Aussies are fatter than Americans

[boscolio]

THE average Australian woman is a size 16 and weighs 8kg heavier than her American counterpart, according to authoritive new international research.

Australian men are also 3kg heavier than American males, the joint study by the University of Adelaide and US researchers shows.

The findings were recently presented at the American Standards and Testing Materials Conference and obtained exclusively by The Sunday Telegraph.

They contradict the widely held view that the United States is the world's most overweight country and they have led the Australian Medical Association to warn: "We are eating ourselves to death."

Women are now two dress sizes larger than they were in the 1960s, the National Size and Shape survey of 60 body dimensions of 1400 Australians, showed.

AMA vice president Dr Bill Glasson said the report highlighted the growing obesity problem.

"The average Australian thinks that Americans are bigger but our country faces a huge problem," Dr Glasson said.

"We are not getting enough exercise.

"People don't have to be skinny but obesity and the cost of subsequent diseases to our health system is huge."

Australian women are 5cm bigger around the bust, 8cm larger around the waist and 4cm wider on the hips than American women.

Australian men are 3kg heavier than their American counterparts, with a chest circumference that is 6cm larger and a waist circumference 2cm wider.

Fashion analyst Daisy Veitch said the findings reveal a flaw in the clothing industry.

About 50 per cent of Australian women do not fit into the clothes sold in mainstream stores.

"Women in Australia have difficulty finding clothes that fit properly," she said.

"The new Australian figure is pear-shaped and less slimlined than it was 20 to 80 years ago.

"Manufacturers are basing their clothes on old standards, not on today's women's curvy shape."

Lucy Dunwell from Frenchs Forest is a size 16: the shape of the new average Australian female.

But the 19-year-old model for the Biggals agency said she had trouble buying clothes that fit her figure.

"Often there are not many clothes in my size; most stop at size 14," Dunwell said.

"Shopping can get frustrating, especially when there are dresses I like that only come in smaller sizes."

The Australian survey was conducted over a six-month period in 2002.

The anatomical science team at the University of Adelaide then spent two years analysing and collating the body dimension data.

The same method of measuring body dimensions was used in the American study of 4000 people.

The results will be published in the international scientific journal, Journal of Human Ecology.

University of Adelaide head of anatomical science, Professor Maciej Henneberg said the survey results showed Australia was a nation of "healthy, cheerful, size 16 women".

"Australian women are heavier than American women by a few kilos, but it's not a major concern," Prof Henneberg said.

"I think the reason is there is a socio-economic difference. On average Australians are more affluent than Americans.

"The survey showed one third of women are obese and there is concern over this. However, size 16 women are happy and healthy."

Source: The Mercury

It's definitely a bad sign when a country out-fattens the US.

[Akasha]

It's definitely a bad sign when a country out-fattens the US.

About your possition here at The Den Bosc... step into my office for a moment please *shuts the door*

[boscolio]

[size=9px]eeek[/size] :axe:

[Akasha]

If the "average" Australian women is size 16 then I am glad I am not average...

There's been a few news reports and the like on things like this recently, and I know they have been working for a while now ( over 6 months ) to bring in new standards for clothes measuring. The guidelines clothes are made today use the ones taken in 1960's so it's no surprise that a lot don't fit now.

If you look at the eating habits of people today with so much take away food being offered, so little time with high powered jobs, working mothers, etc it's no wonder a lot of us go for what's easy a lot of the time. Gone are the days of coming home from school to a roast already cooking, plates of vegies all done separately and freshly peeled, not coming from frozen packets. It's now a "ooh you put some effort into it" dinner if you cook fresh fish instead of the frozen varieties, especially for children as really, that's when we need to be training them to eat right.

I remember babysitting one night, having to make dinner for three kids. I cut up their meat and gave them their vegies. One thing I learnt with kids is you make as much as possible eatable by fingers. The mother came home and gasped at the fact I had cut up Capsicum (red and green peppers - they're not hot though) and the kids were happily eating them.

[boscolio]

for work i'm outside a lot and driving between offices so i end up getting drive through a lot. but i've found Subway is tolerable enough to have a lot and that there are some good, healthy foods in many fast food places. you just have to know what to look for. Wendys has potatos, low fat chili and salads for a dollar each. that right there is a cheap, fiolling and healthy meal.

[Akasha]

There's a place at the small Shopping Centre near here that has the Kebab shop =P~ For a little over $7 you get a large Kebab with meat off the spit, tomato, lettuce and onion. I get Tomato sauce instead of garlic sauce which is less fat but do have a teeny bit of cheese. I swear I could eat one every day no problem.

I always love standing there while the line to McDonalds (which is right next to it) is 5 minutes long. I don't mind Subway either. We also have Nando's here, and although it is the most expensive of the chicken places, their chicken is grilled and is the healthiest. You can still do quick and tasty without all the fat.

[Fain]

On a side note.. I never once said Aussie women are fatter then US women. Vote for me.

Wait, what?

[Silladar]

hehehe....

*votes for fain*

*wakes up from a dream state*

errrr what just happened????

lol

poor Bosc, you've done it now [-X

the way I look at the situation is this, as long as the individual is happy with who they are and arent increasing there rick for diseases, then let them be size 16. I see no problem with it =)

[Pcheez]

I say cut the food supplied by stores to half of what it is and make food available in rations. That should solve the problem....


Oh wait no.... that never works :p

Just let them eat. As long as they are comfortable with their weight and appearance, more power to them. Only thing that bugs me is that they actually CANNOT resist walking into a Mc Donalds whenver they are within 100 m of one.

[Akasha]

Originally Posted by Pcheez

Just let them eat. As long as they are comfortable with their weight and appearance, more power to them. Only thing that bugs me is that they actually CANNOT resist walking into a Mc Donalds whenver they are within 100 m of one.

I'm going to hope you are making a sweeping generalization about over weight people and NOT Australian's, which is what the article is about.