Obesity raises risks of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and kidney disease.
Diseases like heart disease are expected to hit the baby boomer generation at around age 60-65. But for our overweight teens, it is likely that these diseases will hit 5 to 10 years earlier. What’s more worrying is we’re seeing a rise of what were previously adult-onset diseases in young people.
Obesity also raises risks of cancer, including cancers of the breast, bowel, womb, oesophagus, pancreas, kidney, liver, and stomach. Around one in 20 cases of cancer are due to obesity.
In fact, obesity is a bigger preventable cause of cancer than smoking in some groups.
Around 14% of Australia’s total disease burden could be relieved if obesity was reduced.
Read Brian's story about how he reduced his risk for heart disease by cutting back on added sugar.
