Although genetics and luck do have a role to play in health, the majority of our health resides in our ‘lifestyle’. This is a good thing. If we can curate our lifestyle such that it is aligned with good health, our lives should be fuller and more energetic.
Yet – enter the “obesity epidemic”. In Australia, the rates of being overweight and obese are spiralling upwards. The reasons for this are many. In 2007-2008, 2.7 million Australians were obese and by 2018 this figure was 5.8 million. Today, over 30% of the Australian population is obese, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30. (For those who want to work out their BMI, the formula is BMI = kg/m2 where kg is your weight in kilograms and m2 is your height in metres squared.)
Society does have a role to play in the promotion or lack thereof of healthy foods. On a recent road trip to Sydney, I can’t help but remember all the fast food signage. Driving into Gundagai we listened to “Along The Road to Gundagai”, but then … Slim Dusty, move over! Show me the Maccas!
Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases. How to best control and lose weight, although understood in theory, is difficult to achieve in practice. I had a previously overweight patient recently tell me he was on the “16/8” diet and lost 7kg. This means he was skipping breakfast, instead eating his first meal at about 1pm and only eating in an eight-hour window. His present weight had now stabilised and was close to ideal for his height. He asked me, “Should I go back to eating breakfast?”. At this point, I could have jumped at the answer by saying, “Yes, you need to have three meals a day”. But instead, I paused and suggested we get the help of a dietitian. There is a science to our diet, and it is critical to get it right.
It is for this reason, we have introduced Weight Loss (Bariatric) Surgeon, Dr Andrew Packiyanathan into the Atticus Healthcare Network. We have also partnered with The Endocrine + Diabetes Centre, where Dr Kavita Kumareswaran will be working out of Hardware Lane every Friday from 2 September 2022. We will also be bringing in an Exercise Physiologist. If you need help controlling your weight, get in touch. Working with your GP, these members of our team are here to help. In particular, whether to have weight loss surgery or not can be a complicated decision. However, for some people, when other attempts have failed, it can ultimately be a valid and effective option.
Returning to where we started, weight control helps prevent disease and as such is a vital part of health. In recognising this, the good news is, that provided you can muster up a degree of motivation, there are ways we can help you. About skipping breakfast though, I’m still not quite sure about it. I will let you know what Emma and Andrew think!
