Having moved to the UK from Australia in 2007, I’ve slowly morphed into a quasi-Brit. But there are two things I still struggle to get my head around even after nearly 20 years here (and being married to a Briton for 10 of those).
The seasons still throw me, as someone who grew up in a climate that varied simply between warm and hot. And – the food. I’m convinced we Aussies seem to have a better cultural and societal sense of how to eat more healthily. It just seems so much easier.
Admittedly the Australian obesity rate is higher than the UK’s (32 per cent of all adults compared to 28 per cent of Brits) but the structural reasons behind this make it a difficult like-for-like comparison. Urban sprawl and the generally large distances between places mean we rely more on driving than in the UK, and many remote communities can struggle sourcing fresh produce.
But if you look at the bigger health picture, though, we Australians have a lot going for us. We live longer – around 84 years versus around 82 – and are generally less likely to die of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer. I’m sure there are many factors behind this, but the way Australians eat must be a contributing factor.
