The Mind Performance Health Podcast

The 2050 Crisis: Half of Australian Kids Facing Obesity

• Michael Pritchatt • Episode 28

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A silent health catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes. The latest research revealed on ABC News predicts that by 2050, half of all Australian children will be obese or overweight—double the current rate. As someone who coaches over 500 personal training clients annually, I'm witnessing this alarming trend firsthand, and the implications stretch far beyond aesthetics.

When today's overweight children become tomorrow's adults, we're potentially looking at adult obesity rates climbing to 90%. With 30 associated diseases linked to obesity—from cardiovascular problems to diabetes—this represents nothing short of a public health emergency. But what's driving this crisis?

Through my work with families across Australia, I've identified four critical factors behind this trend: parents who don't model healthy behaviors, lack of quality nutritional knowledge tailored to children's specific needs, environments that sabotage healthy choices, and the challenge of delayed gratification in our instant-reward culture. The good news? Parents have tremendous power to interrupt this cycle. By understanding your child's unique values, creating supportive environments, and teaching basic nutrition principles, you can help them develop habits that will serve them for life. I share the inspiring story of my client Michael, who not only transformed his own health but brought his son Carter into the same positive environment, changing both their trajectories forever.

Ready to ensure your family doesn't become part of the 2050 statistic? Subscribe now and join our community of parents and caregivers fighting for our children's healthier future. Together, we can reverse this trend one family at a time.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Mind Performance Health Podcast. I'm Michael Pritchett, owner and founder of MPH Personal Training and MPH Supplements. I'm a coach to everyday Australians, helping fight the battle against obesity and being overweight. I'm a coach to bodybuilders, elite athletes and high performers. Now, as per the Obesity Hub in Australia, seven out of 10 Australians are obese and overweight adult Australians, that is. And one out of four kids in Australia are obese and overweight overweight adults Australians, that is. And one out of four kids in Australia are obese and overweight. And that statistic or trend is only elevating up. Now you've got to realize there are 30 associated diseases blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol problems, heart implications not good stuff that are associated with being overweight or at unhealthy body fat percentages with your body. So the goal of this podcast is to help motivate you, take action, give you knowledge so you don't become a part of that statistic. So let's lock in Now today's title of today's episode.

Speaker 1:

We're going to talk about the 2050 crisis. So we're in 2025 at the moment the year 2025, but I saw an alarming article. This was on the ABC news, article only released in the month of March and this was only released at the start of March, the 4th of March in 2025, that 50% of Australian kids will be obese or overweight by 2050. And can we actually stop it Now? I want you to think about that for a second. At the start of this podcast, I said one out of four Australians are currently obese or overweight in the year 2025. This article, and research that is reflected in this article, is saying that by the year 2050, 50% of Australian kids will be obese or overweight. That's double what I was saying one out of four. So over the next 25 years, we've got a big, big problem where our kids are going to be. 50% of that population of kids is going to be obese and overweight ages five into their teens. Now it's a scary fact. The ABC article, like I said, brought out this month obesity and overweight to affect half of Australian children and young people. It's a global study as well. It predicts that, as I touched on, 50% of Australian kids will be obese or overweight and it stresses that urgent action is needed to actually prevent this becoming a reality. But the proof is there. If you look at any of the studies, it's showing you that over the years Australians whether they're adult or kids it's just going up. It's not slowing down. It's going up over the years. It's not coming backwards, it's just going up. It's not slowing down, it's going up over the years, it's not coming backwards.

Speaker 1:

But I want you to think about it. If 50% of kids by 2050 are going to be overweight or obese, what's going to happen to the adults? It starts your beliefs, your habits. They start as a kid. What will happen to adults? If it's 7 out of 10 at the moment of Australian adults that are obese and overweight, what will it be then? Because the kids are going to carry over those habits. I'm probably forecasting that 90% of Australian adults in the year 2050 and beyond may be obese and overweight. That's just speculating, it's my thoughts. But if the kids are going to be 50%, their habits are going to carry over as adults. So 90 percent of Australian adults potentially will be obese and overweight and that's a big problem, a big, big problem because, as I did touch on too at the start, there's a lot of diseases associated with that.

Speaker 1:

So experts part of the research experts are calling for government interventions and national strategies. They're calling out for the government to actually make a difference to the strategies to help the population level, decrease the obesity factors that are happening. A key takeaway I was going to say key takeaway, but a key takeaway of this is that it's a massive problem without action. We've got a big, big problem associated with a lot of heart issues with the young population and adult population, confidence issues, mental health issues as well physical issues. So we actually got to make a difference and help our youth over the next 25 years to make sure this isn't a reality. So if you don't like the fact and it's a scary number that 50% of kids over the next 25 years to make sure this isn't a reality, so if you don't like the fact and it's a scary number that 50% of kids over the next 25 years because don't forget that could be your kids' kids your kids' kids could be at a big disadvantage, and it's because of what we're doing now.

Speaker 1:

I think that there's three main factors or four main factors that are causing this issue from what I've seen. So we complete over 500 PT programs each year with our clients. We help parents, we help busy professionals, we also help their kids. From what I've seen, there's kind of four, three to four big factors. Number one is the parents are out of shape. So you're out of shape. Or maybe you're in shape, so well done, but you may be out of shape. You're not at healthy body fat ranges, and that can influence your kids' behaviors. I think it's a huge factor because you set the example. I've said it before you are their first fitness coach. Whether it's your kid or potentially others, you are their first fitness coach. So if you're not in shape yourself or if you have unhealthy habits, predominantly, most of the time, it's likely that your kids will follow that lifestyle. They'll follow that trend. So you need to make a change yourself if you want to influence those around you for the better.

Speaker 1:

I also think it's lack of quality knowledge for kids. The reason I put the word quality in there because there's a lot of knowledge kids. The reason I put the word quality in there because there's a lot of knowledge. They're on TikTok. They go to the gym some of them. For others they scroll Instagram, but they get sponsored ads even, I suppose, depending on their age. But you'll see, youtube's a big factor. Just thinking of it before I get into it. Youtube's a big one too. We're consuming a lot of content, but it's not quality knowledge, it's not quality knowledge. So the reason I say it's quality knowledge because it needs to be specific to the values of your kids and needs to be specific to their needs, their health, their preferences, their structural capabilities and to their situations. So, a lot of the content out there, a lot of the knowledge out there, it can lead them to feeling vulnerable, potentially making unhealthy choices, getting confused, what's going to work best for them and impacting their habits, which can ultimately lead to obesity.

Speaker 1:

Also, I think, not teaching kids how to create a healthy environment on them, not even being aware of how the environment can influence them. You may be listening to this and you understand that. Okay. If I go to the gym, it influences my behavior. If I work out there for the better. If I go find a coach, it'll influence my behavior to stay on track. Find a coach It'll influence my behavior to stay on track. Kids may not know this, they may not be conscious to it or not be aware. So I think, as parents or those that want kids to be influenced in a positive way with their health and fitness, you teaching them, taking them to an environment where it is normal to train, eat healthy all these things can make a difference. But you're teaching them to be aware of that that okay, when I go to the gym I feel good. Some days I don't want to go, I don't have the motivation, but when I go there I feel good and it influences my behaviors over the next few days. Or I see my dad, my mom or someone I respect. I see them training and I want to be like them. I want to follow those habits because I respect them. Maybe I love them if it's apparent, and I believe in what they say, but it starts with you teaching them about a healthy environment that can promote those healthy habits.

Speaker 1:

Another big factor too is benefit of delayed gratification. This one's a big one. I believe in delayed gratification. However, it is more convenient to get instant gratification. This one's a big one, I believe in delayed gratification. However, it is more convenient to get instant gratification and you can get certain, I suppose, dopamine hits or certain highs off instant gratification. But delayed gratification is a key trait or key concept to teach kids. I think that will help them, over the next 25 years, take action, understanding that, hey, going to the gym, you're not going to notice those big muscles straight away. You're not going to notice maybe a lot of body fat loss straight away in the first few days, but if you put in the work over time you will get the result. Instead, the instant gratification hit from getting junk food, getting the high, the sugar highs, the dopamine hits, but then understanding that's going to have complications in excess, okay. So delayed gratification is a very important thing, I think, to teach that you'll get a return for the effort you put in, even though it may not be instant.

Speaker 1:

I want to give a few shout outs to some of our clients that may be listening to this. We have a client, michael. He comes in here. He comes in with his son, carter. Michael was training with us. His son, carter, started to train with us as well, but Michael first was the one to reach out to put his son into that position. Carter didn't reach out to us, michael did. Michael made the decision to start training in this environment, start working on his health and fitness goals, and then his son was coming to this environment. He was being brought onto this environment to see what his dad was doing, and then now he's joining in. You'll see there's a couple of things here. Michael, as a parent, made the decision to reach out, get himself in the right environment and then bring Carter to the right environment.

Speaker 1:

As a parent, you have that power. It sounds very, very simple, but you have that power. It can influence your kid's life. Carter, for example he's gotten healthier. He's gotten fitter. He's gotten stronger. He had a bit of body fat before joining. Now he's had healthier body fat levels, but he's also learning. He's gotten fitter, he's gotten stronger. He had a bit of body fat before joining Now. He's had healthier body fat levels, but he's also learning. He's also learning habits. That's going to impact him for the rest of his life.

Speaker 1:

So three takeaways to help. Number one recognize the bigger picture. It's not just individual, it's everywhere your kid at school, them in their work environment as they get older, the home environment. I'm speaking to you as a parent or someone that can influence their behaviors, but it's not just individual, and up to them. It's you realizing that the environments you're placing your kids will make a difference over the next 25 years, whether they're going to be obese or they're going to be overweight. You can do your best that you can. It is up to them to follow what you say, but you can do the best that you can to influence their positive behaviors.

Speaker 1:

I think, though, that we need help. I do like the fact that the government's looking at policy changes and also community support, but they need to take action on that quickly and they need to realize that, yes, it's not just about information. We need to create environments that will actually make a difference, or support environments that make a difference, or support environments that make a difference, or a combination of both more environments, more quality ones. And step number two, or point number two, is get involved in shaping the future. You have power over that, whether it's your kid or you want to advocate for kids getting healthier and fit, active communities and better access to healthy foods, getting rid of the junk at home, promoting things like rewarding effort instead of just convenience these are all things that can make a big difference, and it just comes down to you getting involved in shaping your kid's future, Leading by example and teaching nutrition basics. This is a big one. This is a big one.

Speaker 1:

I think that there's a lack of quality knowledge and a lack of quality nutrition basics being taught. I understand it can be hard for the government to push certain things and all that. I understand there's a reason why we're taught the food pyramid. I understand that's part of a system, but the system's not working. That's the other thing to realize. So you don't need to be a coach like myself that's invested a lot of time into courses, mentorships over the years to really get to the fine-tuned things of nutrition and all that kind of stuff, but you need a good nutrition literacy.

Speaker 1:

When I sit down with clients, we review their food logs, what they eat in a day, and what I'm looking for is their nutrition literacy. Do they understand basics of macros? Does the client understand basics of calories, the impact of eating foods that cause inflammation? If you understand the basics and that's what we try to teach we try to teach complex things and simplify them down because complexity will kill the execution. I understand that. But if you understand the basics of protein, fats and carbs, calories, water, you'll be able to teach your kids that. So if you're not sure of the basics yourself, go learn them, I recommend, so you can help influence your kids with their knowledge, which will help them grow up, and that's at no one's fault. You may not know the basics of nutrition, hence why you can't teach it, but get to a place where you can learn the basics and carry that over to your family or for kids that you want to help fight the battle over the next 25 years.

Speaker 1:

One big takeaway, too, I want you to realize is to understand your kids' values. Everyone has different values. When I was younger maybe I didn't think of my health as much when I was like 15, 16, 17. In the gym I just wanted to grow muscle. I wanted to get lean and grow muscle big and lean. If you understand your kids' values, you can help nutrition support those values, because that's why they'll follow it as kids. They're maybe not as conscious as you or me on health as they get older Some are but maybe they just want to look good, feel good, perform better at sports, but also grow the muscle so they can be more confident with a shirt off or be more confident when they put a bikini on or put a dress on when they go out. But if you understand that, then you can influence the power of the benefit of the nutrition in a positive way, because you can teach how eating a certain way will build up that value towards them or towards their goals, to help them. So just understand what's your values of your kids. Have a good think, what's the values of your kids and then use that to help them or support those values with nutrition.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so a few big takeaways, but I thought it was an alarming note or news article. Now, yes, news articles, especially these days, will go to the top to get clicks and get your attention. But I'm seeing it in the field. We do a lot of programs each year with clients, personal training, and we're just seeing it more and more in consults. We do, over the last two years, over 700 consultations just in the last two years, over 700 consultations just in the last two years, over 700 consultations hearing about fitness problems, whether it's with adults or worrying about their kids. So we've heard a lot in the field as well. So I didn't need this research paper to tell me that, but it's pretty crazy.

Speaker 1:

2050, 2050, 25 years away from this year, 2025, 50% of Australian children may be obese and overweight if we don't take action. So use that as you will Make a difference to your family and your friend's life, and let's help the kids of Australia actually get healthier, get fitter. I know my kids. I want to be healthy and fit as I get older and not be part of that statistic, all right. So if you found this episode helpful or useful or want to share the word, please give it a like subscribe. If you ever need help, you can reach out to our team in the show notes below in the links to book in a discovery call. We help clients face-to-face and online and you can check out our supplements just to help you perform better for your day-to-day at work. Build muscle, perform at.