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The articles and Patient leaflets published on this Blogg , have been originally written for the Geraldton Guardian's forthnightly Health Matters section or the www.cityhealthgeraldton.com.au - General Practice Website. I have researched topics , i wrote about, as thoroughly as I could and have listed sources at the end of each article. They are by no means purely scientific but reflect general medical opinion at the time of writing . Medicine and Health news move past, and some of the advice and opinions, will become outdated. Guardian articles were limited to about 400 words , which sometimes made the offering of a comprehensive view difficult if not imperfect. These articles shouldn't be used as replacement for propper medical professional advice and treatment and you are encouraged to seek medical advice and treatment from your doctor , pharmacist, appropriate specialist (physio, chiro...) on matters , if you are concerned.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Smokes, booze and too many kilos


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
Helko Schenk , 26 1 2009

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