When I was younger than Lance, there was a great Australian television icon.
Norm.
Norm, the lovable, lazy, beer-swilling, tv watching character I grew up with.
Norm was the face of a collection of advertisements called, Life. Be In It. Despite his portly gut, he encouraged us to go out and play a game of volleyball, cricket or go fo a swim.To make the most out of life. He even told us to “slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.” People started to realise that they didn’t want to be a “Norm”, complete with beer belly and staggered gait. It made people start to think about how much alcohol we, as a nation were consuming, what types of food we were eating and whether we were socialising enough through exercise.
Suddenly, Norm disappeared from our television screens.
Ironically, twenty-five years later, Norm is celebrating his TV debut.
Earlier this year, deplorable figures shot shockwaves throughout the country. Nine million Australians are overweight or obese. This takes the chocolate creamcake!! We beat the supersized Americans for the number ONE position as the most overweight country in the world. Despite the images depicted in Australia of Americans adoring junk food, for our little continent to whoop the pants off America, that’s quite a feat, when you consider the vast differences in population!!!
Australians All Let's Pass The Sauce...
What a National Disgrace!
The Fat of the Land!
Type 2 Diabetes numbers are soaring, hospital beds are filling, enlarged hearts are beating to their full capacity. Parents have no idea that by grabbing fast food on their way home from work, with kids in tow, that they are educating their children with their same, lazy messages and attitudes about food!!
Thank goodness for the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson, who have made home cooked, healthy choice meals appealing and popular to younger men and women. Growing your own vegetable garden is something that many people now enjoy doing.
Regardless, we are still a pack of NORMS!!!
It’s devastating!
The most horrific part of it all is that children who are Lance’s age are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes EVERYDAY. It’s then a tired, frazzled parent like me, who feels emotive enough to write a Letter to the Editor, and explain that my son had no say in his diagnosis, but Muskstick Sally has probably been fed fast foods all her life, therefore, her body is calling out for more insulin to cover her increasing girth. Damn you, PARENTS!!!
If we are still Number 1 next year, we are officially relocating to Tokyo.
I’m sure the D word isn’t mentioned as much over there.
changingdiabetes said,
26 July, 2008 @ 11:49 pm
Great post Lance & Kate.
I’m so glad to also read that other Australians are getting frustrated that the connection between obesity and Type-2 diabetes is completely failing to happen in the media.
I make a point of every article regarding obseity or healthy-eating strategies to see if diabetes in even referenced, and sadly, more often than not, it never receives a mention.
And this is despite Diabetes being the number one global cause of blindness, amputations and renal failure.
Kind regards,
Alex C
International Diabetes Federation Youth Ambassador (West Pacific Rep.)
Novo Nordisk Young Voice (Australian Rep.)