By Denis Hay
Description
Obesity and social justice collide. Discover how corporate greed and policy failures fuel Australia’s growing health crisis.
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Introduction: The Forgotten Australia
Brisbane, 1955. A 14-year-old boy rides his bike to work in the early morning chill. He’s lean – not because he diets – but because life itself demands it. The meals are hearty and homemade. Red meat is a staple. Snacks? Rare. Fast food? Unheard of.
Fast-forward to 2025: Supermarkets overflow with colourful packaging and processed temptations. Cafes line every street. Portion sizes have ballooned. And that once-skinny teen? Now in his 80s and, like millions of Australians, battling weight gain despite his best efforts.
So what changed?
The Problem: Australia’s Obesity Crisis
From Lean Lives to Obese Societies
In the 1950s and ’60s, fewer than 10% of Australians were overweight. Today, 67% of Australian adults are overweight or obese, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The Processed Food Takeover
Big Food replaced home kitchens. Ultra-processed foods – engineered to be addictive – became staples. Think:
• Breakfast cereals loaded with sugar
• Pre-packaged meals packed with salt and fat
• Snacks designed for convenience, not nutrition
As nutritionist Dr. Joanna McMillan said, “We’re eating more calories but fewer nutrients.
Obesity and Social Justice: A Tale of Two Australia’s
Australia’s obesity crisis is not evenly distributed. Obesity and social justice intersect sharply when we examine who suffers most. Low-income Australians are far more likely to live in “food deserts” – places with few fresh food options but easy access to fast food and corner stores.
“When your only choices are frozen chips or a $1 cheeseburger, health isn’t a decision. It’s a luxury.” – Community advocate, Western Sydney
Facts:
The lowest socio-economic groups have double the obesity rates of the highest (AIHW, 2022).
Indigenous communities and regional Australians face the greatest barriers to fresh, nutritious food.
This is a failure of policy and planning, not personal discipline. Obesity and social justice are inseparable because health is determined by social conditions.
How Neoliberalism Enabled This Crisis
Deregulation and Industry Power
The 1980s neoliberal wave deregulated industries, including food production. Companies were allowed to:
• Self-regulate advertising
• Use deceptive labels like “natural” or “low-fat”
• Lobby against food taxes and health policies
In the words of former WHO advisor Dr. Boyd Swinburn: “The food industry has infiltrated public health policy at every level.”
From Public Health to Profit Motives
Public funding for health education declined. Instead, billions flowed into private marketing. Schools accepted sponsorships from fast food giants. Local communities lost funding for sport and fresh food programs.
As neoliberalism spread, health became a personal responsibility – while corporations cashed in.
Emotional Weight: The Cost of Being Overweight
Real Stories from a Struggling Nation
“I thought I was doing everything right – fruit, smaller portions, walking. But the weight just won’t go.” – Mary, 72, Ipswich.
Australians often blame themselves. But the truth is, they’re battling a system designed to make them fail.
Time Poverty and Nutritional Gaps
• Single parents working two jobs
• Elderly people living on the pension with limited access to fresh produce
• Communities without a single grocery store for kilometres
This isn’t laziness. It’s logistics. It’s inequality.
The financial toll of obesity disproportionately affects those already struggling. From missed work to medication costs, obesity and social justice issues show up in every bill.
Lower-income Australians are less likely to afford gym memberships or health food.
Public hospitals bear the rising costs of obesity-related illnesses, stretching already underfunded systems.
When healthy living becomes a privilege, Australia faces a moral dilemma: Is it just to let people get sick for corporate profit?
Reclaiming Health Through Dollar Sovereignty
Australia Can Afford Better
As a currency sovereign, Australia can fund public health initiatives without raising taxes or borrowing.
Solutions include:
• Free, nutritious school meals
• Government-subsidised community gardens and farmers markets
• Mandatory food labelling and advertising restrictions
If Norway can offer daily hot meals in schools, why can’t we?
Food Justice as Social Justice
Use public money to:
• Invest in healthy public infrastructure (bike paths, walking tracks)
• Rebuild TAFE programs to include community nutrition
• Launch public health campaigns that rival junk food ads
The Systemic Disconnect: From Shame to Structural Reform
Blaming the Individual
The media and the government often shame overweight Australians. But would we blame someone for asthma in a city full of smog?
Obesity isn’t just a lifestyle choice – it’s the predictable outcome of systemic neglect.
The Case for Government Intervention
Australia once regulated cigarette advertising and improved public health drastically. It can do the same for food – with political will.
The Environment We Live In: Designed for Obesity?
Imagine growing up in a neighbourhood where the nearest supermarket is 5km away, but there are four fast food outlets nearby. You don’t feel safe walking at night, the local park has broken equipment, and there’s no public transport. This is the daily reality for many Australians – and it’s no coincidence that these areas often report the highest obesity rates.
Obesity and social justice are tightly linked when the environment is stacked against healthy living.
Built for Cars, Not People
Australia’s sprawling suburbs, especially in outer metro and regional areas, are designed around cars. Sidewalks are patchy, bike lanes are rare, and public transport is limited. Without walkable communities, everyday movement becomes difficult, especially for the elderly or low-income residents who may not drive.
“I’d love to walk more, but there’s nowhere to go and nothing nearby,” says Tanya, a single mum in outer Brisbane. “It’s drive or nothing.”
Food Swamps and Deserted Choices
In lower-income areas, cheap calories are everywhere – fried chicken, soft drinks, and meal deals dominate the landscape. Meanwhile, fresh food is expensive or unavailable.
This is known as living in a food swamp – where unhealthy food options outnumber healthy ones. It’s a stark example of how obesity and social justice collide.
Endocrine Disruptors and Hidden Chemicals
Many Australians are unknowingly exposed to obesogens – chemicals like BPA and phthalates found in plastic packaging, canned foods, and cosmetics. These interfere with metabolism and hormone function, increasing fat storage and appetite.
Scientists now believe obesogens are part of the reason some people gain weight despite eating reasonably and staying active.
A 2022 review published in the National Library of Medicine concluded that “environmental chemicals are significant contributors to the global obesity pandemic.”
Climate as a Barrier to Movement
As summers grow hotter, especially in Australia’s north and inland regions, outdoor activity declines. People stay inside, especially vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and people with chronic illness. The built environment, combined with extreme heat, reinforces sedentary lifestyles.
Clearly, the environments we’ve built are part of the problem—but they can also be part of the solution.
Hope in Action: Community Solutions Already Working
Local Gardens and Food Hubs
In Melbourne’s west, a local community turned abandoned land into a thriving fruit and vegetable garden. The result? Healthier residents and lower grocery bills.
School-Led Nutrition Programs
In parts of Tasmania, schools are cooking lunch on-site with fresh produce. Kids go home fed, focused, and informed.
Reclaiming a Healthy Future
Australia’s obesity crisis isn’t just about food – it’s about politics, policy, and priorities. We’ve allowed corporate greed, weak regulation, and neoliberal ideology to shape our meals and our bodies.
But we can turn this around – with public money, public will, and public health as a priority. This is not just a health issue – it’s a crisis of obesity and social justice.
Q&A Section
Q1: Can obesity really be linked to neoliberalism?
Yes. Neoliberal policies deregulated food industries, prioritised profit over health, and defunded preventative care – creating an obesogenic environment.
Q2: Isn’t obesity just about willpower?
No. It’s about access, affordability, and education. When unhealthy food is cheaper and more accessible, personal willpower alone isn’t enough.
Q3: What can individuals do?
Support local food initiatives, demand political change, and share resources that promote equity over profit.
Q4: Why is obesity a social justice issue?
A: Because access to nutritious food, healthcare, and education about healthy living is unequal in Australia. Tackling obesity requires systemic change rooted in justice.
Question for Readers
Have you noticed how your food environment and health choices have changed over the years? What would help you live healthier?
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I am afraid I do not see the problem of obesity in poorer neighbourhoods as being a question of easier access to fast food than getting fresh food. Fast food is expensive compared to fresh food and in urban areas there is now no difficulty in getting food delivered to your door by any of the major supermarkets.
Again in urban areas, there are a number of food pantries where for a $10 contribution, you can fill up a box with staple foods, and some little luxuries as well.
If families are eating fast food every day it is due to basic laziness in many cases.
Lyndal:
You don’t understand poverty.
Supermarket deliveries are not free.
Fresh food requires time to prepare, storage facilities, power for both cooking and storage, and the knowledge of how to prepare it. For the working poor in particular, and especially within the “gig” economy, time is a major issue. Spending an hour making a meal for the family is exhausting at the end of the day, and it’s much simpler to grab pizza or burgers or whatever on the way home; this is not laziness, it is dealing with time stress.
Thanks, Lyndal and Leece, for your perspectives—both raise important points that are part of a much bigger picture.
Lyndal, you’re right that fast food can be expensive and that some services like food pantries and deliveries have improved urban access. But as leefe rightly pointed out, poverty isn’t just about money—it’s also about time, energy, housing conditions, knowledge, and systemic stress.
Fresh food may be cheaper per kilo, but preparing it consistently requires:
Access to a working fridge and stove
Stable housing and electricity
Time to plan, shop, cook, and clean—often after long shifts or irregular gig work
Energy, which is hard to muster when you’re exhausted or unwell
For many families, especially single parents, carers, shift workers, or those juggling multiple insecure jobs, grabbing fast food isn’t about laziness—it’s about survival in a system that makes healthy choices harder.
That’s why the article connects obesity and social justice. When corporate power shapes our food environment, advertising, and even health messaging, the personal becomes political—and structural change is needed alongside personal effort.
Really appreciate the discussion—it’s exactly these conversations that help move us toward a fairer, healthier Australia.
Sorry Lyndal, your detached from reality as far too many ‘comfortable’ people can be.
So, would you apply your analogy to the likes of Gina Reinhart? Heaps of access, heaps of income, heaps of help and affordability, however her largesse – physical – does not seem to back up your argument.
Often, many who point out the fault of others are quite unaware of the bias in their own eyes, therefore Leefe and Denis Hay are within their rights to clarify your perspective.
The Fat Frau of the West is very keepawayfromable and fortyfootpole-ish. Yucko.