The cost of obesity - Professor Boyd Swinburn

Liam Butler interviews Boyd Swinburn Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health University of Auckland

24 October 2014

The cost of obesity

Professor Swinburn is also Alfred Deakin Professor; Co-Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention Deakin University, Melbourne

Question One

Professor Swinburn you and your colleagues at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health are running several significant research projects. You have found that obesity cost the New Zealand health care system over $600 000 000 per year. What are some of the issues for older people who are obese and the health professionals that serve them?

Most of the medical consequences of obesity occur in older age people including diabetes, heart disease and cancer, although the other consequences may be experienced throughout the life of people with obesity. These include physical problems such as joint pains and difficulty in performing exercise and psycho-social problems such as discrimination and lower self-esteem. Older age is accompanied by reduced flexibility and fitness and obesity will contribute to this.

Question Two

What can older people do to help the younger generation reduce the risks associated with obesity?

The prevention priority must be on the younger generation and older adults are an essential part of children's environments. Reinforcing healthy eating habits, not succumbing to grandparental desires to spoil grandchildren with sweets and takeaways, and joining them in healthy outdoor activities are all important contributions they can make.

Question Three

What do you think health professions can do to better serve older obese people?

There is a lot of room for improvement in the support health professionals can provide. It is a very sensitive issue and there are not any magic treatments. Weight bias is still very high even among health professionals. Discussing weight in a non-judgemental way and offering support with weight management is essential if older people with obesity are going to be able to minimise their risks from their excess weight.

A bit more about Professor Swinburn...

Professor Boyd Swinburn trained as a specialist endocrinologist and has conducted research in metabolic, clinical and public health aspects of obesity. His major research interests are centred on community and policy actions to prevent childhood and adolescent obesity, and reduce, what he has coined, the ‘obesogenic' food environment.

He is Co-Chair of the World Obesity/Policy & Prevention (formerly known as IOTF) and was President of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS) from 2005-7. He has also contributed to over 30 WHO consultations and reports on obesity, authored over 300 publications and given over 400 presentations. Through these efforts he is significantly contributing to national and global efforts to reduce the obesity epidemic.

Selected Publications and Creative Works (Research Outputs)

• Swinburn, B. A., Sacks, G., Hall, K. D., McPherson, K., Finegood, D. T., Moodie, M. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2011). The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments.Lancet, 378(9793), 804-814.10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60813-1
URL:http://hdl.handle.net/2292/14999

• Millar, L., Mavoa, H., Malakellis, M., Robertson, N., Swinburn, B. A., Kremer, P., ... Roberts, G. (2011). Reduction in overweight and obesity from a 3-year community-based intervention in Australia: The 'It's Your Move!' project.Obesity
•
Reviews, 12 (SUPPL. 2), 20-28. 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00904.x

• Gortmaker, S. L., Swinburn, B. A., Carter, R., Moodie, M. L., Levy, D., Mabry, P. L., ... Marsh, T. (2011). Changing the future of obesity: Science, policy, and action.The Lancet, 378(9793), 838-847.10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60815-5

View more publications at https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/boyd-swinburn

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