Believe it or not, Australia is officially the fattest country on Earth. With 26% of the adult population certified obese, Australians have even managed to knock America from their rather large top-spot.
It seems shocking that Americans – who are globally-renowned for overeating and being under-active – can now sit back and relax as the Aussies show them exactly how it’s done.
And that they are.
Statistically speaking, Americans take fewer steps than Australians on a day-to-day basis. And no, this isn’t because they’re watching us stride ahead in the fat race – it has generally always been this way.
Then why, if Australians walk more than Americans, are we still fatter?
According to the University of Tennessee, Americans take 5,117 steps per day, far fewer than people in Australia (who take 9,695). The health implications of trying to walk 10,000 steps per day are enormous – those who do are 72% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome – often a precursor to diabetes.
However, as a nation, America is far more aware of their health problems than Australia. In fact West Virginia is proposing an added tax on food purchased at drive-throughs, to encourage more Americans to walk or even cook at home.
Australia, which for years has been deemed the ‘surfer’ country has always managed to carry healthy connotations, due to the sun and the outside lifestyle. However, it’s this rationale which leads to more problems. Australian’s are simply not as aware. It takes time, discipline and self awareness to get into shape. They all work together in unison. If you lose one, then you’ve lost the battle…
Time for Australia to lose weight and gain some self-awareness.
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