An endocrinologist is calling for nationwide laws to reduce portion sizes in fast-food restaurants to stem the obesity crisis.

Brisbane-based Dr Sultan Linjawi says the approach to managing people with obesity focuses too much on the individual, instead of restaurants and junk food companies, which are allowed to push large portions and promote unhealthy foods.  

He made his comments at a parliamentary committee hearing into the establishment of a new body called Health and Wellbeing Queensland that aims to tackle the risk factors for chronic disease.

“We think that the individual has to fix the problem and we ignore the aspect that society actually imposes on the individual,” Dr Linjawi said.