One morning, in a last-minute attempt at procrastinating over an assignment, I turned on the TV and did some quality channel flicking. The Morning Show came on, and in the process of changing the channel I noticed they were discussing a frequently brought up topic – is the media (by using super skinny models) increasing body issues and eating disorders?

It is a debate that is being argued constantly. And it got me thinking:  if 2-3% of Australians are diagnosed with a clinical eating disorder, and 61% of Australians are considered obese, why do we spend so much time analysing skinny models instead of addressing what is clearly a more prevalent issue?

We are so obsessed with trying to get more plus-sized models in the media, when technically plus-size is unhealthy. In the midst of our obesity epidemic we are far too busy focussing on what is ‘too thin’ instead of looking at the real issue – what is ‘too fat’?

It occurred to me that even though obesity is a commonly recognised subject, there is still something about it that’s taboo. Whenever it is discussed people are careful to sound politically correct, and we end up tiptoeing around this serious problem.

In reality it’s having detrimental effects on our society; and yet we’re still playing it down. If one of your friends had an eating disorder you would intervene in any way you could to help. But if one of your friends was obese, well, you would ignore it and maybe subtly encourage them to be healthier.

The truth is obesity is the most serious health issue affecting people globally. Not smoking, not cancer, but obesity. Not only can it cause severe health problems like diabetes, strokes, cancer, and other heart diseases but it’s also having a huge affect on our society.

The amount of government money that is spent within the health sector as a result of obesity is ridiculously high – bet you wouldn’t have guessed it’s over $21 billion per year! And yet the campaigning and advertising doesn’t seem to be working. Despite these efforts the percentage of obesity is increasing.

People are set on trying to find a quick fix. Have you seen how many weight loss shakes there are in the supermarket? What about all the ‘diet’ foods and fad diets? And no, a diet chocolate bar isn’t going to help this situation. And if 95% of people are regaining the weight they lost, it’s safe to say the quick fix isn’t going to work. We need to change our lifestyle and our attitude, not just our diet.

Two serves of fruit and five serves of veggies plus protein a day with regular exercise is how everyone should live their lives. And yes, it is hard, but there is clearly no easy way out of this crisis we have found ourselves in.

Whether you are overweight, obese, or fit and healthy, the stats show that 75% of Aussies don’t eat enough veggies. We are becoming such an unhealthy nation. We’re slowly killing ourselves, and for what? Because we’re too lazy to go to the gym, and we refuse to give up our chocolate addiction?

The Swap It campaign is the most realistic weight loss campaign we’ve had yet, but are people even taking notice?

Do you realise that the simplest changes are the most effective? Probably not because you’re too busy sucking on a shake.

Cat Brooke is a final-year Bachelor of Creative Arts student at La Trobe University and is part of upstart‘s editorial team. You can follow her on Twitter: @CathrynBrooke