Globalisation and Obesity

Lecture Tapescript

I am going to talk to you today about globalisation and obesity. Firstly, I will talk about the
reason why obesity is on the rise, then I will go into the health problems connected with
obesity and, finally, I will look at what governments are doing to deal with the problem of
obesity.
To begin with, what is the problem? How are globalisation and obesity connected? Well,
before globalization, the foods people ate were local and seasonal. Due to trade, maize from
Mexico became the staple food of eastern and southern Africa. Wheat from the Middle East
became the dominant crop in North America. Rice from Asia is now also grown and eaten all
over the world. Globalization has not only standardised foods, it has also standardised diets.
While malnutrition remains a major issue in both developed and developing countries,
obesity is on the rise.
According to the International Obesity task force, an estimated 300 million people – 300
million people - around the world are obese. For example, more than 50% of the adult
population in Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. are either overweight or obese.
Furthermore, childhood obesity is a growing problem as at least 25% of children in
Australia, Iran, and the U.S. are obese.
Clearly, there are a number of theories to explain why obesity is on the rise around the
world. The first theory is that migration of people from rural to urban areas has changed
diets to include more fast food and less traditional diets. In Mexico, for instance, childhood
obesity barely existed twenty years ago, whereas a recent study in Mexico City showed that
30 per cent of elementary school children and 45 per cent of adolescents were overweight. A
rural Mexican diet is rich in corn, beans, fruits and vegetables, while the urban diet
increasingly includes imported fast foods and local junk foods.
Secondly, some analysts blame the United States and its fast-food culture with the obesity
problem. A report published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that in
lower-income areas in Scotland and England there were more fast food restaurants. Similar
studies performed in Australia and the United States show that there are 2.5 times more fast
food restaurants in poor areas than rich ones.
On the other hand, a Rand Corporation study found that obesity is not linked to the number
of fast food restaurants, but to the price of fresh produce. Children gain more weight in areas
where the price of fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive.
However, there is another problem. Diseases associated with obesity have also risen
worldwide. The number of people with diabetes has increased from 30 million worldwide in
1985 to 135 million worldwide in 1995 and the numbers continue to rise. More than 115
million people in the developing world are suffering from obesity- related diseases.
Heart disease has been the number one worldwide killer of people, of which 80 per cent can
be found in developing countries. Dr Lloyd Kolbe, that’s K-O-L-B-E, a professor of applied
health science at Indiana University, says that two-thirds of all diabetes and heart diseases
are a result of obesity.
He also believes that the obesity problem will lead to three distinct problems.
The first problem is an increased prevalence of diabetes, heart disease, asthma, stroke,
and certain cancers.
The second problem is the combination of increasing numbers of elderly people, among
whom these diseases are more common, and the increasing health care costs for this
population.
The third problem is the potential decrease in competitiveness that is associated with high
health-care costs to U.S. companies that must compete with China and Malaysia, where
employees are healthier. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recently noted that
almost $10 out of every $100 of all US health care expenditures “is directly related to obesity
and physical inactivity.”
So what is being done to deal with obesity? Well, in England, plans are being made to
ban the sale of fizzy drinks and junk food in school vending machines. Additionally, British
school cafes are not allowed to sell poor-quality hamburgers, sausages, and other high fat
foods. Students will be required to learn how to cook vegetables and other healthy foods.
Furthermore, in France, the government will soon require companies to attach health
advice on all print and broadcast advertisements for processed foods. Companies who do
not comply will be forced to pay a 1.5 per cent tax on their advertising budget.
Also, in March 2005, the European Commission brought together EU institutions, national
governments, and representatives of the food industry, advertisers, retailers, caterers and
civil society groups to launch the EU platform on Diet, Nutrition and Physical Health.
Many other efforts exist to fight obesity, for example, health and fitness or through scientific
exploration of genes and surgery. Some researchers are even examining how to change the
diets of babies before they are actually born. Changing human nature though is difficult.
So, there you have it, chocolate bar or apple, which would you take if given an extra
dollar?