2014-15.TheNationalHealthSurvey
alsoindicatedthatalmostonequar-
terofchildrenaged5-17yearswere
overweightorobese.In 2011 over-
weightandobesitywasresponsible
forsevenpercentofthetotalhealth
burdeninAustralia, 63 percentof
whichwasfatalburden.Obesityin
2012 wasestimatedtohavecostthe
AustralianeconomyA$8.6billion.
Aswellastheimpactofover-
weightandobesityasariskfac-
torforchronicconditions,today’s
hospitalsarehavingtogearupfor
thisageofobesity,withsuper-sized
equipment,surgicaltoolsandfur-
niture.Otherhealthcarecostsin
caringfortheobeseincludewide
doors,f loor-mountedtoiletsthat
won’tbreakunderheav yweight,and
thepurchasebyambulancedepart-
mentsofspeciallyreinforcedambu-
lanceswithbariatricstretchersthat
cansupportupto 318 kilograms.
Itseemsevencountriessuchas
Swedenthathistoricallydidn’thave
pressingproblemswithobesity,are
increasinglyreportingissues.There,
morethanhalfofadultsovertheage
of 20 areoverweightand18.6percent
ofthemareofficiallyobese.
OneofSweden’sleadingexpertsin
paediatricobesity,DrCarl-ErikFlod-
mark,ismostconcernedaboutthe
increasedincidenceoffattyliverdis-
easeinyoungerobesepatientsdueto
depositsoffatthataren’tf lushedout,
whichcanleadtoscarringandeven-
tuallyturnintocancer. “We need to
respondtoobesitywithhealthcare
andsocietalactionsthatinclude
thefoodand advertising industries,”
hesays.INSPRING2015,GLENNMCMULLIN
wasa 50-year-oldtrainingpilot,who
commutedregularlyforhisjob.He
weighed 154 kilogramsanduseda
special‘continuouspositiveairway
pressure’machine,orCPAP,each
nighttokeephimselfbreathingas
heslept.Thencamethemorninghe
boughtafat-ladenbreakfastsand-
wichata fast-food restaurant on the
way to work.Hetooka bite,chewedandswal-
lowed.Itwouldn’tgodown.Instead,
it remainedstuckinhisoesophagus,
a hardlump.“I’dbetterseethedoc-
tor,”hetoldhiswife.
Thedoctororderedtests,which
camebackpositiveforoesophageal
cancer,a diagnosisthatatfirstleft
Glennreeling.“Itdidn’tlastlong,
though,becauseI learnedearlyon
inmyjobthatpanicisyourenemy,”
hesays.“Icouldlivetothefullest and
not lose another day to fear.”WHEN
YOU’REOBESE,
OSTEOARTHRITIS
PROGRESSES FASTER
DUE TOGAIT CHANGES
AND PRESSURE74 Augus t 2019
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