CD - Australian Fitness Network
CD - Australian Fitness Network
CD - Australian Fitness Network
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AUTHOR’S BIO<br />
SPECIAL FEATURE<br />
TURNING THE TIDE<br />
OBESITY PREVENTION AUSTRALIA<br />
Levi Walz, BHSc<br />
�<strong>Fitness</strong> facility owners and<br />
managers are at the frontline<br />
in the ongoing battle against<br />
obesity and overweight. A large<br />
proportion of members will have joined<br />
your facility with the aim of losing<br />
weight, and with the right environment<br />
and support, many of them will do so.<br />
However, despite the increase in gym<br />
memberships over the past decade<br />
and improved awareness about health<br />
nutrition, the media continues to report<br />
alarming – and growing – obesity<br />
statistics. So, what can be done to turn<br />
the tide of obesity?<br />
At some point you have probably<br />
found yourself wondering how, or if, it is<br />
even possible to:<br />
• reverse Australia’s rapidly rising<br />
obesity rate<br />
• stop the development of chronic<br />
metabolic disease that is crippling<br />
our nation and choking our health<br />
care system and hospitals<br />
• reduce the availability of<br />
nutritionally defi cient, highly<br />
processed foods<br />
• protect our children from all of the<br />
above while providing them with the<br />
skills, habits and support required to<br />
grow up healthy?<br />
BARRIERS TO SUCCESS<br />
In order to make progress towards<br />
achieving any of these goals, we need<br />
to ask a few pertinent questions. Is it<br />
possible for parents who are currently<br />
failing in their own eff orts to stay<br />
healthy and maintain their weight to<br />
stop the trend, and raise fi t and healthy<br />
children without help? With budget<br />
restraints, a health care system that is<br />
40 NETWORK WINTER 2010 www.fitnessnetwork.com.au<br />
Levi is the CEO of Obesity Prevention Australia and has been a qualifi ed personal trainer since 2001. He is a founding<br />
director of FITKIDS Australia and is also a nutritionist, naturopath, and trainer and assessor.<br />
already overburdened and an ageing<br />
and increasingly ill population, will the<br />
government be able to fund a solution?<br />
Will school education departments<br />
include nutrition education within their<br />
curriculum when literacy and numeracy<br />
levels are sliding, and teacher’s<br />
schedules are already full?<br />
SOLUTIONS<br />
Prevention or cure, proactive or reactive<br />
– which approach will provide long<br />
term change? There appears to be a<br />
plethora of potential solutions, but are<br />
any worthwhile?<br />
REACTIVE<br />
• Subsidised gastric banding for<br />
anyone with a BMI over 35 (don’t<br />
laugh – this suggestion has been put<br />
forward).<br />
• More hospitals, doctors, cheaper<br />
medication and more surgery.<br />
• Crossing our fi ngers and hoping a<br />
new super pill will be developed<br />
that will allow us to continue leading<br />
unhealthy lifestyles without negative<br />
consequences.<br />
PROACTIVE<br />
• More government funding focused<br />
on prevention and education<br />
programs.<br />
• Awareness campaigns and<br />
community education.<br />
• Subsidised gym memberships,<br />
fi tness sessions and tax deductions<br />
for all health purchases.<br />
• Stronger laws and restrictions on<br />
the foods/drinks that can be sold to<br />
minors.<br />
If current trends continue, it is<br />
estimated that 80 per cent of all<br />
<strong>Australian</strong> adults will be overweight<br />
or obese by 2020. This is a potential
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