If your enslaved to the system, you get what it dishes out. Make all the excuses you like about emotions, comfort food work hours, tiredness and poor people. It makes no difference, Its how you approach your life and how much responsibility for your own life you want to take. The decision's should be up to you.

But don't expect others to constantly pay for peoples repeat stupidities with their health. Money for health should be in the areas of education, traumatic, repairing and preventative medicines. Pharmaceutical medicine is useless in most cases, as surgery can be by removing the symptom and not stopping the cause. As long ans health revolves around money and multinationals aren't made responsible for their implication in the health of the populace, there will be no change and more money will be thrown at it and more companies will get rich. But it wont improve unless you educate and prosecute businesses that contribute to the problem, to take responsibility for their actions.

We should have macca's hospitals and kfc hospitals and dairy product hospitals, all operated by the companies and they should be free. That way public money can be used for improving and fixing our bodies when required. Bet that won't happen.

BTW, its cheaper to live as a vegan and have a much healthier life style and good health, than it is to go to the shop, then the doctor. The foods so much better and varied.

It's a matter of personal priorities, Billie. I live in a modest house, with a large pool in the back garden. I drive the car I can afford and I live the lifestyle I can afford. Many people choose to have homes, cars and holidays which cost more than mine. Many people smoke, regularly drink large amounts of alcohol, or spend lots of money on gambling. I choose not to do these things.

When I was a child, we had no money. My mother had to work, not for extras, but for necessities. My father smoked, drank and gambled heavily. He died of self imposed lung cancer at 52, when I was 16. Life suddenly became easier for us.

My mother was proud of her petite size 10 figure, after having three children. And she kept herself healthy. She tried to pass these concepts onto her children and it worked with me.

Despite the lack of money, my mother made sure we got good food. Fish and chips were a treat, not a staple. Our neighbours, with a lot more money coming in and a non-working mother, almost lived on fish and chips.

When I was 16, my mother told me that the best way to meet girls was to learn to dance. How true, it worked then and it still works nearly 56 years later. I dance 4 or 5 times a week. It's cheap, healthy and pleasurable. Not all dancers can stay slim of course, but we tend to be relatively trim, fit, active and take an interest in our personal appearance.

I lost my wife 4 years ago. I don't like cooking but I know that I can quickly and easily make a nutritious meal for a fraction of takeaway price.

All the things I do for my health are easy and inexpensive. Almost anyone could do the same. It's just a matter of personal priorities.

I don't force my opinions on others, but neither should I have to pay for their lifestyle choices.

Rob Moodie:

The good Doctor has sparked our Social conscience like no other. Perhaps because two thirds of us are overweight - bordering on obesity ! Striking a chord immediately resonates some 'soul-searching' New Year's resolutions that have since 'hit the dirt' from when, on our fifth martini, and the World was a kaleidoscope of unimaginative ' good-will', we would at the time - like Robbie, proclaim " happily eat my hat, as well as 10 B Mac's in a row " ?? So what has changed ?

Tony Abbott still has his head in the clouds since taking a dive with a 'conscience vote' in the abortion debate on RU486. His Ministry has been bedevilled with too many contentious issue's and in order to ' appease everyone', he is without doubt ' a lame duck ' Health Minister in the Howard Government. Obesity will just have to wait - the next Cabinet reshuffle ?

OECD Health data 2003 defines Obesity rates, as a percentage of the population with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30.

Why do stats about Overweight and Obesity differ ?
Has it anything to do with rankings being higher in developed Nations ? Is it possible, Asian Nation's, at this point of time, are not saturated with Hungry Jacks, Macca's,KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway, Big Rooster et al ? Controversial stats from ASSO ( Aust Society for the study of Obesity ) Obesity prevalence per population :

Country Period Ages Male Female
Aust 2000 25+ 19.1 21.8
UK 16+ 22.1 22.8
China 20+ 2.4 5.3
Japan 20+ 2.0 3.3
NZ 15+ 14.7 19.2
US 20+ 27.1 34.0
How many Adults overweight ? US 2/3 with BMI >25
Has Overweight and Obesity changed over the years ?
Obesity 31.5 % to 33.6 %. Age 25/74 (BMI >30)
Overweight 13.3 % to 30.9 % age 20/74 (BMI >25)
Life expectancy of moderate obesity can be shortened by 2 to 5 years. White US males 20/30 age BMI > 45 shortened by 13 yrs, females 8 years.
Queensland University Research confirm 7000 people die from heart disease because..

continued..

of overweight: 2/3 Males. 1/2 Females.
No one in Aust has undertaken the assessment yet. In the US, budget costs: $ 117 B direct. $ 56 B indirect.
Economic burdens : Increase Health Insurance, disability insurance,sick leave, higher premiums,additional stress on health systems, hospital expenditure, special beds, lifts, operating tables, wheel-chairs, staff to accompany patients.

Obesity is a much more serious health problem than imagined - in terms of chronic illness and health spending.The rise in the number of morbidity obese patient's has caught sections of Health care unable to provide appropriate and sufficient services.

Diets & Dieting: Atkins, Vegan,Balanced,GI,low carb,Jenny Craig and fad CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet

TWB Diet by Dr Manny Noakes. Published in May 2005, with much fan-fare and millions of Tax payer's dollars in promo and ads, it created controversy in many a household !

Is it better than other weight loss diets ? More importantly is our foremost elite Research Establishment fair dinkum On every count CSIRO diet is no better than other diets. Researcher's compared 22 obese subjects on their diets with another 21 on high cars for 68 weeks evaluation. The participants were monitored by dieticians throughout the ordeal. Body measurements, composition and dietary were rigidly tabulated and controled. After 16 weeks, weight and fat loss was the same ( around 8.5 Kg)irrespective of diet composition. The CSIRO diet was no better tan existing diets with both groups weighing approx 3.5 % less than when they began.

It recommended veges, fruit and dairy foods to meet daily targets for vitamins, minerals and fibre.

It also recommended up to 300 g of red meat content ?

Surprise..surprise CSIRO research was funded in part by the Meat and Livestock of Aust.

For the consumer oriented, eating large quantities of animal protein is less ecologically sustainable than a diet high in plant food. Red meat increases your dollar budget substantially. Meat has the potential for increase of bowel cancer.

Nutritionist Dr Matt O'Neill, Dr Rosemary Stanton, NHF et al, have all expressed reservations about the efficacy and long term ramifications of this wunderkind magic potion.

Cheers