Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Martin Johnston talks to weight expert and battler Andrew Dickson about how the weight-loss industry exploits the anxieties of the obese
Dr Andrew Dickson knows that, at 105kg, he's a big guy. Obesity has been an obsession of Dickson's, personally and academically. A business lecturer at Massey University in Palmerston North, the 34-year-old wrote his doctoral thesis on the lucrative weight-loss industry and how it exploits "weight-anxiety" for profit.
Obesity is increasing in New Zealand and other developed countries. New Zealand's rate of adult obesity has more than doubled since 1977. In 2008, more than a quarter were obese; add in the overweight and you're talking about 65 per cent of the adult population. It's a big issue to researchers and in the public mind, but is it as big a risk to human health as it is often portrayed?
At his heaviest, Dickson grew to 130kg. His weight worries began in adolescence. He was athletic and still is, completing marathons and long, gruelling mountain-running events such as a run over his local Tararua Ranges.
"When I was 13, it became obvious that I was bigger than the other athletic members of my high school.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10817976
Dr Andrew Dickson knows that, at 105kg, he's a big guy. Obesity has been an obsession of Dickson's, personally and academically. A business lecturer at Massey University in Palmerston North, the 34-year-old wrote his doctoral thesis on the lucrative weight-loss industry and how it exploits "weight-anxiety" for profit.
Obesity is increasing in New Zealand and other developed countries. New Zealand's rate of adult obesity has more than doubled since 1977. In 2008, more than a quarter were obese; add in the overweight and you're talking about 65 per cent of the adult population. It's a big issue to researchers and in the public mind, but is it as big a risk to human health as it is often portrayed?
At his heaviest, Dickson grew to 130kg. His weight worries began in adolescence. He was athletic and still is, completing marathons and long, gruelling mountain-running events such as a run over his local Tararua Ranges.
"When I was 13, it became obvious that I was bigger than the other athletic members of my high school.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10817976