House of Representative’s Health Committee’s report Weighing it up released last night makes recommendations in all the key areas of creating better designs of our cities to encourage exercise, teaching children about eating well and the importance of exercise and encouraging more cycling and walking.

Also included for both adults and children is the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables with emphasis being placed on eating less salty, high fat and sugary foods.

Committee Chair Mr Steve Georganas MP (Member for Hindmarsh) commented on the cost to the Australian economy “Evidence to the Committee suggests that obesity cost the Australian economy over $8 billion in 2008. This includes the costs to the health system as a result of rising rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and the complications associated with surgery and other interventions.”

The report also tackles the issue of marketing of advertising of unhealthy food and beverages to children, restrictions of other types of marketing of unhealthy food to children and bans on the sponsorship of sports clubs and children’s sport by unhealthy food companies.

The report makes the recommendation of self regulation, the interesting point here is even a regulated industry such as the general advertising guidelines are breached, for example Coke saying Coke will not contribute to weight gain.

So how will an unregulated industry manage to be responsible???

The accountability of weight loss programs is also examined as many are in a grey area under the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

The full report can be viewed online

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 1:33 pm by Andrew Talati and is filed under Politics.

Tags: Health Concerns, Health Risks

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