How Toowoomba can 'snap out' of obesity epidemic

"Snap out of it Toowoomba. Get your act together as I cannot believe anyone could enjoy being ridiculously overweight."

"Snap out of it Toowoomba. Get your act together."

WHY is a media quoted figure that more than 70 per cent of Toowoomba residents are overweight or obese not rallying people into doing something about it immediately?

I cannot imagine large numbers of people having depression that is causing them to overeat, or hypothyroidism where the thyroid produces too little of thyroid hormones. Nor can I see vast numbers having Cushing Syndrome where excessive cortisol steroid is produced as this is generally limited to too much fat forming around the face, upper back and abdomen. Yes, some drugs can cause weight gain but all of these are easily diagnosed and treatable.

The answer is very simple. We're eating far too many calories than what the body needs to function so the result is not someone being "big boned", they are simply fat.

This can be solved without going to expensive diet companies, joining gyms and do a few trots on the treadmill or ordering in especially prepared foods. It is simply eating by being mindful of what you put in your mouth and starting with a walk around the block six days a week and increasing as you can.

Start with leaving the fizzy, sweetened drinks on the shelf and forget the diet coke of no nutrition and forgo the double serving of "fries" with that. There is nothing wrong with tap water but if flavour is insisted on add some lemon or lime. Learn to read labels thoroughly. Low fat does not mean not loaded with sugar. In fact why not skip the processed food completely?

People are complaining they are so poor that they open the pantry and it is bare. It should be close to bare as apart from some cooking oils and condiments you don't need boxes of no nutrition loaded with sugar breakfast cereals nor packs of instant noodles and just add hot water. Leave one stand overnight and check that fat on the top the next morning; it is horrifying how much there is.

There are recipes galore on the internet for good, healthy, delicious foods. Make your own chicken stock and there is the basis for great vegetable soups or if vegan or vegetarian stocks from cheap vegetables. There is no need to buy processed foods at all or swallow dietary supplements that are just generally very expensive urine and also some can be quite dangerous if on other pharmaceutical medicines.

In real life you don't eat 1000 fish a week so why on earth would you be swallowing fish oil capsules? I spent more than 25 years in the natural products trade at a very professional level and I can speak with some authority that most of these products are simply unnecessary.

Don't look around and compare your size to others in the street, supermarket and shopping centres, as you will think you are normal. Most are too fat. The new normal around here is grossly overweight or obese. Soon the only slim ones will be the drug ice users or those few who eat well and get some activity in their life.

Years ago people used to pay their pennies to see the fat lady at the travelling sideshow. Now you can do it for free.

Snap out of it Toowoomba. Get your act together as I cannot believe anyone could enjoy being ridiculously overweight.

Time for airlines to start charging on weight as why should I pay the same as someone double my weight when aviation costs are directly related to weight on board.

You are not helping yourselves, you are not helping the environment and you cost the medical system too much money with entirely preventable obesity related aliments and diseases. Do something now, starting from today.

R. NAYLOR, Wilsonton

Originally published as How Toowoomba can 'snap out' of obesity epidemic