Radical idea, Gary - and one that won't get off the ground until there is actually a food shortage, but imagine if we taught ourselves - and our children - to only eat when we are hungry.

Food has become entertainment for the bored and the idle.

Another interesting observation (not sure if it applies in Australia as it does here in the US) but when dining out, the portions served are obscenely large and could easily feed two adults. My wife and I have learned to split a main course in protest. One of the worst offenders among chain restaurants here is the notoriously fake "Australian" dining experience of Outback Steakhouse.

Glottony, plain and simple (combined with decreased outdoor activitiy) is what is making the world's wealthy populations fat.

Dave,
Australia has some of the highest levels in the world of TV junk food advertising to children, and then we wonder how this obesity issue crept up on us.

What is happening is that some states (eg. Victoria) have placed a ban on the sale of sugary drinks in school canteens as a step to ensure that ensure fat kids don't become obese adults. next are fatty chips and over-sized high fat muffins?

Remember Jamie Oliver's attempt to improve school lunches in the UK? He finally convinced the school canteen managers to eschew those revolting turkey twizzlers and offer vegetables and rice, only to be set upon by angry kids and parents who could see nothing wrong with the fatty, salty and sugary diet they all enjoyed at home.

Maybe our
primary schools need to become family learning centres, with co-located health services, parenting advice and family counselling. In that way, we take the burden off teachers and make other experts more accessible to parents and children.