Townsville GPs Say 90% Of Overweight Patients Aren't Willing To Change Choices

Let's get physical!

You'll be committed to our iconic Castle Hill when you hear this news...

For the inaugural Obesity Awareness Week (OAW), Australian Medical Association Queensland President Dr Dilip Dhupelia released findings of a survey of GPs about their overweight and obese patients, and the results are alarming.

More than 70 per cent of doctors had seen a rise in the number of patients with obesity-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke, compared with five years ago
Doctors in our region were treating up to 20 per cent more patients with obesity-related illnesses
Nearly 90 per cent of GPs surveyed said their patients were not willing to make healthy changes, even when they knew their weight was posing health risks

That last point is the one which concerns us the most...people are aware they're overweight but are not willing to make healthy changes?

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Australian Bureau of Statistics data collated by the Public Health Information Development Unit at Torrens University in Adelaide found 97,495 people in the Townsville Local Government Area were either overweight or obese.

Health Minister Steven Miles said obesity was a leading cause of hospitalisation and disability in Queensland.

“Being overweight or obese impacts people’s lives every single day – they struggle to run around and play with their kids or many spend days strapped to a dialysis machine,” Mr Miles said.

We totally get that lifestyle changes are overwhelming, so check out the tips below!

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Do it with a friend! A work colleague, a family member, your partner, you're surrounded by people who you can make the changes with, or you can tell them to keep an eye on your habits
Be smart about doing your groceries. Add as many colourful fruit and veges in as possible. You can even buy them pre-cut these days #thankyou!
Never shop while you're hungry (you'll put unnecessary items in the trolley)
Start small. You don't have to run the Strand in 10 minutes the first time you set out. Who can even do that?! Make it a 15 minute walk, then increase your workout time. You'll be amazed at your own results!

Now you're thinking 'where should I do this workout?' luckily for you, there's a gym on almost every corner of Townsville, or if you want to go outdoors...