Eating seafood as part of the battle against rising obesity

Monday, 18 January 2010 00:25

Resolved to shed fat this New Year? Well, as a first step, walk into a seafood outlet three times every week. That’s the advice of seafood and health expert Roy Palmer, who says eating seafood at least two to three times every week is a great way to help shed unwanted kilos.

Mr Palmer will admit to a vested interest; he is Chief Executive Officer of Seafood Experience Australia (SEA), an organisation which promotes greater consumption of seafood.

“It is acknowledged that obesity in Australia is generally a reflection of changing lifestyles, with more Australians than ever before now overweight or obese: in fact, more than 60 percent of Australians are obese in some age categories,” said Mr Palmer.

“That means predictable increases in chronic disease like heart problems, type-2 diabetes, some cancers and joint (especially knee and hip) failure.

“Total dietary fat is a large contributor to obesity and seafood is a comparatively low-fat food. Seafood averages two percent or less fat, lower than most other meats, and, even then, much of that fat is healthy fish oil, what’s known as long-chain Omega-3.

Mr Palmer said that Australian research published last year suggested the long-chain Omega-3 oils in seafood directly assisted in losing weight and improving body composition, though the mechanisms were uncertain and more research was required.

Also, an overseas study had indicated that, even where obesity was a problem, higher consumption of seafood was likely to reduce the incidence of type-2 diabetes.

Normally, higher rates of obesity lead directly to higher rates of type-2 diabetes.

Mr Palmer said the latest international research into improving health through greater seafood consumption would be examined at a conference to be held in Melbourne late this year.

“The aim of the conference is simple: make Australians and all populations throughout the world healthier by encouraging them to eat the right amounts of the right types of seafood,” Mr Palmer said.

The International Seafood & Health Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre from November 6 to 10.

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