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The unstoppable Australian obesity and diabetes juggernaut. What should politicians do?

Paul Z Zimmet and W Philip T James
Med J Aust 2006; 185 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00527.x
Published online: 21 August 2006

Health professionals must create the climate to force politicians to act

Australia is in the throes of an unprecedented epidemic of diabetes and obesity. The Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study found that a million Australians are affected by diabetes, and it provided vital data on Australia’s obesity epidemic.1 Obesity is a driving force behind type 2 diabetes, which has cardiovascular and other complications, such as renal failure and blindness.


  • 1 International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 2 International Obesity Taskforce, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.


Correspondence: pzimmet@idi.org.au

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  • 3. Brunner EJ, Thorogood M, Rees K, Hewett G. Dietary advice for reducing cardiovascular risk [review]. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005; (4): CD002128.
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  • 6. Howard BV, Manson JE, Stefanick ML, et al. Low-fat dietary pattern and weight change over 7 years. The Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial. JAMA 2006; 295: 39-49.
  • 7. House of Commons Health Committee. Obesity. Third report of session 2003–04. London: Stationery Office, 2004. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhealth/23/23.pdf (accessed Jul 2006).
  • 8. Ezzati M, Lopez AD, Rodgers A, et al; Comparative Risk Assessment Collaborating Group. Selected major risk factors and global and regional burden of disease. Lancet 2002; 360: 1347-1360.
  • 9. UK Food Standards Agency. Signposting [website]. http://www. food.gov.uk/foodlabelling/signposting/ (accessed Jul 2006).

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