jess
27-11-2005, 09:27 PM
From the Sun-Herald today. Very similar to the research findings of Roald Bahr in Norway.
The poor suburbs have a far greater incidence of obesity than the rich. Interesting that in Norway I think they calculated that calorie intake fairly similar between suburbs but physical activity was lower in poorer suburbs. Also in Norway health care doesn't very between rich and poor.
How being rich stops you from getting fat
By Amy Lawson
November 27, 2005
RESIDENTS in Sydney's south-west are among the fattest in the state, with more than half the inhabitants of the Campbelltown and Camden area overweight or obese, new figures reveal.
Meanwhile, Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs and North Shore have the lowest percentage of overweight and obese residents, with just one in five women above the healthy weight range.
Figures from the NSW Health Department, compiled for The Sun-Herald from the 2002, 2003 and 2004 adult health surveys, highlight the correlation between weight and wealth.
They come as doctors grapple with the nation's obesity crisis and experts call for the regulation of food outlets and subsidising of healthy, fresh food.
Compiled from interviews with 32,877 people across the state over three years, the figures also draw attention to the disparity between obesity levels in rural and city regions.
Rural and regional areas account for the top four places in NSW with the highest ratio of overweight and obese residents.
The Macarthur region in Sydney, which includes Campbelltown, Camden, Macquarie Fields and Glenfield, comes in fifth, with 55.8 per cent of adults overweight or obese - almost 8 per cent above the state average.
The western NSW region of Barrier, which includes the towns of Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Ivanhoe, has the highest rate of overweight and obese inhabitants in the state.
More than 62 per cent of the residents in that region are overweight, classified as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, or obese with a BMI of 30 or more.
Social researcher Neer Korn, a director of research organisation Heartbeat Trends, said the figures showed the direct correlation between socio-economic status and obesity problems.
"People from a lower socio-economic background eat more junk food and they have less time to care for themselves," Mr Korn said. "If you have a nanny and you're not working, you have all day to go shopping for food to get something nice to cook for dinner which is healthy, and you can afford gym membership."
Mr Korn said Australia's obesity problem was more pronounced in rural areas because fresh food was more expensive and the health message was a lower priority for residents there.
"Try getting fruit and vegies in Wilcannia - it's so expensive there, it's much cheaper just to go to Maccas," he said.
Ian Caterson, Boden Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Sydney, said the availability of food was a major contributor to the increasing obesity problem.
He told a WeightWatchers-hosted discussion forum on obesity last week that an American study found the abundance of food outlets accounted for 68 per cent of the increase in obesity levels.
The poor suburbs have a far greater incidence of obesity than the rich. Interesting that in Norway I think they calculated that calorie intake fairly similar between suburbs but physical activity was lower in poorer suburbs. Also in Norway health care doesn't very between rich and poor.
How being rich stops you from getting fat
By Amy Lawson
November 27, 2005
RESIDENTS in Sydney's south-west are among the fattest in the state, with more than half the inhabitants of the Campbelltown and Camden area overweight or obese, new figures reveal.
Meanwhile, Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs and North Shore have the lowest percentage of overweight and obese residents, with just one in five women above the healthy weight range.
Figures from the NSW Health Department, compiled for The Sun-Herald from the 2002, 2003 and 2004 adult health surveys, highlight the correlation between weight and wealth.
They come as doctors grapple with the nation's obesity crisis and experts call for the regulation of food outlets and subsidising of healthy, fresh food.
Compiled from interviews with 32,877 people across the state over three years, the figures also draw attention to the disparity between obesity levels in rural and city regions.
Rural and regional areas account for the top four places in NSW with the highest ratio of overweight and obese residents.
The Macarthur region in Sydney, which includes Campbelltown, Camden, Macquarie Fields and Glenfield, comes in fifth, with 55.8 per cent of adults overweight or obese - almost 8 per cent above the state average.
The western NSW region of Barrier, which includes the towns of Broken Hill, Wilcannia and Ivanhoe, has the highest rate of overweight and obese inhabitants in the state.
More than 62 per cent of the residents in that region are overweight, classified as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9, or obese with a BMI of 30 or more.
Social researcher Neer Korn, a director of research organisation Heartbeat Trends, said the figures showed the direct correlation between socio-economic status and obesity problems.
"People from a lower socio-economic background eat more junk food and they have less time to care for themselves," Mr Korn said. "If you have a nanny and you're not working, you have all day to go shopping for food to get something nice to cook for dinner which is healthy, and you can afford gym membership."
Mr Korn said Australia's obesity problem was more pronounced in rural areas because fresh food was more expensive and the health message was a lower priority for residents there.
"Try getting fruit and vegies in Wilcannia - it's so expensive there, it's much cheaper just to go to Maccas," he said.
Ian Caterson, Boden Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Sydney, said the availability of food was a major contributor to the increasing obesity problem.
He told a WeightWatchers-hosted discussion forum on obesity last week that an American study found the abundance of food outlets accounted for 68 per cent of the increase in obesity levels.