Health report shows Australians among the world’s fattest and have increasingly high blood pressure

A NEW health report card shows Australians are among the world’s fattest and have increasingly high blood pressure and diabetes — but it’s not all bad news.

A NEW report card on Australia’s health shows we are among the fattest in the world, have increasingly high blood pressure and diabetes, and are dying by suicide in record numbers.

But it’s not all bad news from the first-of-its-kind report, which pits the most recent health statistics against targets set by a collaboration of 50 peak health bodies.

Australians are drinking and smoking less, are more proactive with bowel and breast cancer screening, and fewer are dying from common cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The Australian Health Tracker, to be launched at a forum in Melbourne today by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration, will reveal that while more than a third of chronic disease is preventable, Australia lags behind comparable countries for tackling lifestyle-related risk factors.

With more than 63 per cent of adults and 25 per cent of children overweight or obese, the report aims to halt the rise in obesity and new Type 2 diabetes cases by 2025.

It found that more than 70 per cent of children do not exercise enough and eat too much sugar.

Teenage boys consume an average of 23 teaspoons of sugar a day, despite more than 91 per cent of teenagers not getting enough ”huff and puff” physical activity.

Rachael Mihatsch and Jeffrey Ding compete for the frisbee and enjoy some physical exercise. Picture: Norm Oorloff

Peak health institutes and universities including Cancer Council Australia, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, National Heart Foundation and Royal Flying Doctor Service are among those backing the targets.

AHPC director Rosemary Calder, based at Victoria University, said just like publishing the road toll, health targets were vital for enacting change.

“It helps people and governments understand that where we’re going is not OK for our health, our population wellbeing and for our economy,” Ms Calder said.

“The biggest gap in our knowledge is that being inactive, overweight, drinking too much, eating too much processed foods — these are all recipes for disease later in life.”

Leading anti-salt and sugar campaigner Professor Graham MacGregor, whose action group helped force the UK food industry to reduce salt content by up to 40 per cent, will tell the forum that the same outcome was possible in Australia.

“This has saved the health system more than $2.5 million and has reduced salt intake in the UK by 20 per cent, which has caused a fall in population blood pressure and a very big reduction in stroke and heart attack deaths,” Prof MacGregor said.

“It’s very easy to do because the public aren’t involved. But in Australia, these big brands have done nothing. I think that’s a scandal.”

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