Bundy has a real weight problem

BUNDABERG’S population is bulging, with one of the highest obesity rates in Queensland.

BUNDABERG’S population is bulging, with one of the highest obesity rates in Queensland.

Across Queensland, 50.1% of people are overweight or obese. In Bundaberg, that rate is a whopping 62%.

But the super-sized statistic has come as no surprise to health and fitness professionals.

“Statewide, obesity is on the increase, so it is no surprise that Bundaberg is following these trends,” Healthy Lifestyles program co-ordinator Shani Haworth said.

“For Bundaberg, it partly comes back to low income levels. People can’t afford to eat healthily, and there’s not the education about healthy food.”

She said obesity was the culmination of a number of factors, including family lifestyle, the rising number of fast food restaurants, and a lack of education about healthy nutrition.

But according to Mrs Haworth, the only way to tackle the epidemic was to look at the bigger picture.

“We need to make changes in the broader environment to help reduce the incidence of obesity in Bundaberg’s population,” she said.

“For example, we don’t have enough walking tracks and footpaths. Look at Southbank (in Brisbane) — there are pedestrian bridges and footpaths, and there are people walking and running everywhere.”

She said unhealthy lifestyles were also passed down through the generations, as children saw their parents eat unhealthily and adopted their habits.

“There are a lot of behaviours that support obese lifestyles, so there needs to be a role model in healthy behaviour. A lot of it depends on how you grow up,” Mrs Haworth said.

“We need, as a community, to advocate for a healthier lifestyle, to support more walking paths, and to encourage healthy role models.”

City Fit Gym instructor Jenni Biedermann said people in Bundaberg were frequently inactive, but their sedentary lifestyles did not necessarily come down to laziness.

“I think most people are just scared of exercise,” she said.

She said people needed to be educated on healthy living to help cut the physical and financial costs of obesity — a problem that costs the state $1.3billion every year.

“We need to retrain people on how to eat proper portion sizes and tell them what is and isn’t healthy,” she said.

“Some things say they are 99 percent fat free but they can still be full of sugar and calories. A lot of people make big mistakes like skipping breakfast and not eating regularly.”

Mrs Biedermann said the health issues raised by obesity were appalling.

“The extra weight is very bad for joints like hips, knees and ankles and your heart also has to pump harder and there’s an increased risk of diabetes,” she said.

“I don’t think people know how dangerous being overweight is. People don’t see it as killing them, but it is.”

In an effort to help curb the growing problem, Bundaberg Regional Council is hosting a community breakfast to discuss practices to tackle childhood obesity, tomorrow at the Bundaberg RSL.

Originally published as Bundy has a real weight problem