Obesity Article 2

This is the second article I have written in regards to obesity. It might have some overlap with the first article.


Obesity

South Australia had the worst rate of childhood obesity in Australia, and to combat this, the SA Government put in place a program that had been shown to be successful in France, the EPODE (Ensemble, prevenons l'obesite des enfants or ‘Together, let's prevent obesity in children’), which involves calculating the BMI (Body mass index) of the children and informing parents of those in danger and providing them with information and guidelines to improve their child’s health.

A few years later the children who would have been exposed to this new program are now nearing their teens. In March the Cancer Council of South Australia found that many of our teens still have unhealthy eating patterns. The respondents of their research were between the ages of 12 and 17 years, the future of Australia, this is why the Cancer Council SA (CCSA) is hoping that Julia Gillard’s Government will put in place some new legislation that will aid in curbing the ongoing battle with childhood obesity.

Almost one quarter of Australian children are overweight or obese, and the CCSA believes that their ‘Right Bites’ educational program needs to be introduced to all schools to inform the students about healthier eating habits and how they can improve their current situation. Currently the program is offered to Government Funded Public Schools, but this means students from Independent and Catholic Schools do not receive the full benefit of this program, but those of its guideline.
28% of respondents ate chocolate bars or chips five or more times per week, while nearly 40% say that they eat fast food two or more times a week. More than half of the respondents (57%) drink high sugar drinks three or more times a week, whereas only 23% are eating enough vegetables to sustain their dietary requirements.

To aid in the success of the program the CCSA are calling for the removal or regulation of fast food advertisements and sponsorships from the schools, while also actively restricting the unhealthy foods that are served to students during recess and lunches. With an increase in fruits and vegetables available, the lack of advertising, the restriction of unhealthy items, and their studies it is hoped that the trend will be reversed, and that future studies show a decrease in this alarming trend.

Chief Executive of the CCSA Professor Brenda Wilson states,“Obesity causes cancer and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Levels of childhood obesity have risen dramatically and are unacceptably high. Adolescents are eating more fast foods, which are often high in fat and sugar. Obesity in children is a major health concern in terms of cancer-risk later in life.”

The passing on the habits of healthy eating and physical activity has always been reliant upon the family culture, but with the increase in working hours in recent decades, parents are feeling betrayed by schools. Professor Wilson said that ‘To promote healthy eating habits in children, it is important to provide an environment which fosters this- at home and at school’.
Advertising restrictions would be put in place to aid parents in moving their children to healthier options. Children do not have as keen an understanding of advertising as adults and are more likely therefore to be influenced by advertising, leading to the dreaded ‘Pester Power’ that often overwhelms parents who are working long days. Parents are feeling undermined by food advertisers who poach their children while they are not looking, or while they are at school. Many parents support the CCSA’s call to restrict food advertisements to children. The ban would protect children between the hours of 7am and 9am, and 4pm till 9pm on weekdays, and from 7am till 9pm on weekends- effectively protecting the children from the advertising.

Parents are not able to watch over their children’s eating habits as easily as previous generations might have been, and often bad habits are carried outside of the parents view. If the Government were to take this on it would allow for children to be educated about healthy eating at home and at schools. Students spend up to six hours at school and are in a position to influence the habits of students on a level near a parent compared to various surveys.

Australia is recognised as one of the most overweight nations in the world, and the introduction of these initiatives will allow for across the board education on the subject. Teacher, students, their siblings, their parents, and the rest of the community will all be influenced and informed about healthy lifestyles. ‘Obesity causes cancer and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability’ said Professor Wilson. This is one of the CCSA’s 12 items proposed to the Government to reduce the effects of Cancer upon Australians, and they hope they will be taken up by the Gillard Government.