By Rich Bowden:

An international health expert has said the Australian diet has changed for the worse over the last twenty years and now rivals the American diet as one of the worst in the world.

Speaking to ABC WA Radio on his trip to Western Australia to speak at a conference hosted by the Public Health Advocacy Institute, Dr Tim Lobstein, director of policy and programmes for the UK’s International Association for the Study of Obesity, described the statistics of Australian diets as “shocking.”

“We’ve found that your diets here in Australia are more fatty and oily than American diets, and we thought America was one of the worst in the world,” he said.

“You’ve overtaken America. Your diets are now 40 per cent calories from fats and oils and that’s a pretty shocking statistic – you should be down nearer 20.

“Your sugars are high, alcohol is about double what’s the recommended level of intake and your fruit and veg are a bit under par.”

Dr Lobstein told ABC Radio that the chief cause for concern was the change in diet for Australians over the last twenty years and called on lawmakers to implement policies to cut obesity levels.

“Can we have healthy fast foods? Can we have a cut in soft drinks? Can we have a cut in snacks? Can we improve the fruit and veg in this country? he asked. “Australia can do it. It’s got the will, it knows the policies that need to be implemented it just needs to get along and do it.”

Dr Lobstein view was delivered as new figures show obesity as the leading cause of premature deaths and illnesses in the country, overtaking smoking for the first time.

Commenting on the Western Australian figures which are expected to be repeated throughout the nation, Professor Mike Daube, president of the Public Health Association of Australia and chairman of the government’s National Preventative Health Taskforce, was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald that the country’s health infrastructure was woefully prepared to deal with the expected onslaught of obesity-related health problems.

“The obesity crisis is not on its way – it is already here,” Professor Daube said. “What we have done about obesity is not working. This issue needs concentrated and determined action.”

He called on governments to do more to alleviate the health crises.

Tags: australia obesity, mike daube, obesity health australia, obesity killer, tim lobstein, wa obesity conference