AusLeisure

Health promotion foundation VicHealth has welcomed the long overdue National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032 released today on World Obesity Day - a crucial roadmap for obesity prevention in Australia - but believes more urgent action should be taken without defaulting to individual responsibility.  

The strategy is a 10-year framework for action to create supportive environments, empower people to stay healthy and enable access to early intervention and primary health care.

COVID has often left a number of families with no option but to turn to cheap and unhealthy food to feed their families. 

In Australia, two-thirds of adults and a quarter of children and adolescents were above a healthy weight before the pandemic. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that children from low socioeconomic backgrounds were also more than twice as likely to be above a healthy weight than those from the highest socioeconomic areas (11% vs 4.4%). These figures are likely to have worsened over the last two years. 

While VicHealth supports the vision for a nation that encourages and enables healthy weight and healthy living for all, this strategy puts too much responsibility on individuals who are up against an industry that spends more than $550 million peddling their products through advertising.

VicHealth Chief Executive, Dr Sandro Demaio notes “Integrating a strong health equity approach throughout the National Obesity Strategy will be essential to ensuring all Australians – particularly those facing greater barriers to good health – can benefit.

“A national strategy addressing the unhealthy environments that lead to obesity is a promising step forward. While reducing weight stigma can lead to a more inclusive society, pushing the onus back onto everyday Australians and relying on behaviour change is simply not going to move the needle. 

“Most of us try to eat healthy foods as much as possible, but being surrounded by unhealthy food products and marketing undermines people’s efforts to maintain a healthy diet. Unhealthy food is easy to find, eat and buy and we’re bombarded by advertising every day.

“We must take stronger measures to reduce the consumption of unhealthy food and drinks and increase the availability of healthier options in all corners of the country – no matter the postcode.”

The prevention of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases should be an urgent priority. This strategy has been a long time in the making. There’s no time to waste - now is the time to act.

“This is our chance to set up a healthier future,” said Dr Demaio. 

“We need a systemic approach to obesity prevention in Australia, including clear and mandatory standards. We must put our people over industry profits, and we need rapid movement from for all levels of government.”

“We must act with urgency, prioritising protecting our kids against the predatory tactics of unhealthy food and drink companies.”               

Related Articles

4th March 2022 - ESSA spotlights a need to reshape the way Australians view obesity

15th September 2021 - ESSA launch statement on the role of physical activity in the management of obesity in adults

10th June 2021 - Taxing sugary drinks in Australia is important first step towards tackling obesity

4th March 2021 - Obesity Policy Coalition releases report ‘Brands off our kids’ on World Obesity Day

5th August 2020 - New research finds obesity and overweight driving premature heart disease deaths

1st August 2020 - University of Sydney academics respond to the relationship between obesity and COVID-19

8th June 2020 - Deakin’s Global Obesity Centre reconfirmed as world-leading research centre by WHO

19th May 2020 - New report highlights the impact of obesity on Western Australian health system

11th November 2019 - Northern Territory first to participate in National Obesity Strategy Consultation

10th September 2019 - YMCA South Australia moves to combat childhood obesity

24th July 2019 - ExerciseNZ calls for action on New Zealand’s obesity epidemic and physical inactivity crisis

17th May 2019 - Cultural approaches to activity the key to tackling obesity for women

21st April 2019 - Queensland Government to end junk food advertising in bid to address rising obesity

17th February 2019 - Sport Minister McKenzie accepts ridicule in battle to combat obesity

12th December 2018 - Deakin University launch first report that ranks Australian obesity policies on value for money

18th October 2018 - Obesity Summit focuses on five-year plan for early intervention and weight management in Western Australia

11th October 2018 - World Obesity Day looks to end weight stigma

9th March 2018 - Sweet drinks key to childhood obesity gap between rich and poor

3rd March 2018 - VicHealth calls for Australia’s supermarkets to take action on obesity

26th March 2017 - NZREPs asks if a Sugar Tax is the Best Solution to Obesity?

1st March 2018 - New Report says supermarkets must do more in fight against obesity

9th January 2017 - Arnold Schwarzenegger tells Australia to ‘Get Off The Couch’ to combat obesity

23rd November 2016 - Grattan Institute report says sugar tax could halt growing obesity rates

11th November 2016 - Australian Sports Commission says sport and education key to tackling obesity

5th April 2016 - Report says Australia is losing the war on obesity and alcohol

29th January 2016 - Childhood obesity rates to soar without urgent government intervention

18th November 2015 - New Zealand sport stars rally to fight obesity

20th October 2015 - World Obesity Federation launches new award to promote healthy conferences

24th June 2015 - Tackling obesity through New Zealand’s rugby clubs

20th January 2015 - Tackling obesity is Queensland’s major health issue

21st December 2014 - Obesity shortens lifespans by ‘up to eight years’

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.