Unfortunate, uninformed, moralistic, victim-blaming comments from a high 
profile Australian doctor

Overweight, lazy a strain on economy
By NICOLETTE BURKE
29sep05
AUSTRALIANS who eat badly and won't exercise are putting a strain on the 
country and have to take responsibility for their own health, Australian of 
the Year and doctor Fiona Wood said yesterday.
She told the National Press Club obesity and bad lifestyles were causing 
unnecessary illnesses that robbed vital funds from medical research into 
other diseases and she would like to see a war against the problem, led by 
the community.
"By taking the responsibility for your health and wellness . . . we can 
reduce the burden on our health system," she said.
"This country could be galvanised into action . . . from east to west, north 
to south, to raise $1 million a day . . . to say: 'Yes, we are aware of 
what's happening". The money could be raised through events involving 
physical activity and put into medical research.
"We should get together, the larger community, to make a difference," Dr 
Wood said.
"Whether it's cycling from Perth to Sydney . . . or just pushing your 
(walking) frame, it is the sort of thing we need to do.
"Everybody can take responsibility for their health and wellness."
She said reducing the amount of preventable disease would mean scientific 
research could be focused on more complex and problematic disease. "We need 
to nudge these preventable problems and reducible problems," she said.
Dr Wood, a Perth plastic surgeon, came to public prominence through her work 
with people burnt in the Bali bombings in 2002.
http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16755063%255E911,00.html


Melissa Raven, Lecturer, Drugs & Public Health Coordinator
Department of Public Health, Flinders University
GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE  SA  5001
Physical address G5 Flats, Flinders Medical Centre, BEDFORD PARK
Phone  (08) 8204 5714   Fax  (08) 8204 5693   International 61 8 

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