I heard a statistic the other day from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“2.8 million people die each year due to repercussions of being overweight or obese. While overweight and obese individuals were mostly seen in countries with high-incomes, we are now seeing this health epidemic in low and middle income countries as well”.
So it got me thinking about Australia. So I went on the search for some statistics relating to Australia.
I came across the government website “Australian Institute of Health and Welfare”
“1 in 4 (25%) children and adolescents aged 2-17 were overweight or obese in 2017-18”
“2 in 3 (67%) adults were overweight or obese in 2017-18”
“8.4% of the burden of diseases in Australia was attributed to overweight and obesity in 2015”
“In a 2014-15 study Around 1 in 2 adults aged 18–64 (52%) did not participate in sufficient physical activity. Women were more likely than men to be insufficiently active (54% compared to 51%).”
I do not present this information to judge anyone. I present this information with empathy and compassion.
Being an owner of a Personal Training studio I feel I have an obligation to help the community to have a healthy weight, become fit and do more physical activity.
I want to see all those around me, live a long and happy life. And in most cases it starts with being healthy… having a healthy weight and doing some form of exercise that is “enjoyable” to the person doing it. The reason I mentioned enjoyable is because mental health is just as important.
But one thing I notice frequently and is a major cause of hindering results in weight lose… is nearly everyone wants everything immediately and with little effort.
Just think about it, there are fast food restaurants everywhere serving instant food, you can use Uber Eats to get food delivered to where you want it and when you want it. Throw into the mix the plethora of junk food that is available and it’s really no wonder that, we continue to get more and more overweight and obese.
Everything is so convenient.
The output required to get all the things we want is minimal. Instead of walking to the store, or even walking around the store (supermarkets are doing home delivery now too) we order groceries online.
Want new clothes or a new gadget. We get online read reviews and then order online. Let’s face it, ordering online is normally cheaper as well.
We are all busy. Who has time and energy to prepare food for the family? On the way home we will swing past McDonalds or once we get home and settled on the lounge chair in front of the TV we call the local pizza shop to deliver or use Uber Eats.
All this convenience is nice, don’t get me wrong.
But, combined with some unhealthy food choices and lack of activity it’s no wonder the current health status of so many is subpar.
The health risks of being overweight and obese are frightening. The heavier you are, the higher your chance of getting type 2 diabetes, having heart disease and high blood pressure, and cancers such as colon, kidney and breast.
Unfortunately, everyone seems to know the health risks.
It is in the media and even the government tries warning us with health campaigns.
So if we are all aware of the health risk, why don’t we do something about it?
I really don’t have the answer.
All I can do is encourage, motivate and support those who are ready to live a long healthy life.
And for those who are not ready just yet, show compassion. Because I know it is hard. And when they are ready, I will be there to help them on their journey to better health.
We must try. We have a responsibility to try…
I empathetically stress this, that we must try…
Obesity is not just prevalent among adults. It is slowly creeping up in children as well.
Overweight children are more prone to becoming and remaining overweight adults.
What are we setting ourselves up for?
If your ready to turn you weight, health and fitness around, I would love to have a chat with you and help you get back on track.
