Good news on obesity programs for school kids, says Australian Medical Association
 June 29, 2004

AMA (Australian Medical Association) President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today the Government has responded well to the challenge of combating obesity and overweight among Australia’s schoolchildren, and the AMA looks forward to further announcements to address obesity in older teenagers and adults.

The AMA last week issued a statement outlining initiatives for a national anti-obesity campaign for all Australians [see the AMA website] .

Dr Glasson said the Government’s package of $116 million over four years to tackle childhood eating and physical activity patterns should act as a catalyst for the whole community to get serious about getting fitter and healthier and helping those who cannot help themselves.

The childhood nutrition situation is now so serious, and the rate of overweight and obesity so high that we need to see today’s package as a starting point, not an end in itself.

We need to give childhood nutrition a much higher priority in the health agenda and a budget that matches its importance.

The costs to Governments and the community of treating the complications of chronic diseases brought on by childhood obesity are enormous.

Money spent on preventing these diseases occurring will be a saving, not just in financial terms, but also in human suffering and self esteem.

The schoolyard initiatives should be taken the next step into the family home.

If obesity was an infectious disease, the Government would be supporting parents and the wider community in preventing and treating the disease.

We need more support for parents and we need properly planned and funded preventive and treatment programs.
This should include an all of community approach and not just an emphasis on schools and families.

Older Australian teenagers – especially those not in school – and adults suffer from obesity and overweight in great numbers, and they need help and guidance, too.

I said last week that obesity is a national emergency that requires a whole of Government approach to the issue.

It also needs a whole of community response, and today’s announcement will kick that along.

“I congratulate the Government on this package as a downpayment in the campaign against obesity in Australia. It will help people focus on the physical and mental health aspects of obesity and allow parents, teachers and guardians to act earlier to get our schoolkids on the path to fitter and healthier lives,” Dr Glasson said

Other possible important measures proposed by the AMA to complement the package include:

- Providing safe bicycle and walking paths for children to walk and ride to school

- Providing more exciting parks and playgrounds for stimulating play. Not all children want to play competitive sport

- Supporting parents by banning the advertisement of unsuitable foods during children’s television programs

- Providing adequate maternity leave for women so that they can solely breastfeed their children for the first six months and set up patterns of healthy eating in toddlers. The source of many poor eating habits have their origin in those very early years

- Providing financial subsidies to school canteens that sell nutritious food so that profits can be made without recourse to foods and drinks high in sugars and fats

- Tax incentives for stores to sell fruit rather than sweets and sugary drinks

-- Providing nutritious school meals at a subsidised price as happens in the UK.

There are more initiatives in the AMA anti-obesity media release of 20 June.

Dr Glasson urged the Government to adopt the Opposition’s policy of banning television advertisements for ‘junk’ foods during children’s peak viewing times.

“The battle against obesity should be bipartisan and good ideas embraced in the cause of giving our kids a healthier start to their lives,” Dr Glasson said.