Fear of the fat promoted to curb obesity

The Australian Medical Association has recommended the use of graphic television advertisements in Victoria to warn people about the risks of eating fatty foods. Rising rates of obesity has prompted these extreme measures. The proposed ads in television and newspaper would cost $25 million and would show the effects of fat on the body’s internal organs. The AMA’s proposals are part of a submission calling for $63 million to fight obesity.

AMA Victoria’s Dr Gary Speck said this would be emulating the American ads. He said, “The male in the ad had a huge amount of fat, I think its 10 pounds of fat… And alternatively [he] eats a number of sachets of sugar to illustrate how much sugar the drink has.” He added, “It’s trying to bring it to people’s attention to realize that it’s not a good pattern of eating or drinking… It’s a matter of being aware that if you eat those things you’ve got to take that into account.” The American ad goes on to warn that just one sugary soft drink a day over a year can make you up to five kilograms fatter and increase the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These proposed ads would explain the damage to the body much like the quit smoking ads.

Dr Harry Hemley, president of AMA Victoria said, “The ads that we’re proposing would highlight the negative effects of obesity on your vital organs… As people gain a lot of weight and become obese, excess fat is gradually deposited on the surface of the heart, as well as the loose tissue around the kidneys and liver and other supporting tissues within the abdomen… With an extra layer of fat, which could be several inches thick, the heart has to work a lot harder to pump blood around the body…Instead of showing a person inhaling cigarette smoke, an obesity ad could go into the body of an obese person and show the heart struggling to beat with a thick layer of fat.” He added, “Alternatively, it could borrow from Quit’s autopsy-style advertisements and show the heart of a healthy person, compared with the visibly distressed, enlarged and fat-coated heart of an obese person.”

“There is no doubt that obesity is going to overtake smoking as the major killer for Australians,” AMA federal president Dr Andrew Pesce said. “We have been campaigning against smoking for 30 years and are starting to see smoking rates decrease. Obesity is our next target.”

Health Minister David Davis said he would consider funding the AMA’s proposal as part of its next budget and it recognized “the importance of tackling obesity as a significant public health issue”. An estimated 60 per cent of Australian men, 45 per cent of women and one in four children are overweight or obese. The cost of obesity through lost productivity, premature death, disability and medical treatment, is more than $58 billion a year.

This proposal is being supported by the Obesity Policy Coalition that comprises of the Cancer Council, VicHealth, Diabetes Australia-Vic and the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University. The coalition’s senior policy adviser, Jane Martin said, “Graphic advertisements such as those used by Quit have also been shown to be very effective in raising awareness and influencing behaviour change.”

But there are criticisms too. Weight management specialist Rick Kausman added that this plan could lead to anxiety and distress for those battling obesity. He said, “The reasons why people become above their most healthy weight are so complex and so individual, we can’t just raise awareness without giving people an appropriate map to help them make a change when they’re ready. People already feel judged and shamed and if we pour more of that on top, then it’s just going to make the situation worse. People will turn off and not listen, or feel worse about themselves.” He added that healthier messages, encouraging people to slow down at meal times and only eat when hungry, would be better.

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Written by

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Dr. Ananya Mandal is a doctor by profession, lecturer by vocation and a medical writer by passion. She specialized in Clinical Pharmacology after her bachelor's (MBBS). For her, health communication is not just writing complicated reviews for professionals but making medical knowledge understandable and available to the general public as well.

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Comments

  1. Alfred Alfred Australia says:

    The idea that consuming fat goes directly around your organs and waist is complete rubbish. The body processes the fat, like everything else that does not leave via the rear-end.

    Surplus fat is deposited when easily processed carbohydrates (e.g. white flour and sugars and fruit-juices) are consumed. The carbohydrate surge leads to an insulin surge and this insulin converts the carbohydrates to fat and stores it in the body.

    Please read "Good calories, bad calories" and the research it refers to. IMHO, it is a shame that so few doctors seem to read the literature after leaving medical school.

    The "sugary soft drink" referred to in the article contains zero fat so why the false imagery?

  2. Dan Dan Australia says:

    Alfred is totally right. Another reason why so many people end up going fat is because their GP's haven't got a clue about latest research and therefore they cannot provide any useful advice to their patients.

  3. Coralie Faulkner Coralie Faulkner Australia says:

    I think the government should tax fast food and use the proceeds to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables.

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
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