Australia: A Nation of Sad Fatties.
A startling new report confirms widely held suspicions that Australia is a nation of miserable, fat bastards.
Australia’s obesity crisis is far worse than experts thought, with new evidence showing 40 per cent of adults are dangerously fat.
According to the Health at a Glance 2013 shows that more than 28 per cent of Australians are obese, compared to just under 25 per cent in Britain.
To get to the heart of the matter, we peeled back the layers of flab and spoke to Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University Mike Daube.
“We aren’t just fat,” Professor Daube said. ”We are on the medal podium – one of the fattest countries in the world. We have a top-class health system, we are smoking less, we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and our life expectancy is now around 82 – but much of this progress is being put at risk because of our dismal failure to deal with obesity.”
The report also found that Australians are given more cholesterol medication, known as statins, than anywhere else in the OECD. Prescribing rates were 40 per cent above average, while anti-blood pressure medication use is below average.
Medicated Nation
Australia is also the second-highest prescriber of anti-depressant medication – a rate that has doubled over the past decade.
So why are we all so fuckin’ miserable? We fought back the tears and spoke to Iain McGregor, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Sydney. Professor McGregor said the sharp rise in anti-depressant use showed “something serious about the fabric of our society.”
“Anti-depressants are given out like candy, but they are not innocuous,” Professor McGregor said.
“We all know someone whose life has been saved or turned around by medication, but if you have mild or moderate depression, or have had a couple of nasty life events, generally the data says you are better off seeing a psychologist.”
Despite these high prescribing rates, the most mentally unwell – those hospitalised with schizophrenia and bipolar conditions – had worse outcomes, being more likely to bounce in and out of emergency care.
The Bits Left Behind
The report also found that Australia Australia has the third-highest rate in the developed world of foreign objects being left in people after surgery.
On average, we have nine cases of foreign objects left in behind in patients’ bodies after surgery for every 100,000 people who leave hospital.
This compares to an average of five in other parts of the world, although it was that noted Australia might just have a better method of reporting incidents.
theguttertrash.com 
”We are on the medal podium – one of the fattest countries in the world. We have a top-class health system, we are smoking less, we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and our life expectancy is now around 82 – but much of this progress is being put at risk because of our dismal failure to deal with obesity.”
Indeed, essentially we need to return to a late 1940s diet, sharply limit the intake of meat and dairy. Become more creative in the kitchen, vegan is the go.
The other day, as a novelty, I bought a bacon and egg meal with small coffee. Paid around $7 for what appeared a meagre ration. It wasn’t necessary to eat again until 3.30 in the afternoon, which means I can keep this body alive for a dollar an hour. Good value.
Bob Carr and I agree the tranfats are killing people.
Fat people should pay more tax, they’re a drain on us healthy types.
On airlines they should be weighed with their bags, and should have to buy 2 tickets, I’m sick of them spilling their pudgy arms over to my side of the arm rest.
I’m quite happy … that headline is misleading … 🙄
You get a seat AND arm rests, ToM! … which airline do YOU fly with? Do you pay extra for them?
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘vegan is the go.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The other day, as a novelty, I bought a bacon and egg meal with small coffee.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
Guffaw. ‘ 😆 ‘ 😆 ‘ 😆 ‘ 😆 ‘ 😆
#what.does.vegan.mean
#return.to.the.late.1940s
#stoopid.teabag
Mustn’t be too strict, takes all the fun out of life.
There were few fat people in the late 1940s.
“Bob Carr and I agree the tranfats are killing people.”
It’s death what’s killing people.
“It’s death what’s killing people.”
The Great Equaliser.
Truer words hath ne’er been spoke.
Under the Sun, We rot together, in absolute biological equality…
Notions of something other than cessation are wishful, misplaced & ultimately ridiculous.
Toilet has no money on Life After Life, but as a long time reader of the Daily Mail I have come to the conclusion that there’s much we don’t know.
“as a long time reader of the Daily Mail I have come to the conclusion that there’s much we don’t know.”
I agree. As a long time reader of your comments I have come to the conclusion that there’s certainly much that you don’t know.
I cannot deny it.
(Recreational skinny-dipping in the Lake-of-Fire really is quite reinvigorating; although, the parasailing upgrade option also has its virtues; or so I’m led to believe.)
What about those sensational Aussies!?!?!
They have deciminated the hapless Poms with their brilliance and courage.
OI!
Here I thought just American’s were fat, lazy and depressed…LOL Truly though, so nonsensical to provide free healthcare to a society who’s most costly conditions are primarily from bad behavior…
‘….it becomes difficult for proponents of the “swamp man” hypothesis to pinpoint exactly when the individual stops being “themselves.”
😉
Saw an article in the Mail the other day which pointed to reincarnation as a possible exit strategy. It was an interesting yarn.
‘Dr Jim Tucker’s remarkable experiences with these children, many who can recall intimate details of their past lives in pin-sharp detail – and with no prompting – has led him to the conclusion that reincarnation is real.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2509769/New-book-reveals-children-believe-reincarnated.html#ixzz2lQ4pTd4a
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
This is an entertaining read… Ben Pobjie on the state of Breakfast tv…
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/wake-up-to-reality-is-breakfast-tv-really-worth-the-fanfare-20131121-2xwzi.html
Hands up who agrees with Sparta’s incredibly
punitivehumanitarian view of how a health system should work? 😯I’d be surprised if such a vindictive approach got much traction in this country.
We aren’t the same sort of ‘treading on the throats of others to climb to prosperity’ society as the US seems to be…yet.
Fuck the American Nightmare, where the gap between the top & the bottom is stark & seems to be a source of national pride for some.
‘Hands up who agrees with Sparta’s incredibly (different) view of how a health system should work?’
Apart from his ideological perspective, Sparta’s argument lends itself to the belief that multinational pharmaceutical companies are the big winners.
And in the same vain we have always been huge drug takers, ‘by the 1930s Australia had developed the world’s highest per capita rate of heroin consumption.’
Wiki
Hear! Hear! @ what toillette said!
Let’s hope that by the 24th Century life is as Gene Roddenberry envisaged it … not the way Wall St and the banks see it now …
“Picard sums this up in First Contact”
That’s a romantic idea TB, but I think the reality is that rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.
And the poor will just be expected to suck it up.
The fact that the Govt is toying with the idea of raising the pension age to 70 is an indication of the shape of things to come.
How can someone who does physically demanding work be expected to work until they’re 70?? FFS..
What’s the use of “bettering humanity” if you don’t have a new plasma tv?
‘How can someone who does physically demanding work be expected to work until they’re 70??’
Guessing they will offer an escape from the daily drudge if an elderly person can supply a doctor’s certificate, suggesting he’s unfit for the job and unlikely to find any other kind of work.
Their primary aim is to flatten out the baby boomer bubble.
Euthanasia would smooth the curve out.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s death what’s killing people.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Great Equaliser.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We rot together,’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘in absolute biological equality’ ‘ ‘ ‘
#the.only.guaranteed.equality
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Toilet has no money on Life After Life,’ ‘ ‘ ‘
#richest.skeletons.in.graveyard.can.float.around.with.dog
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I have come to the conclusion that there`s much we don`t know.’ ‘ ‘ ‘
#dumpty.share.your.conclusion.with.iain
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘so nonsensical to provide free healthcare to a society who`s most costly conditions are primarily from bad behavior’ ‘ ‘ ‘
By #arizona.arse.clowns metrics, you would need to bonfire treatment of about 90%-of-sickness, as these would be `caused` by the patients eating too-much, sugar, fat, salt, msg, alcohol, or smoking. You would also bonfire 99%-of-injury, as these would be `caused` by the patients own carelessness and/or recklessness.
#arizona.arse.clowns pushing the corporate wet-dream.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘incredibly punitive humanitarian view’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘such a vindictive approach’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘treading on the throats of others to climb to prosperity’ ‘ ‘ ‘
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Fuck the American Nightmare,’ ‘ ‘ ‘
#fcuk.teh.usa.system.of.shit
“You would also bonfire 99%-of-injury, as these would be `caused` by the patients own carelessness”
So by your logic you equate an “accident” with eating too much of the wrong thing or refusing to exercise? Moron.
‘ ‘so nonsensical to provide free healthcare to a society who`s most costly conditions are primarily from bad behavior’ ‘
#arizona.arse.clown.it.is.your.quote
Jesus! Do I need to spell it out for some here? OBESITY is not an accident; from obesity you get hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other problems. Smoking anybody?
Fascinating.
With-hold medical attention from people that have consumed legally available food-stuffs.
#arizona.arse.clowns.demand.high.tax.from.krusty.burger.to.cover.their.products.damage
Do we also withhold medical treatment for people who end up in hospital as a result of poor driving decisions? 😯
Fascinating…You believe people who make good decisions are more culpable than those who don’t yet absolve the bad decision makers of any moral obligation to society?
Your logic is circular…MAKES NO SENSE…
“Do we also withhold medical treatment for people who end up in hospital as a result of poor driving decisions?”
Again Reb, an accident is not the same as somebody who weighs 300 pounds and now needs costly medical care to “treat” said weight…Apples and Oranges….
‘Euthanasia would smooth the curve out.’
Or we could stop supplying people with life saving drugs, that’ll clear them out.
‘OBESITY is not an accident’
No, but it might be an accident of history. A combination of factors in the late 20th century which saw the masses eating cheap processed food and fast takeaways.
In a free market economy it’s going to be hard turning the world on its head.
l have no problem with the national health system recovering costs from krusty burger, kentucky duck, or pizza shed for the damage they cause.
“In a free market economy it’s going to be hard turning the world on its head.”
Yes, well some of us have caught on to the fact that fast food and chips are probably not going to do one any good…I mean, there is nobody in the Western world who thinks smoking is good for you or harmless yet we still have millions of smokers…Hmmm
Said people have said “fuck you” I am going to destroy my body and it’s up to everybody else to take care of me. Seem “fair” to you?
It just demonstrates that in a free society, nothing is free…It is your right to eat whatever you want but in doing so your decision to do so should not be able to dictate what and how I can provide for my children. Why is it the unhealthy have no moral responsibility in the context of “free healthcare”?
“l have no problem with the national health system recovering costs from krusty burger, kentucky duck, or pizza shed for the damage they cause.”
typical nonsensical gibberish….You are poor, or make bad decisions you never learn from, somebody else’s fault and if you are wealthy and healthy, pure magic….
Why.? krusty burger, kentucky duck, and pizza shed has spent fcuking billions in market research and advertising to push their unhealthy products onto the consumer, just as the tobacco-biz`s did.
‘Why is it the unhealthy have no moral responsibility in the context of “free healthcare”?’
There is moral indignation on both sides of the debate. Did you know that the Clintons wanted to install the Australian health care model?
Advertising? I love how you are basically saying there is a large portion of people in the world that are just too stupid to know what is best for them and at the same time imply that people are obese like an accident…You can’t have it both ways man…
I unlike you believe people are smart enough to know the difference but CHOOSE to eat what they want…You seem to think only you are smart enough to know what is good for you then? That is amusing….
“There is moral indignation on both sides of the debate.”
Well I don’t know about Australia but here in the states, your a cold bastard if you suggest incentives for GOOD behavior…You are absolved of any moral responsibility for bad behavior…Hence why we are not going to fix anything in this country…America is not Canada or Australia, about 10 times your population for starters…
Obesity is an accident of history, most noticeable in the first world. A combination of factors… cars, TV, computers and highly processed food, all came together naturally.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I unlike you believe people are smart enough to know the difference but CHOOSE to’ ‘ ‘ ‘
There is plenty of stupid, ignorant people that fall for the corporate advertising, smoke, drink, abuse pharma`s, and eat poor diets. They can all be seen on a daily basis, including the fools on the internet peddling impoverished corporate ideas.
Come on egg…Its very simple, you have to burn more than you put in…Not complicated..
‘…you’re a cold bastard if you suggest incentives for GOOD behavior…’
Yeah, that doesn’t work. In a free enterprise system its would be better to put a large warning on say …. cheese cake. ‘What you eat today walks and talks tomorrow.’
Outside of Maccas, ‘If you eat too much of our food its injurious to health’.
“They can all be seen on a daily basis, including the fools on the internet peddling impoverished corporate ideas.”
Freedom to choose you mean? Oh yeah, right…What a good authoritarian you are; we just need to force people to do what is right for them…LMAO…You socialists are all the same…LOL
Your logic always ends in the same place…More poor aka “idiots” as you call them, in the gulags…HAHAHAHAHAH
‘…you have to burn more than you put in…Not complicated..’
Yeah, but they aren’t going to do that, because they are basically lazy and don’t have the time. Looking at the social strata of western society its easy to see how we have fallen into a trap.
From my perspective its everyone for themselves. I have a 24 hour gym on the next block and I walk everywhere because I’m in the middle of town ,,,, coincidently I’m as thin as a rake.
Before you head off to bed, if you had the power to make things happen, how would you like to see the US a decade from now?
“how would you like to see the US a decade from now?”
This growth at all cost mentality has to stop; a return to the rule of law and sound institutions that worked. When we begin to understand that sound policy is not synonymous with scraping what worked for “what if” we might get some sanity back into the equation. We only need look to history instead of trying to reinvent the wheel…Unfortunately, change on the political level can only come with an informed, involved electorate…Frankly, when the home grown is more interested in “Dancing with the Stars” and your importing millions of illiterate, impoverished people every year you’re not likely to make any gains (unless you’re a 1%) there…The US must also stop trying to save the world from itself; we simply can’t afford it anymore. Who is saving the Philippines at the moment? Why it is the US, with a Chinese credit card….
What needs to be done to see a return to a robust US is easy. The hard part is there are just too many people that stand to benefit from our demise; at home and abroad. Question is who or what will fill the void? Australia? You can have it….
‘Question is who or what will fill the void? Australia? You can have it….’
The Chinese Dream will fill the strategic void and the US as a policeman is probably out of date anyway.
The problem you have in the US with illegal immigrants is on a par with Europe and UK, its a quagmire and I genuinely sympathise. Have you considered emigrating? It would be less stressful.
Who is saving the Philippines at the moment?
On that question … BTW, Australia has a large contingent there too, Sparta a friend of the family – my son’s last sergeant, now a captain has just been deployed … BUT …
A thought has been orbiting inside my head for some time … why do the Muslim countries never seem to send assistance?
Having said that I know that the red crescent generally works in much the same way as the red cross …
Now I’m not having a go at Muslims … but there are very wealthy Middle Eastern countries with standing armies and specialists … do they deploy for natural disasters or is it that we just don’t hear about it?
‘Unfortunately, change on the political level can only come with an informed, involved electorate…’
We are looking to becoming a Republic, which is the best model to pick?
The US has gridlock all the time and Obama appears to have decided to crash through or crash with his executive orders.
Not too sure this is the best way to go, considering his ignorance on climate change.
So arizona, you don`t think team america world police have spent too much cash on the military machine, l don`t know how many off-shore `bases` teh-usa in total, but it must be dozens, they have 13-bases encircling lran alone.
egg, we continue the way we are … right now the GG can dissolve Parliament (viz a vis the Whitlam debacle) and simply represents Australia – Parliament continues as ever … our HoS should have the same responsibilities and respect as the GG (I don’t like the US system either) … nor should our President be politically aligned … (bit hard I know but most of us want a bipartisan representative) … nor should they be a fkn sportsman or pop star … 🙂
The biggest issue is the election of a President (or whatever we call her/him …
Choices include first past the post nationally … state majority (as in referendum) … majority of Parliament … National preference vote …
I think the last is the more effective and practical …
“but there are very wealthy Middle Eastern countries with standing armies and specialists”
Well that is a good question but suffice to say we in the West “Australia, US, UK, Canada” are different…Perhaps it’s our common lineage, cultures. Do I dare say our Judeo-Christian cultures? It is no surprise that wherever and whenever there is a disaster or issue the world looks to the West to do something…Not sure how we got this role or why its expected now but I think we are entering a time where this will be less and less the case. Here in the US anyway, we can’t keep giving charity on a credit card. I was just reading that the Chinese have decided to send a medical team now, after all the real work is done of course…
I think it really does just come down to culture TB…My two cents.
“but there are very wealthy Middle Eastern countries with standing armies and specialists”
Well that is a good question but suffice to say we in the West “Australia, US, UK, Canada” are different from the others…Perhaps it’s our common lineage, cultures. Do I dare say our Judeo-Christian cultures birthed from the Old Empire? It is no surprise that wherever and whenever there is a disaster or drama the world looks to the West to do something…Not sure how we got this role or why its expected now but I think we are entering a time where this will be less and less the case. Here in the US anyway, we can’t keep giving charity on a credit card. I was just reading that the Chinese have decided to send a medical team now, after all the real work is done of course…
I think it really does just come down to culture TB…My two cents.
http://markbittman.com/tag/vb6/
‘The national preference vote.’
How does that work?