- Obesity threatens Aussie kids' life span
- The Age
- 11/10/2008 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: The Rooster ( 264 articles in 2008 )
The life expectancy of Australian children will drop by two years if an obesity epidemic goes unchecked, the nation's preventative health taskforce has warned in its inaugural report.
Turning the tide of obesity, slashing daily smoking rates to nine per cent or less and cutting risky drinking by almost a third by 2020 are some of the targets proposed by the National Preventative Health Taskforce in its discussion paper released on Friday.
Almost one third of the nation's illness is caused by lifestyle factors including smoking, obesity, risky drinking and poor diet, and the associated high blood pressure and cholesterol, according to the discussion paper.
In only 15 years, from 1990 to 2005, the number of fat Australian adults jumped by a staggering 2.8 million.
Currently, almost one quarter of children are overweight or obese.
"Recent trends in Australian children predict that their life expectancy will fall two years by the time they are 20 years old, setting them back to the levels seen for males in 2001 and for females in 1997," the paper says.
"This is not a legacy we should be leaving our children."
Children can suffer from type two diabetes but the disease is usually found in older people and is linked to obesity, low exercise and poor diet.
It will become the leading disease for men and the second most common disease for women in 15 years if obesity rates continue to grow, costing the public purse $7 billion by 2032.
The taskforce proposes to stem obesity by boosting access to healthier foods and ensuring healthy eating and exercise are part of everyday life in schools, workplaces and communities.
It also suggests a crackdown on junk food marketing to children and an overhaul of town planning to encourage walking, cycling and sport.
Almost 2.9 million adults smoke every day.
The taskforce proposes to slash daily smoking rates to nine per cent or less through measures including raising the excise and customs duty on tobacco and further regulating the tobacco industry, such as banning point-of-sale promotion.
One in five Australians drink at a level that puts them at risk of short-term harm at least once a month.
The taskforce proposes cutting harmful drinking rates by 30 per cent by restricting opening hours and the discounting of alcohol products.
It suggests introducing restrictions on alcohol advertising and sponsorship of cultural and sporting events, as well as changing the tax regime to encourage consumption of low-alcohol products and lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration levels for drivers.
The cost of alcohol abuse, obesity and smoking combined is estimated to be almost $6 billion a year, plus $13 billion in lost productivity.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said that 25 years after the introduction of anti-smoking policies, smoking rates were at an historic low.
"But there is much more to be done," she said.
"The changes we need will require a concerted effort across the community - involving individuals, governments, industry, media and non-government organisations.
"This is an important debate with real consequences for Australia's future."
Taskforce chair, Professor Rob Moodie, said he looked forward to community consultations, to be held across the nation late this year and early next.
Submissions on the discussion paper can be made to the taskforce until January 2 next year.
The taskforce is scheduled to deliver its blueprint for preventative health reform to government by June 2009.
It will then move onto other areas of preventative health including mental health, immunisation and sexual health.
© 2008 AAP
Turning the tide of obesity, slashing daily smoking rates to nine per cent or less and cutting risky drinking by almost a third by 2020 are some of the targets proposed by the National Preventative Health Taskforce in its discussion paper released on Friday.
Almost one third of the nation's illness is caused by lifestyle factors including smoking, obesity, risky drinking and poor diet, and the associated high blood pressure and cholesterol, according to the discussion paper.
In only 15 years, from 1990 to 2005, the number of fat Australian adults jumped by a staggering 2.8 million.
Currently, almost one quarter of children are overweight or obese.
"Recent trends in Australian children predict that their life expectancy will fall two years by the time they are 20 years old, setting them back to the levels seen for males in 2001 and for females in 1997," the paper says.
"This is not a legacy we should be leaving our children."
Children can suffer from type two diabetes but the disease is usually found in older people and is linked to obesity, low exercise and poor diet.
It will become the leading disease for men and the second most common disease for women in 15 years if obesity rates continue to grow, costing the public purse $7 billion by 2032.
The taskforce proposes to stem obesity by boosting access to healthier foods and ensuring healthy eating and exercise are part of everyday life in schools, workplaces and communities.
It also suggests a crackdown on junk food marketing to children and an overhaul of town planning to encourage walking, cycling and sport.
Almost 2.9 million adults smoke every day.
The taskforce proposes to slash daily smoking rates to nine per cent or less through measures including raising the excise and customs duty on tobacco and further regulating the tobacco industry, such as banning point-of-sale promotion.
One in five Australians drink at a level that puts them at risk of short-term harm at least once a month.
The taskforce proposes cutting harmful drinking rates by 30 per cent by restricting opening hours and the discounting of alcohol products.
It suggests introducing restrictions on alcohol advertising and sponsorship of cultural and sporting events, as well as changing the tax regime to encourage consumption of low-alcohol products and lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration levels for drivers.
The cost of alcohol abuse, obesity and smoking combined is estimated to be almost $6 billion a year, plus $13 billion in lost productivity.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said that 25 years after the introduction of anti-smoking policies, smoking rates were at an historic low.
"But there is much more to be done," she said.
"The changes we need will require a concerted effort across the community - involving individuals, governments, industry, media and non-government organisations.
"This is an important debate with real consequences for Australia's future."
Taskforce chair, Professor Rob Moodie, said he looked forward to community consultations, to be held across the nation late this year and early next.
Submissions on the discussion paper can be made to the taskforce until January 2 next year.
The taskforce is scheduled to deliver its blueprint for preventative health reform to government by June 2009.
It will then move onto other areas of preventative health including mental health, immunisation and sexual health.
© 2008 AAP
Source: https://news.theage.com.au/national/obesity-threatens-aussie-kids-life-span-20081011-4ykw.html
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