This document discusses attitudes toward health and culture in developed versus developing countries. It notes that while obesity was once seen as a sign of prosperity, developed countries now view it as a health problem linked to diseases like heart disease and diabetes. However, some research suggests being moderately overweight may be healthier than normal weight. The document also discusses differences in government attitudes toward obesity and smoking in countries like Japan versus the US and others. It suggests focusing on reducing poverty could help address health issues more effectively than just treating diseases.

1. Health

2. Attitudes to health and culture
• Very complex
• Very big concern in developed countries
• Good conversation topic

3. Peter Paul Rubens

4. 1577 - 1640

5. Germany, Belgium

6. Useful adjective -- Rubenesque

7. Rubenesque

8. It’s a euphemism

9. What’s a euphemism?

10. A euphemism is a nice way of saying
something

11. Rubenesque is a nice way of saying …

12. Fat

13. Obese

14. Overweight

15. Not the ideal today

16. Fat was associated with prosperity

17. Thin meant poor

18. Value judgments have changed

19. But what is healthy?

20. Top athletes

21. Are sometimes Rubenesque

22. Developed and developing split

23. Developed: ageing societies

24. Obesity = health problems

25. Clogged arteries

26. Heart disease

27. Stroke

28. Diabetes

29. Cancer

30. These problems go with …

31. … a long life expectancy

32. Compared with developing countries

33. Perhaps treatment for diseases isn’t
available

34. Steady rise in developed countries

35. Japan – the long life superpower

36. Think of the changes

37. Society’s concerns are different

38. Government’s concerns are different

39. Things can change quickly

40. Life expectancy when I was 25: about
70

41. Now it’s about 80

42. But maybe now it DOESN’T change
much

43. Anyway, in developed countries …

44. Body image becomes an obsession

45. Body shaming

46. Nasty comments on social media

47. Plus health concerns

48. Although too THIN can also be a
problem

49. National Cancer Institute 2012
• A little overweight is healthy
• Moderately obese people live over 3 years
longer!
• So moderately overweight is healthier than
“normal”!!

50. We are still obsessed

51. Maybe the perfect shape is
unattainable

52. Even so …

53. … in the developed world …

54. Overweight is more likely to kill you

55. So government’s have to be worried

56. Cost to medical services

57. Big strain on the economy

58. Metabolic syndrome
• 44% of US population over 50 years of age
• A lot of these will get sick
• It costs the government

59. Metabolic syndrome
• In the United States
• Women –
• Over 89 cm
• Men –
• Over 102 cm

60. Metabolic syndrome
• In Japan
• Women –
• over 90 cm
• Men –
• over 85 cm

61. Metabolic syndrome
• Why is it OK for Japanese women …
• To have a bigger waist than western women
• And a bigger waist than Japanese men?
• What is the government thinking?
• What are its main concerns?

62. Lung cancer

63. What are the causes?

64. We know it’s bad

65. I mean, really bad

66. Really, really bad

67. Japanese cigarettes

68. Brand logo

69. Fairly attractive packaging

70. Small text warning

71. 30 million smokers in Japan

72. Smoking is on the decline in Japan

73. Although many MPs are connected …

74. … with the tobacco industry

75. Is politeness so important?

76. In some countries, politeness ISN’T the
issue

77. No logo or branding

78. Really nasty pictures

79. Definite difference in attitudes

80. Australia, Brazil etc

81. Also taxation

82. In 2010

83. Australia almost $11 US

84. UK nearly $10 US

85. Japan less than $4

86. How do you explain the differences?

87. Metabolic syndrome
• In Japan
• Women –
• over 90 cm
• Men –
• over 85 cm

88. Why is Japan strict about obesity for
MEN?
• In Japan
• Women –
• over 90 cm
• Men –
• over 85 cm

89. But not very strict about cigarettes

90. I don’t know

91. But poverty remains a huge problem

92. Often among children

93. Malnutrition

94. Few treatments available for disease

95. If people living in poverty …

96. … become obese …

97. … get sick …

98. … and cost the country lots of money

99. It’s probably a good idea to solve the
problem of poverty

100. If children grow up in poverty …

101. … become sick …

102. … can’t look after themselves …

103. … cost us lots of money

104. We should probably deal with poverty

105. John Ruskin

106. Cultivate health instead of …

107. … treating disease

108. 1890 - 1900

109. We know what we SHOULD do

110. But we’re still not doing it