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A nation of participators or spectators? |
 Australia's hosting of the 2000 Olympics can only be described as a success on most parameters. It even had the effect of lifting the spirit of Australians at a time when we seemed to need it. But now that it is over it is timely to reflect on just how much it has and will contribute to our physical well being. After all, our sporting heroes epitomise physical fitness and good health.
Following the disappointment of our poor performance and lack of medals in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the government of the day decided to pump money into elite sport and the early 1980s saw the establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport. Looking at the extraordinary medal winning success of the Sydney 2000 Olympics for Australia, that investment has certainly paid off. But is winning medals all that matters?
Prime Minister John Howard was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald (30/9/00) as acclaiming the benefits of the Olympics for the flag, but also wondering what the government can do to get a trickle down effect that will encourage more children to participate in sport and make us a fitter nation. Although a keen sports spectator himself, John Howard is also a keen and regular power walker and would be alarmed at the latest figures on obesity that give us the silver medal for obesity, rating just behind the USA.
In the US, 65% of males and 50% of women are overweight or obese whereas in Australia it is 64% of men and 49% of women.
A recent study by two South Australian sports scientists (1) confirmed the benefits of large investment in elite sport for medal success. Funding in elite sport increased from $1.2 million in 1976 to $106 million in 1998 with 96 gold medals and 115 others won since (pre-Sydney Olympics). This amounts to about $37 million for each gold medal and $8 million for each silver or bronze.
However when it comes to the trickle down effect in increasing the fitness of the population as a whole the story is very different.The level of obesity (BMI >30) has more than doubled in the last 15 years.
At the recent Australian Society for the Study of Obesity Pre Olympic Conference, Professor James Hill, president of the North American Obesity Society, talked of today's obesity conducive environment where it is now difficult to maintain a healthy body weight without conscious effort. Just as we are taught to manage our money we now need to be taught to manage our energy balance and this education should start in schools. Our activity expenditure of energy has dropped so dramatically that it is now very hard to reduce our energy consumption levels accordingly. In fact there are increasing pressures to consume more with abundant energy dense, high fat food readily available and well promoted.
The obesity epidemic is permitted by our genes but is fuelled by the environment in which we live. To deal with the problem we need to look at all aspects of our environment to see what we can change to make it less obesity conducive and what information and tools will help people take more active control of their energy balance and maintain a healthy body weight.
Pumping more money into elite sports is clearly not a health promoting strategy for the broader population.
Reference:
(1) Hogan K and Norton K. The 'Price' of Olympic Gold. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, 2000; 3(2):203-218
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