We're in an obesity epidemic, yet doctors aren't doing this one obvious thing.

April 13, 2015

Image via iStock

Like most people, I don’t exactly look forward to hopping on the scales. After all, who really wants to torture themselves about actually enjoying Christmas dinner or treating themselves to an extra scoop of ice cream or piece of cake now and then?

However I am well aware that ignorance isn’t always bliss – as well as needing to know your weight to fill out certain forms, it’s also important for keeping track of your health, particularly now that 14 million Australians are overweight or obese.

In fact, despite obesity being considered a national epidemic and new national guidelines requiring weight monitoring, a study has revealed doctors aren’t weighing three out of four patients. (Post continues after gallery.)

Rebel WilsonThe actress said on Twitter; "I'm not trying to be hot. I'm just trying to be a good actress and entertain people."

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Ashley JuddAfter the March 2012 frenzy around Judd's "puffy face" the actress fought back in 'The Daily Beast', calling the media out for making women's bodies "a source of speculation, ridicule, and invalidation, as if they belong to others". Image via @ashley_judd

Christina Aguilera"I am always in support of someone who is willing and comfortable in their own skin enough to embrace it," the singer said in a recent interview. Image via @xtina

Lena DunhamAt the 2012 New Yorker Festival, the magazine's TV critic, Emily Nussbaum, asked Lena Dunham, producer, creator and star of the hit HBO show 'Girls' why Dunham is naked in so many scenes.

Dunham responded; "I realised that what was missing in movies for me was the presence of bodies I understood." She said she plans to live until she is 105 and show her thighs every day. Image via @lenadunham

Alexa ChungChung responded to critics who suggested that her slight frame made her a bad role model for young women, saying:

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Stella BoonshoftThe NYU student started the amazing Body Love Blog, where she posted this picture of herself and wrote an open letter to those who feel entitled to shame others for the size or look of their bodies. Image via http://thebodyloveblog.tumblr.com"> Body Love Blog

Beth DittoThis five-foot-tall, 200-pound singer spoke openly about her weight to 'The Advocate' saying, "I feel sorry ... for people who've had skinny privilege and then have it taken away from them. I have had a lifetime to adjust to seeing how people treat women who aren't their idea of beautiful and therefore aren't their idea of useful, and I had to find ways to become useful to myself." Image via @marybethditto

The study of more than 270,000 patients between 2011 and 2013 found just 22.2 per cent had their weight recorded by their GP, while only 4.3 per cent had their waist circumference measured. Women were also found to be the least likely to have their measures of obesity documented.

A person is categorised as obese if they have a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or more.

The potential cause? Doctors had problems identifying obesity, had difficulty discussing it with patients and lacked appropriate training to manage it, say researchers in the Medical Journal Australia.

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The results have understandably alarmed health groups.

“GPs are busy but given the tsunami of obesity (27 per cent of Australians aged over 18), it’s very important doctors do measure,” Obesity Australia spokesman Professor John Funder told news.com.au.

He would like to see Australia adopt a similar time-saving scheme to Japan, where every doctor’s waiting room has a set of scales that electronically record a patient’s weight. Fancy.

It’s no surprise that it’s considered the single biggest threat to public health – people who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of a range of diseases including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, endometrial cancer, breast and bowel cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, liver disease and infertility.

Australia’s peak medical research body the National Health and Medical Research Council released the new clinical guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity in December 2013.

The guidelines require doctors to “routinely assess and monitor” the BMI of their patients, measure their waist circumference and talk to their overweight patients if their BMI increases. If a patient is obese, doctors are required to set up a weight loss program for them, and review and monitor their weight long term.

According to guidelines, doctors must measure waist circumference. Image via iStock

According to Professor Funder, the good news is that even a small amount of weight loss, as little as five to 10 per cent, can make a big difference to a patient's health and reduce their risk of diabetes.

The study recommends increased support for GPs in tackling the issue to improve patient care.

If you are concerned about your weight speak to your doctor, and in the meantime it doesn't hurt to hop on the scales yourself every few weeks to track how you're going. It won't bite, promise.

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BreadKATIE THOMSITT, Dieticians Australia spokesperson says: "Lots of people shy away from bread to achieve weight loss. But bread is such an important source of fibre, and plays such a helpful role in weight loss and preventing bowel cancer. A couple of slices of a dark, seedy bread per day is absolutely fine."

CheeseKATIE SAYS: "Cheese is definitely a higher fat source of dairy, but still a good dairy fat. Choose low-fat options if you have it regularly, otherwise consume it in moderation. One serve of dairy is 30g, so a couple of slices is absolutely fine."

ChocolateKARA LANDAU, The Travelling Dietician says: "Studies have been able to show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure in healthy individuals, protect against heart disease, and improve HDL good cholesterol (not a bad start for such a tasty food!). Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, whilst white chocolate does not. These polyphenolic compounds are able to relax blood vessels allowing for better blood circulation, and thereby assisting with the maintenance of healthy blood pressure levels."

CoffeeKATIE SAYS: "Coffee is a really good snack, in particular if its milk-based to get the dairy in - for example, a skim latte. As long as its in moderation - daily guidelines say a maximum of three per day! And you want lots of water on top of that."

EggsKARA SAYS: "Yes, even the yolks are good for you! Healthy fat soluble vitamins, as well as half the protein found in an egg, are all found in the yolk!"

Avocado KATIE SAYS: "Avocado is a healthy fat. Lots of people think its high-fat and not good for you, but its rich in mono unsaturated fats, which give you protection against heart disease. It also helps with controlling lower cholesterol levels."

nutsKATIE SAYS: "Nuts fall into the same category as avocado - they have lots of healthy oils and fibre."

dairyKARA SAYS: "Often milk and yoghurts are fortified with Vitamin D (a fat soluble vitamin) which requires a small amount of fat to be present in order for the body to absorb it, therefore having the full fat variety can be of value to enhance the nutritional benefits from the products' consumption. The fat in the dairy also aids with satiety, which could prevent unhealthy snacking at a later point in the day."

PotatoKATIE SAYS: "Potato always gets a bad rap as a starchy vegetable, but it's an excellent source of fibre. Sweet potato in particular is great for weight management and sugar level control. Potatoes are also really rich in potassium."

Red meatKARA SAYS: People tend to restrict red meat unnecessarily, thinking that its high in saturated fat. "But lean red meat is high in protein, CLA (which has been found to be associated with lower body fat percentages), B12, iron and zinc. These are all nutrients we want to get into our body!"

How often do you weigh yourself? Are you concerned about Australia's obesity epidemic?

Tags: health , obesity , weight , weight-loss