Study finds region full of fatties

According to statistics released by the National Health Performance Authority, 72 per cent of people in the South West are either overweight or obese.

An estimated 158,000 people in the region are suffering from weight issues, with the area having a 35 per cent obesity and 37 per cent over weight rates.

Melbourne University’s global health professor Rob Moodie said weight issues were not uncommon in regional areas due to their low socio-economic status.

“What you generally find is obesity is related to low income, education, health and employment rates,” he said.

“This leads to a poorer diets and lower levels of activity which inevitably leads to obesity.”

Prof Moodie said cultural differences between big cities like Perth and rural areas such as the South West contributed to the problem.

“A healthier culture is stronger in inner Perth with higher employment rates and higher incomes which lead to people eating better food,” he said.

“Healthier foods tend to be more expensive and it doesn’t help when areas have a lower education on how to have a healthier diet.”

WA Country Health Service’s Silvia Clearwater said the results of the recently released statistics matched previous studies, but there were many factors which contributed to the higher obesity rates.

“While it’s important for individuals to make healthier choices, there are genetic and medical factors that can impact on our body mass index along with the environment in which we live,” she said.

“Having access to healthy food that is high in fibre and nutrients such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains is protective against weight and obesity.

“It is important that home, school and work environments promote healthy food and activity choices in order to make the healthy choice the easier choice.”

Ms Clearwater said the South West Public Health Unit was doing its best to combat the problem.

“The WA Country Health Service — South West Public Health Unit runs programs that teach community members how to read food labels and make better choices when shopping for food, based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines,” she said.

“Regular physical activity is also an important component of staying within a healthy weight range.”