Tackling tough problem of obesity

I COMMEND the hard-hitting twopage spread warning of the dangers of abdominal obesity ( Mercury, November 6). As an immigrant from England in 1968 I was astonished at the portion sizes served in restaurants, cafes and homes. It seemed most Australians ate about twice or three times the volume I ate. I was often asked by waiters and chefs if I had not enjoyed the food and this was really embarrassing.

As a lifelong slim person I am now in the minority. Over 60 per cent of Australians are overweight or obese. It is re- garded as normal. My BMI of 20 is below 95 per cent of women in my age group (70-79) and I fit the profile of a Nepalese woman my age.

The ad highlighted dangerous internal fat that surrounds bodily organs. Sadly, the human body is programmed to maintain weight. The only evidencebased treatment is bariatric surgery and this is usually unavailable in the public system.

Doctors keep pumping out scripts for cholesterol-lowering drugs, anti-hypertensives and diabetic medications in- cluding insulin. They rarely weigh patients or, more importantly, take a waist circumference measurement. This is not a genetic problem because as a young girl in England I never saw a fat person. I have no answers and neither does the medical profession.

Anyone who imagines that a tax on sugary drinks will solve this issue is deluded. If your mum, your sister, your friends and sometimes your GP look just like you do then what’s the problem?