Australia, including health system costs, productivity and carers costs, was estimated to be around $58 billion. ([|Endnote 3])


 * **DATA SOURCES AND DEFINITIONS**

The information in this article comes from the 2007–08 National Health Survey (NHS) and 2006 Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities Survey.

This article looks at children aged 5–17 years unless stated otherwise.


 * Body Mass Inde****x** **(BMI)** was calculated from measured height and weight information (using the formula weight (kg) divided by the square of height (m)). Height and weight were measured for children aged 5–17 years in the 2007–08 NHS.


 * Overweight and obesity** are defined according to the BMI scores. There are BMI cutoffs for children which are based on the definitions of adult overweight and obesity adjusted to specific age and sex categories for children. For a detailed list of these cutoffs, please see the[| National Health Survey Users' Guide] (ABS cat. no. 4363.0.55.001).

Physical activity results from the 2006 Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities Survey may not represent total physical activity, since the survey only covers sport organised by a school, club or association which has been played outside school hours.

The 2007–08 National Health Survey collected information on the physical activity of children aged 15–17 only. ||


 * CHANGES OVER TIME**

In 2007–08, one-quarter of all Australian children, or around 600,000 children aged 5–17 years, were overweight or obese, up four percentage points from 1995 (21%).

The obesity rate for children increased from 5% in 1995 to 8% in 2007–08 with the proportion overweight remaining around 17% over this time period. This shows a shift towards the higher and heavier end of the body mass index.

The rates were much higher for adults, with 61% of Australian adults overweight or obese in 2007–08.

**CHILDREN'S BODY MASS INDEX - 1995, 2007-08(a)**

(a) Based on measured height and weight of children aged 5–17 years. (b) Differences between the numbers in 1995 and 2007-08 are not statistically significant. Source: [|National Health Survey: Summary of Results, 2007-2008] (ABS cat. no. 4364.0)


 * Age and sex**

Between 1995 and 2007–08 there was no change in the proportion of boys who were overweight (16%). However, there was a significant increase in the proportion of boys who were obese. Over this time, the rate of obesity for boys aged 5–17 years doubled from 5% in 1995 to 10% in 2007–08. Increases in obesity occurred for both younger and older boys. For boys aged 5–12 years, 8% were obese (up from 4% in 1995) while 13% of older boys (aged 13–17 years) were obese, up from 6% in 1995.

The story for girls was different to that of boys. While for boys there were significant increases in obesity, there were no such increases for girls. The obesity rate for girls aged 5–17 remained unchanged at 6%.

While the obesity rate for girls did not change from 1995 to 2007–08, the proportion of girls who were overweight increased. The increase, however, occurred for older girls only (aged 13–17 years), up from 12% in 1995 to 20% in 2007–08. In contrast, there was no change for younger girls (aged 5–12 years) with the overweight rate remaining constant at 17% in both time periods.

In 2007–08, a higher proportion of older children were overweight or obese (19% and 9% respectively) than younger children (16% and 7%).


 * Socioeconomic factors**

The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Disadvantage summarises various attributes (such as income, unemployment and educational attainment) of an area in which people live. Aside from socioeconomic differences between areas in terms of education, income and employment, some areas may also offer greater opportunities for physical activity and greater access to healthy food options. ([|Endnote 4])

Children living in the areas of greatest relative disadvantage had higher rates of being overweight (20%) compared with children living in lower relative disadvantage areas (14%) and had more than double the rate of obesity (12%) compared with children living in areas with the lowest disadvantage (5%).


 * OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY INTO EARLY ADULTHOOD**

Children who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of developing certain health conditions, such as cardiovascular conditions and Type 2 diabetes, compared with children of normal weight. They also have a higher risk of psychological and social problems, such as discrimination, victimisation and bullying. Obesity, in particular, may continue into adulthood and affect long-term health. ([|Endnote 5])

Although the National Health Surveys collect data at one point in time, it is possible to observe changes over time in the overweight and obesity rates for a cohort of people born in the same period.

In this approach, survey respondents aged 5–17 years in 1995 and those aged 18–30 years in 2007–08, while not the same respondents, are used to represent the same group of people as they age 13 years.

About 16% of children (aged 5–17) were overweight in 1995 compared with 28% of 18–30 year olds in 2007–08. The rate of obesity also increased. About 5% of the children's cohort were obese in 1995, compared with 15% of 18–30 year olds in 2007–08.

The greatest increase in overweight and obesity occurred for older children (aged 13–17 years). In 1995, 16% were overweight and 5% were obese, whereas the figures for 26–30 year olds in 2007–08 were 35% and 17% respectively.


 * PHYSICAL ACTIVITY**

Physical activity can include any activity which requires a child to expend energy, including sports or simply playing. Regular physical activity helps children to expend the calories they consume in their diet, while building and maintaining healthy bodies, and so reduces the risk of becoming obese. ([|Endnote 6])

The 2004 Australia's Physical Activity Recommendations for Children suggest that children aged 5–18 years need a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. ([|Endnote 7])

The following section looks at physical activity using results from two ABS surveys.


 * Children aged 5–14 years**

The 2006 Children's Participation in Culture and Leisure Activities Survey collected information on the participation of children aged 5–14 years in organised sports and informal sports during the 12 months prior to interview. It provides insight into some of the physical activities children aged 5–14 are participating in.

In 2006, 63% of children had played sport which had been organised by a school, club or association (outside of school hours), an increase from 59% in 2000. Over the six year period, girls' participation in organised sport rose by six percentage points from 52% to 58% compared with three percentage points for boys (from 66% to 69%).

While the participation rates were similar for children aged five years (boys 46% and girls 44%), by 13 years of age the participation rate for boys was 73%, while for girls it was 55%. The rate of participation for boys peaked around 8-13 years, while for girls it was around 9-11 years.

Children who did participate were spending, on average, six hours per fortnight on organised sport participation. Swimming and outdoor soccer were the most popular sports (17% and 13% respectively).

The survey also collected information on informal sports, such as bike riding, rollerblading and skateboarding, to get some indication of children's involvement in informal physical activity.

The survey found that 68% of children had been bike riding and 24% had been skateboarding or rollerblading in the previous two weeks. The amount of time spent on these informal activities was the same as organised sport participation, with an average of six hours per fortnight.

**CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN ORGANISED SPORT(a) - 2006**

(a) In the 12 months prior to interview. Source: [|Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2006] (ABS cat. no. 4901.0)


 * Non-participation in organised sport**

An estimated 37%, or almost 974,000 children, did not take part in an organised sport in 2006. The rate of non-participation was greater for girls (42%) than boys (31%). Children aged 5–8 years were least likely (42%) to take part in organised sport, while 30% of children aged 9–11 and 36% of 12–14 year olds did not participate in organised sport.


 * Children aged 15–17 years**

In 2007–08 over three-quarters (77%) of children aged 15–17 took part in sport or recreational exercise in the two weeks prior to the National Health Survey. Almost 13% of children took part in high level exercise over a two-week period, while around 65% took part in moderate to low level exercise. However, just under one-quarter (23%) said that they either did no exercise, or very low amounts, during the two-week period.


 * SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES**

Children who spend significant amounts of time in sedentary states, such as watching TV or playing computer games, increase their likelihood of poor fitness, raised cholesterol and being overweight in adulthood. ([|Endnote 7]) Related research has also shown that the incidence of obesity is highest among children who watch TV for long periods each day, compared with children who watch TV for a smaller amount of time each day. ([|Endnote 8])

Australian recommendations say that children should not spend more than two hours a day watching TV, playing computer games or using other electronic media for entertainment. ([|Endnote 7])

In 2006, most children (97%) aged 5–14 had watched television, videos or DVDs during the two-week period of the survey, and almost two-thirds had played electronic or computer games (64%). Around 45% of children who watched television, videos or DVDs, and 10% of children who played electronic or computer games, did so for 20 hours or more over the two-week period.

Overall, the average amount of time spent on these two activities by children (averaged across a two-week period) was two hours per day, the maximum amount of time recommended under Australian guidelines. The time spent on these activities was similar to that spent in 2000 and 2003.

**PROPORTION OF CHILDREN'S TIME SPENT ON SELECTED ACTIVITIES(a) - 2006**

(a) Children aged 5–14 years who were involved in these activities outside of school hours, during the two school weeks prior to interview. (b) Average time spent on informal activities including bike riding and skateboarding/rollerblading. Source: [|Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2006] (ABS cat. no. 4901.0)


 * LOOKING AHEAD**

Overweight and obesity, in both children and adults, is a major health concern. In 2007, the Australian Government announced the development and promotion of healthy eating and physical activity guidelines for children. These measures will form part of the Government's Plan for Early Childhood and Plan for Tackling Obesity.([|Endnote 6]) One of the main aims of the National Preventative Health Taskforce is to develop a National Obesity Strategy. ([|Endnote 9])

**ENDNOTES**

1. World Health Organisation, Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, Overweight and Obesity, viewed 6 July 2009, <[]>.

2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Risk Factor Monitoring, A Rising Epidemic: Obesity in Australian Children and Adolescents, Canberra, 2004.

3. Access Economics, The Cost of Obesity, Canberra, 2008.

4. King T, Kavanagh A M, Jolley D, Turrell D and Crawford D, 2005, 'Weight and Place; a Multilevel Cross Sectional Survey of Area-Level Disadvantage and Overweight and Obesity in Australia', International Journal of Obesity, pp 1–7.

5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Making Progress, Canberra, 2008.

6. Department of Health and Ageing, Early Childhood Nutrition, viewed 15 June 2009, <[|www.health.gov.au]>.

7. Department of Health and Ageing, Australia's Physical Activity Recommendations for Children, viewed 21 May 2009, <[|www.health.gov.au]>.

8. National Health and Medical Research Council, Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents 2003, viewed 6 May 2009. <[|www.health.gov.au]>.

9. Australian Health Ministers Communique, Delivering Results, 18 April 2008.

Healthy Kids https://healthy-kids.com.au/category/84/obesity

Childhood Obesity - Where are we now?
Posted by:Kelly Crawford Wed 20 June 2012 Childhood obesity is a pressing issue for many countries, including Australia. Healthy Kids Association is a health promotion charity that aims to influence and promote healthy food choices for children. We aim to reduce childhood overweight and obesity and the incidence of diet-related diseases in children. The purpose of this article is to educate the public on childhood obesity and where we go from here.

Obesity: What is it?
Overweight and obesity are states of the body that exist when people are carrying more weight than they should for their height. Health professionals will often use growth charts to track a child’s weight and height, noting what percentile the child is falling within. Children who fall within the 85th to 95th percentiles for weight are considered to be overweight while children falling above the 95th percentile for weight are considered to be obese.

Alternatively, a health professional may use a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation to chart a child on a BMI percentile chart. BMI is a number calculated from a child’s weight and height. Again, if the BMI percentile is 85th to 95th, the child is considered to be overweight while 95th percentile and above is considered to be obese. If BMI is high, additional tests may be conducted to fully determine the child’s weight status (CDC, 2011).

How bad is it?
In Australia, 17% of children ages 12 through 16 are overweight and 6% are obese (2007 National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey). Childhood overweight or obesity in the 1960’s was 5% but in 2010, it rose to 23%. The numbers in NSW are very similar. According to the Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey 2010 (SPANS), 17.1% of NSW children are overweight and 5.8% are obese for a combined total of 22.8%. This means that around 250,000 children in NSW are overweight or obese. If obesity prevalence increases over the next 20 years in line with current trends, there will be 6.9 million obese Australians by 2025.

Recent reports from Australia, the United States, France, Sweden and New Zealand have noted stabilisation in childhood overweight and obesity rates over the last five to ten years. In Australia, prevalence has flattened in the last decade. However, evidence shows that adult overweight and obesity prevalence continues to rise (Olds et. al, 2010). Even with this plateau, the current childhood overweight and obesity figures bring significant physical and mental health issues (Olds et. al, 2010).

If we do not reverse the trend of childhood obesity, the health problems children will face are staggering. This will also lead to huge healthcare costs. Recent figures suggest that the “total direct cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2005 was $21 billion" (Colagiuri et. al, 2010). This figure does not include indirect costs, which elevate the total per year to over $50 million. This figure will only increase if the current obesity rates continue.

Complications of Childhood Obesity
The complications of childhood obesity go far beyond physical appearance. Childhood obesity brings an increased likelihood of:
 * Psychosocial difficulties such as depression and decreased socialisation. Overweight or obese children can be bullied in school, which can contribute to low self-esteem and lack of confidence.
 * Hyperlipidemia-increased fat in the blood, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
 * Hypertension-high blood pressure.
 * Hyperinsulinemia, which is an increased level of insulin (a hormone) in the blood, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
 * Fatty liver disease, where there is a build up of fat in the liver that replaces healthy cells.
 * Respiratory problems such as asthma and sleep apnoea.

Why has it gotten worse?
People become overweight when the energy that they consume through food and beverages is more than the energy that they expel during physical activity. There is no one person or place to blame for childhood obesity. Over time there have been significant changes in our environment. More people are eating out and are eating out more often. There is an increased reliance on “convenience foods” which are often higher in fat, sodium, and sugar than cooking something from scratch. There is also an increased availability of energy dense, nutrient poor food and beverages, which are often available at a low cost.

With both parents working, there is less time to prepare meals and there are dozens of activities that pull children away from the dinner table and into eating on the run. Children spend more time in front of screens such as television, computer, and video game screens and less time being physically active. Marry this with larger portion sizes, junk food marketing to children, and driving to places where we used to walk to and you have heavier and less active children.

Recent figures show that less than half of NSW children in years K, 2 and 4 met Australian physical activity guidelines (at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day) (Hardy, 2011). In Western Australia, type 2 diabetes incidence from 1990-2002 increased 27% annually for children under the age of 17. Over half of these children were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent (Davis, 2004). In NSW, from 2001-2006, 11% of newly diagnosed diabetes in children ages 10-18 were type 2 diabetes cases. Over half of these children were from minority groups (Craig et. al, 2007).

Inadequate vegetable consumption and an increase in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are also risk factors for childhood obesity and diet-related diseases. According to data from the NSW Population Health survey, only 43.1% of children ages 2 through 15 consume the recommended amounts of vegetables. In addition, 15.3% of children consume 6-10 cups of sugar-sweetened drinks per week and 13.5% of children consume 11 or more cups of sugar sweetened drinks per week (NSW Child Health Survey, 2010). These statistics are especially concerning because “each can of soft drink consumed per day increases the rate of being obese by 60%” (Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, 2003).

Who’s responsibility is it?
The childhood obesity epidemic is being tackled from a variety of angles from the individual level all the way to public policy. There are educational programs targeted at parents and children, state governments have implemented guidelines for canteens to follow regarding what food and beverages are sold in the canteen, food companies are trying to scale back their advertising to children and some food companies are even reformulating products to make them healthier. Schools are introducing gardening and cooking programs to increase food literacy in children and urban planners are trying to redesign cities to make them easier to walk and cycle in. Although these things are all good, more is needed to bring down the childhood obesity levels and ensure a healthy future for our children.

There are many things that you can do to help with this issue. If you are a caregiver, you can: There are numerous other ways to get involved in preventing childhood obesity:
 * Model healthy eating yourself. Children are far more likely to eat what they see the adults in their lives eating.
 * Limit extra foods such as confectionary and soft drink.
 * Choose a variety of foods from the main food groups: vegetables and legumes, fruit, dairy food, lean protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs and nuts, and wholegrains from breads, cereals, rice and pasta.
 * Be physically active with your family. Go for walks, play outside, turn off the TV.
 * Limit your child’s screen time. Don’t allow your child to have a TV in his or her bedroom.
 * Get children involved in the kitchen. Children are far more likely to eat what they have helped to prepare. Plus, by teaching them how to prepare food, you will give them the skills they will use for their whole lives.
 * Provide an array of healthy snack options that are easily accessible to your children.
 * Encourage your children to try new foods, including fruits and vegetables.
 * Don’t pressure your children to finish what is on their plates. Most children will stop when they are satistfied.
 * Avoid using food as a reward for good behaviour and don’t restrict certain foods when giving punishment. This can develop feelings around food that can later cause unhealthy habits.
 * Advocate to your local representative to fund programs that assist parents, schools and your community to create a healthy environment for children.
 * Support organisations such as Healthy Kids Association that are doing something to help fight childhood obesity and diet-related diseases in children.
 * Get involved in the canteen in your local school. Help to prepare healthy menu options for students.
 * Contact your local council to encourage them to keep green spaces green and limit development on them so that children have safe spaces to play.

Conclusion
In the end, we want our children to have fullness of life and good health far into adulthood. They will be robbed of this unless more is done to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.

Overweight or obese people(a)

 * Footnote(s):** (a) Based on measured BMI (see Health glossary). Excludes those for whom body measurements were not taken.
 * Source(s):** ABS data available on request, 1995 and 2007-08 National Health Survey
 * OBESITY**

Obesity may have significant health, social and economic impacts and is closely related to lack of exercise and to diet. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of suffering from a range of conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, knee and hip problems and sleep apnoea. In 2008, the total annual cost of obesity in Australia, including health system costs, productivity declines and carers' costs, was estimated at around $58 billion (Access Economics 2008).



The proportion of adults (aged 18 years or over) classified as obese or overweight has increased from 56% in 1995 to 61% in 2007-08. For men, the increase was from 64% to 68% in 2007-08, while for women, the proportion rose from 49% to 55%.

In 2007-08, one quarter of Australian children (or around 600,000 children aged 5-17 years) were overweight or obese, up four percentage points from 1995. In relation to obesity only, the rate for children (aged 5-17 years) increased from 5.2% in 1995 to 7.5% in 2007-08. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing diseases associated with obesity (AIHW 2004).

Obesity in Australia http://www.modi.monash.edu.au/obesity-facts-figures/obesity-in-australia/

Australia is today ranked as one of the fattest nations in the developed world. The prevalence of obesity in Australia has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
Here is a round up of Australian obesity facts & figures. Of great concern is the health consequence to Indigenous Australians, who are today twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to be obese and are ranked the fourth-highest population in the world that is likely to suffer from type-2 diabetes.

Obesity in Australia

 * In Australia, more than 17 million Australians are overweight or obese.
 * More than four million Australians are obese (BMI > 30.0 kg/m2). [|READ MORE]
 * If weight gain continues at current levels, by 2020, 80% of all Australian adults and a third of all children will be overweight or obese.
 * Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature death and illness in Australia. [|READ MORE]
 * Obesity has become the single biggest threat to public health in Australia.
 * On the basis of present trends we can predict that by the time they reach the age of 20 our kids will have a shorter life expectancy than earlier generations simply because of obesity.
 * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are 1.9 times as likely as non-indigenous Australians to be obese.

Secondary Complications

 * More than 900,000 Australians suffer from diabetes. [|READ MORE]
 * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have the fourth highest rate of Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, or NIDDM) in the world and are 1.9 times as likely as non-indigenous Australians to be obese.
 * Australians reporting heart, stroke and vascular diseases aged 15 years and over were much more likely to be classified as overweight or obese than those without heart stroke and vascular disease (65% compared with 51%).
 * Health disorders in children like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, hypertension and sleep apnea can be directly attributed to childhood obesity.
 * Cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD) account for approximately quarter of the burden of disease in Australia, and just under two-thirds of all deaths. These three diseases often occur together and share risk factors, such as physical inactivity, overweight and obesity and high blood pressure.

Overweight and Obesity in Australia http://www.health.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/overweight-obesity

Adults
For the first time since 1995 the 2007-08 National Health Survey (NHS) has measured the height, weight, hip and waist circumference of respondents aged 5 years or more.

Results from this survey reveal that in 2007-08, 61.4% of the Australian population are either overweight or obese[|1]. The Australian Government is currently planning the implementation of an ongoing data collection to measure nutrition, physical activity, physical measurement and chronic disease risk factor data in the Australian population. The first survey will be undertaken as part of the Australian Health Survey which is due to commence in March 2011.
 * 42.1% of adult males and 30.9% of adult females were classified as overweight (Body Mass Index between 25.0 and 30.0 kg/m2).
 * 25.6% of males and 24% of females were classified as obese (Body Mass Index > 30.0 kg/m2).

Older Australians
In 2007-08[|1], 39.9% of males between the ages of 55-64, 45.1% of males between the ages of 65-74 and 52.8% of males aged 75 years and over, were classified as overweight while 35%, 33.9% and 21.5% respectively, were classified as obese.

For females, 34.6% between the ages of 55-64, 42% between the ages of 65-74 and 31.8% aged 75 years and over, were classified as overweight, while 33.4%, 29.4% and 25.1 % respectively, were classified as obese.

For more information on the 2007-08 National Health Survey visit the Australian Bureau of Statistics website at: [|www.abs.gov.au]

Children and Adolescents
For children and adolescents, the 2007-08 National Health Survey results indicate that 24.9% of children aged 5 – 17 years are overweight or obese. 25.8% of boys and 24.0% of girls are either overweight or obese.

These results are similar to the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (the Children’s Survey) released in October 2008. The Children’s survey measured food intake, physical activity participation and physical measurements in a sample of 4,487 children aged 2-16 years from across Australia.

For more information on the Children’s Survey visit the Department of Health and Ageing website at: www.health.gov.au/nutritionmonitoring

[|Top of Page]

Health consequences of overweight and obesity
For adults, the health problems and consequences of obesity are many and varied, including musculo-skeletal problems, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension to name a few[|2] Many of these health problems are preventable though a healthy and active lifestyle. In particular, regular physical activity reduces cardiovascular risk in its own right and also improves levels of cardiovascular risk factors such as overweight, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes[|3].

With respect to children, the most important long term consequence of childhood obesity is its persistence into adulthood. Once a child is overweight or obese it is unlikely that they will spontaneously revert to a healthy weight, predisposing them to the health concerns listed above for adults. Obese children and adolescents also suffer from an increase in medical conditions. For example, the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing in children and adolescents. Other problems associated with excess weight in children and adolescence includes the development of sleep apnoea, heat intolerance, breathlessness on exertion, tiredness and flat feet. Some research suggests that obese children (particularly older girls) also tend to exhibit decreased self-esteem and a significant proportion of children use unhealthy dietary practices for weight control[|4].

=Australian Bureau of Statistics= 4125.0 - Gender Indicators, Australia, Jan 2012 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by+Subject/4125.0~Jan+2012~Main+Features~Overweight+and+obesity~3330


 * OVERWEIGHT/ OBESITY**


 * KEY SERIES**

**OVERWEIGHT/ OBESITY (SELF-REPORTED BODY MASS INDEX) (a)(b), Age standardised (c), 18 years and over**

|| ||
 * [[image:http://www.abs.gov.au/icons/ecblank.gif width="1" height="1"]] || **2001** || **2004-05** || **2007-08** ||
 * [[image:http://www.abs.gov.au/icons/ecblank.gif width="1" height="1"]] || **%** || **%** || **%** ||
 * **Males** || 57.5 || 61.6 || 62.8 ||
 * **Females** || 42.2 || 44.6 || 47.6 ||

(a) Based on self-reported height and weight, For more information see Body Mass Index in[|Glossary (Health).] (b) Excludes persons for whom reported height or weight data was not available. (c) Age standardised in 5 years ranges to 75 years and over to Estimated Resident Population (ERP) as at 30 June 2001.

Source: ABS data available on request, National Health Survey. ||

**OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY**
 * COMMENTARY**

In 2007-08, a higher proportion of males aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese (63%) than were females (48%). These overweight/obesity rates were both up five percentage points on the 2001 results. These estimates are based on people's self reported height and weight.

People being overweight or obese may have significant health, social and economic impacts, and is closely related to lack of exercise and to diet. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of suffering from a range of health conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, knee and hip problems, and sleep apnoea.[|(Endnote 1)]In 2008, the total annual cost of obesity to Australia, including health system costs, loss of productivity costs and carers' costs, was estimated at around $58 billion. [|(Endnote 2)]

While genetics may play a role in a person's propensity to become overweight or obese, the fundamental cause is an imbalance between energy consumed and energy expended. Shifts towards energy-dense diets and decreasing physical activity are two of the factors that have contributed to increases in rates of overweight and obesity.[|(Endnote 3)]

Over the last two decades, there has been a steady shift in the Australian population towards the higher end of the Body Mass Index (BMI), driven mainly by weight gain rather than by changes in height. The BMI, a simple index of weight for height, is commonly used to classify people as overweight and obese. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m2).


 * By age**

In general, rates of overweight/obesity are higher in older age groups, although males and females in the oldest age group (75 years and over) had lower rates. Adult male overweight/obesity rates are higher than female rates across all age groups. In 2007-08, 73% of males in the 65-74 year age group were overweight or obese compared to 39% in the 18-24 year age group. There has been a 10 percentage point increase in the 65-74 year age group male overweight/obesity rate since 2001 when 63% of males in this age group were overweight or obese.

The highest overweight/obesity rate for females in 2007-08 was in the 55-64 year age group (61%), while the lowest rate was in the 18-24 year age group (29%). Since 2001 the proportion of females who were overweight or obese increased for all age groups, with the highest increases occurring in the 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44 year age groups (each up by seven percentage points).

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 * Measured Body Mass Index**

In the 2007-08 National Health Survey (NHS), the measured height and weight of respondents was collected in addition to their self reported information. Based on measured data, 68% of males and 55% of females aged 18 years and over were either overweight or obese (compared to rates of 63% and 48% based the self reported height/weight).

Males and females had similar rates of obesity (26% and 24% respectively), but a higher proportion of males (42%) were overweight than were females (31%). This result may be influenced by the fact that males generally have more muscle mass than females. For males and for females the 65-74 years age group recorded the highest rates of overweight/obesity (79% and 71% respectively).

Measured BMI data from the 2007-08 NHS may be compared with measured BMI data from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey to see how the overweight/obesity rates have changed over the that time. While the proportion of males who were overweight or obese has increased by four percentage points, it has increased by six percentage points for females. These increases have been more at the obese end of the BMI scale, with obesity rates increasing by seven percentage points for males and five percentage points for females over this period.

While being overweight or obese is more prevalent in middle to late adulthood, Australia's increasing obesity is evident in the large numbers of younger people who are now overweight or obese. In 2007-08, 62% of males and 44% of females aged 25-34 years were overweight or obese.



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 * Overweight and obesity in children**

Overweight and obesity in children is a major health concern. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing both short and long-term health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [|(Endnote 4)]

In 2007-08, a quarter of all Australian children aged 5-17 years, were overweight or obese. This was up four percentage points from 21% in 1995. The proportions of boys and girls who were overweight or obese were similar (26% and 24% respectively). Between 1995 and 2007-08, there was no change in the proportion of boys who were overweight (16%) but the proportion of boys who were obese almost doubled from 5% in 1995 to 9% in 2007-08. The increase in the proportion of boys who were obese was higher in the 13-17 year age group (up seven percentage points) compared to the 5-12 year age group (up four percentage points).

The obesity rate for girls aged 5-17 years remained unchanged at 6% during this period, while the proportion of girls who were overweight increased by three percentage points. The increase in the proportion of girls who were overweight occurred for older girls only (13-17 years), up from 12% in 1995 to 20% in 2007-08.



In 2004-05, 62% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and 58% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese. For both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females, the rates for overweight/obesity were higher in older age groups, with nearly three quarters of both the male and female populations aged 55 years and over being overweight or obese.
 * Overweight and obesity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples**



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 * ENDNOTES**

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010, [|__Measures of Australia's Progress, 2010__] (cat. no. 1370.0) <[|__www.abs.gov.au__]>. 2. Access Economics, 2008, [|__The Growing Cost of Obesity in 2008: Three Years On__], Diabetes Australia, Canberra. 3. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009, [|__Australian Social Trends,__ __Dec 2009__] (cat. no. 4102.0) <[|__www.abs.gov.au__]>. 4. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009, [|__Australian Social Trends,__ __Sep 2009__] (cat. no. 4102.0) <[|__www.abs.gov.au__]>.



World Health Organisation =Childhood overweight and obesity= http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/

Childhood overweight and obesity on the rise
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. The problem is global and is steadily affecting many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. The prevalence has increased at an alarming rate. Globally, in 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five, is estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these are living in developing countries. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable. Prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs high priority.
 * [|What is overweight and obesity?]
 * [|Why does it matter?]
 * [|What are the causes?]
 * [|What can be done?]

New!

 * [|Prioritizing areas for action in the field of population-based prevention of childhood obesity]


 * WHO Forum and Technical Meeting on Population-based Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity. Geneva, Switzerland 15-17 December 2009.**
 * [|Click here for more information]

Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
The fundamental causes behind the rising levels of childhood obesity are a shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other healthy micronutrients, and a trend towards decreased levels of physical activity. WHO developed the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health at the request of WHO Member States, which was endorsed by the 57th World Health Assembly, in May 2004. The Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health is a prevention-based strategy that aims to significantly reduce the prevalence of NCDs and their common risk factors, primarily unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

=Obesity and overweight= Fact sheet N°311 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

May 2012

Key facts

 * Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.
 * In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
 * 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
 * More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2010.
 * Obesity is preventable.

What are overweight and obesity?
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). The WHO definition is: BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.
 * a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight
 * a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

Facts about overweight and obesity
Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. In addition, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity. Some WHO global estimates from 2008 follow. In 2010, more than 40 million children under five were overweight. Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight and obesity are now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Close to 35 million overweight children are living in developing countries and 8 million in developed countries. Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight. For example, 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight (this includes all high-income and most middle-income countries).
 * More than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight.
 * Of these overweight adults, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
 * Overall, more than one in ten of the world’s adult population was obese.

What causes obesity and overweight?
The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. Globally, there has been: Changes in dietary and physical activity patterns are often the result of environmental and societal changes associated with development and lack of supportive policies in sectors such as health, agriculture, transport, urban planning, environment, food processing, distribution, marketing and education.
 * an increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat, salt and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients; and
 * a decrease in physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization.

What are common health consequences of overweight and obesity?
Raised BMI is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases such as: The risk for these noncommunicable diseases increases, with the increase in BMI. Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects.
 * cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke), which were the leading cause of death in 2008;
 * diabetes;
 * musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis - a highly disabling degenerative disease of the joints);
 * some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).

Facing a double burden of disease
Many low- and middle-income countries are now facing a "double burden" of disease. Children in low- and middle-income countries are more vulnerable to inadequate pre-natal, infant and young child nutrition At the same time, they are exposed to high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt, energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods, which tend to be lower in cost. These dietary patterns in conjunction with low levels of physical activity, result in sharp increases in childhood obesity while undernutrition issues remain unsolved.
 * While they continue to deal with the problems of infectious disease and under-nutrition, they are experiencing a rapid upsurge in noncommunicable disease risk factors such as obesity and overweight, particularly in urban settings.
 * It is not uncommon to find under-nutrition and obesity existing side-by-side within the same country, the same community and the same household.

How can overweight and obesity be reduced?
Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices, making the healthier choice of foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice, and therefore preventing obesity. At the individual level, people can: Individual responsibility can only have its full effect where people have access to a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, at the societal level it is important to: The food industry can play a significant role in promoting healthy diets by:
 * limit energy intake from total fats;
 * increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts;
 * limit the intake of sugars;
 * engage in regular physical activity;
 * achieve energy balance and a healthy weight.
 * support individuals in following the recommendations above, through sustained political commitment and the collaboration of many public and private stakeholders;
 * make regular physical activity and healthier dietary patterns affordable and easily accessible too all - especially the poorest individuals.
 * reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of processed foods;
 * ensuring that healthy and nutritious choices are available and affordable to all consumers;
 * practicing responsible marketing;
 * ensuring the availability of healthy food choices and supporting regular physical activity practice in the workplace.

WHO response
Adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2004, the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health describes the actions needed to support healthy diets and regular physical activity. The Strategy calls upon all stakeholders to take action at global, regional and local levels to improve diets and physical activity patterns at the population level. WHO has developed the //2008-2013 Action plan for the global strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases// to help the millions who are already affected cope with these lifelong illnesses and prevent secondary complications. This action plan aims to build on, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The action plan provides a roadmap to establish and strengthen initiatives for the surveillance, prevention and management of NCDs.

Wow- lots of useful and great information, Michelle. Mine is crap. If there needs to be more of a focus on one thing and you need help with it, let me know and I can look at it specifically. Apart from netball on Sat, I am going to be here doing work.

Suz- As a result of targeting obesity as the health priority area, the students and the school community will - improve their knowledge and promote healthy behaviour through promoting and implemention of ___ program.__

__ - increase their physical levels of activity through __(name physical program/curriculum) at school. - increase availability of healthy foods through __initiatives/programs(canteen, fruit thingy and Breaky club) Obesity is the greatest public health challenge. It has been identified and focussed on nationally by the Australian government as one of the 8 National Health Priority Areas.( http://www.aihw.gov.au/) LRCS promotes student health by focussing on students' nutrition through programs such as Fresh tastes NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy ( as required by all NSW Gov. Schools(www.schools.nsw.edu.au/studentsupport) by providing a healthy and nutritious canteen menu and educating both students and parents through the school's website(under students' health). Following the NSW Childhood Obesity Summit in 2002, the NSW Government launched Fresh Tastes @

School, a healthy canteen strategy that defines, through a set of nutrient criteria, foods and drinks that

should be sold on no more than 2 occasions per school term. (http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/resources/publichealth/surveys/hsc_0910pub.pdf)

Knowledge of Fresh Tastes @ School Strategy: 64.8 per cent of parents or carers had ever heard of the healthy school canteen strategy Fresh Tastes @ School (61.6 per cent metropolitan; 71.5 per cent  rural-regional). There has been a significant decrease in the proportion of parents or carers who had ever heard of the healthy school canteen strategy Fresh Tastes @ School between 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 (77.4 per cent to 64.8 per cent). Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch. NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy Evaluation Report 2005. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2006.

The canteen limits the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children which enables the students to make healthier food and drink choices. Australia is one of the most overweight developed nations presently affecting one in 4 children. This situation is worse for Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander children.

Obesity is impacting our health system and threatening our future generations' age expectancy. Type 2 Diabetes is on the increase even in Children and young adults, previously unseen in these age groups. Indigenous community groups are also facing diabetic prevalence. (http://www.health.gov.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/A06C2FCF439ECDA1CA2574DD0081E40C/$File/discussion-2.pdf) All risk factors are preventable- high body mass, physical inactivity and bad eating habits.

Outcomes- What can we as teachers do about obesity?