Peak Health Groups Welcome Government Nutrition And Physical Activity Grants, Australia

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 15 Oct 2007 - 12:00 PDT

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An alliance of Australia's peak chronic disease prevention groups has welcomed an announcement today by Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott to allocate more than $37 million to community-based programs to promote healthier lifestyles.

Dr Lyn Roberts, Chair of the Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance* and Chief Executive Officer of the National Heart Foundation of Australia, said the grants would fund local nutrition and physical activity programs with the potential to reduce the escalating impact of obesity in Australia.

"Obesity and overweight in Australia have increased in unprecedented levels over the past 30 years and threaten to cause a major, yet preventable, surge in the incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke and kidney disease," Dr Roberts said.

"The human and economic cost of obesity and overweight will continue to escalate if steps are not taken now to encourage lifestyle choices that promote better health."

Dr Roberts commended the Government for committing more than $37 million to a range of local nutrition and physical activity programs as part of its contribution to the Council of Australian Governments' Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI).

"The Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance applauded ABHI when it was announced last year and is pleased to see the Commonwealth Government funding community-based programs designed to prevent chronic disease," she said.

"These local programs will complement the Government's nutrition and physical activity survey, which will help to ensure an informed approach is taken to developing future programs aimed at reversing the obesity epidemic."

Dr Roberts said the enormous human and economic costs of treating preventable illnesses caused by obesity and overweight threatened to coincide with the strain that population ageing was likely to impose on Australia'́s health system.

"With obesity alone costing Australia around $21 billion a year, there is a strong case for obesity prevention and control to be an election issue," she said.

*The Australia Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance comprises The Cancer Council Australia, Diabetes Australia, Kidney Health Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the National Stroke Foundation.

Source:
Paul Grogan
http://www.cancer.org.au

For further information please go to:
The Cancer Council Australia
Diabetes Australia
Kidney Health Australia
National Heart Foundation of Australia
National Stroke Foundation

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