A leading academic from Curtin University says obesity is complex and simplistic narratives focused on diet and exercise have not worked as the prevalence in Australia continues to rise.

Dr Blake Lawrence from the School of Population Health is the lead author of a new paper published today in the Sax Institute that talks about Australia’s public health system and how it should address “injustice” faced by people living with obesity in schools, workplaces, the healthcare setting, their personal lives and on social media.

The research calls on our health system to help address “simplistic” stereotypes that people living with obesity are “lazy”, and overhaul the way the nation deals with the disease.

Tap PLAY below to hear more on his research

“Obesity is driven by psychological, social and environmental factors that continue to perpetuate why people continue to gain weight in Australia … and weight stigma is one of these rick factors that continues to increase why people gain weight,” he told 6PR Breakfast host Gareth Parker.