(11-08-07) Obesity threat to sport

AUSTRALIA'S reputation as a world class sporting nation will be ruined if nothing is done to fix the country's childhood obesity epidemic, swimming champion Petria Thomas warns.
The triple Olympic gold medallist said yesterday she was "sad" this generation of children had not embraced sports as she did as a child.
Speaking at the Healthy Lifestyle Forum in Canberra, where dozens of experts gathered to tackle childhood obesity, the new mum called on children to get active.
"Australia is noted around the world for its sporting success, and that success has come from kids being out, kicking the ball in the street, throwing the ball with their friends, riding their bikes," she said.
"Maybe even Australia's sporting success might drop off because we don't have the breeding ground that we used to have."
More then three million Australians are obese, including one in ten children. Millions are overweight.
International Obesity Taskforce chairman, Philip James, told the conference childhood obesity was getting worse, " faster than we've ever known it before".
"Australian children are some of the fattest in the world," Professor James said.
"I heard today that Australia is No. 4 in the world league for fat children.
'I'm astonished by that given all the wonderful countryside you have and all the enormous reputation for sports."
Professor James recommended Australia adopt the "traffic light" system of food labelling which has taken off in the UK.
The fat, sugar and salt content of products is rated red, orange or green.
The more green ratings a product has, the better it is.

Source: News.com

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