Australia’s health: “must do better” - is how the teachers would mark us, a committee of medical experts has reviewed all the best Australian and international evidence and late 2008 published a discussion paper “ Australia the healthiest country by 2020” Obesity , tobacco and alcohol are our 3 biggest problems costing Australia $6 billion a year in health costs and 13 $ billion in lost production costs. These risk factors account for a third of Australia’s disease burden. Unless we halt the trend in childhood obesity, life-expectancy of our children will fall by 2 years compared to current standards. If we tackle these risks, people would in average gain 5 extra healthy years. Prevention works! 50 years ago 75% of all Oz men smoked - now less than 20% do. Tobacco related death- and heart disease deathrates have nose- dived since. 400.000 premature death were prevented and 8.4 $ billion in cost saved, 50 times more than what was spent in antismoking campaigns, during the same time. So prevention is profitable! Systematic national /state programmes have decreased road trauma deaths by 80%. Other success stories of prevention are HIV, sexual diseases, child hood vaccination and sudden infant deaths. The report obviously appeals to the Aussies competitive nature in setting its targets:
- Reverse the rise in overweight and obesity
- Reduce smoking rates to 9% or less
- Reduce harmful drinking for all Australians by 30%
- Reduce the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australians
Some measures offered for consideration will not go down well with food, tobacco- beverage and hotel industries.
Smoking:Further increase tax on tobacco, all form of promotion will be banned , shops unmarked and cigarettes sold in plain packaging.
Alcohol:make low alcohol drinks cheaper by less tax and make high alcohol drinks more expensive, restrict alcohol advertising and reduce alcohol sponsoring of cultural / sporting events, lower blood alcohol limits in drink driving laws.
Obesity:high sugar high fat food should be taxed higher, regulations governing amounts of trans-fat , saturated fat and sugar should be stricter, improve food labelling, subsidize transport of healthy food to rural areas, advertising for sugary , fatty foods during children TV hours be banned, physical activity should be promoted in schools and communities, town and building planning should give more opportunity to walk, cycle , exercise and play.
In the meantime we can make better use of already available government subsidised health promotion and prophylactic initiatives, well women checks , well men checks , 45 – 49 year health checks , health care plans for people with chronic disease, health assessment for the elderly, skin checks …
Every Aussie should advance Australia’s fair (health), where he stands, you can do it!
- Australia’s health: must do better , Peter Lavelle www.abc.net.au/health
- Australia the healthiest Country by 2020 Prof. Rob Modie, Med.Journal of Australia
- Reverse the rise in overweight and obesity
- Reduce smoking rates to 9% or less
- Reduce harmful drinking for all Australians by 30%
- Reduce the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australians
Some measures offered for consideration will not go down well with food, tobacco- beverage and hotel industries.
Smoking:Further increase tax on tobacco, all form of promotion will be banned , shops unmarked and cigarettes sold in plain packaging.
Alcohol:make low alcohol drinks cheaper by less tax and make high alcohol drinks more expensive, restrict alcohol advertising and reduce alcohol sponsoring of cultural / sporting events, lower blood alcohol limits in drink driving laws.
Obesity:high sugar high fat food should be taxed higher, regulations governing amounts of trans-fat , saturated fat and sugar should be stricter, improve food labelling, subsidize transport of healthy food to rural areas, advertising for sugary , fatty foods during children TV hours be banned, physical activity should be promoted in schools and communities, town and building planning should give more opportunity to walk, cycle , exercise and play.
In the meantime we can make better use of already available government subsidised health promotion and prophylactic initiatives, well women checks , well men checks , 45 – 49 year health checks , health care plans for people with chronic disease, health assessment for the elderly, skin checks …
Every Aussie should advance Australia’s fair (health), where he stands, you can do it!
- Australia’s health: must do better , Peter Lavelle www.abc.net.au/health
- Australia the healthiest Country by 2020 Prof. Rob Modie, Med.Journal of Australia
Helko Schenk , 26 1 2009
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