Committee calls for public funds for obesity treatment

BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Australia's Standing Committee on Health and Ageing Monday urged the government to recognize obesity as a chronic disease and give the overweight greater access to taxpayer-funded treatments.

Obesity is a major problem in Australia and has left nearly two-thirds of the country overweight. Many obese Australians miss out on lap band surgery -- a reversible procedure to reduce the stomach's capacity -- because they cannot afford to pay 15,000 U.S. dollars in a private facility.

The committee said operations such as lap band surgery should be made more widely available to help people with extreme cases of weight gain.

"It's hard to access and we know that there is immediate improvement in obesity when surgery is performed," committee chair Labor MP Steve Georganas said.

"We're not saying that this is for everyone -- this is only for people who are morbidly obese."

The committee said lap band surgery patients should also be supported by dietitians and psychologists in their efforts to permanently shed kilos.