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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 11 Hansard (22 October) . . Page.. 3889 ..

MS MacDONALD (continuing):

undertake a sensible and lifelong commitment to eating well and moving more. And that is all the time. You cannot do it on a one-off basis-you have to do it continuously.

Seminars at the Health and Fitness Expo, such as nutritionist Julian Everett's "Diet Confusion, Don't Lose Fat, Release It"and Arthur Chapman's "Children's Fitness: Starting them Young", highlighted the need for adopting this sensible, lifelong eating plan. Do not consume more than you expend; variety is important; eat more fruit and vegetables; eat more wholegrains and wholemeal cereals, pulses and legumes; limit saturated fats and choose healthier fat options such as poly or mono-unsaturated fats; and enjoy low-fat protein foods such as meat, skinless chicken and fish.

We need to be getting these messages out to the community as much as possible. Of, course, exercise is also an essential part of any healthy lifestyle, offering many positive benefits, including weight control, increased energy levels and confidence and better general fitness and health.

Mr Speaker, this year's expo provided visitors with useful, practical information such as the importance of doing moderate exercise regularly rather than doing strenuous exercise occasionally. We should aim for 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise at least four times per week. Walking is an excellent form of exercise and is best done with a friend or other family members for companionship and safety. In the case of teenagers, it is also important to put reasonable limits on sedentary activities such as television, computers and computer games, since research has shown a strong relationship between these and obesity.

We also need to aim to increase our movement daily. Instead of trying to limit movement with lifts and escalators, remote controls and takeaway food, learn to appreciate every step, every wave, every stretch. But there are barriers to increasing exercise. Often a lack of time and motivation get in the way of our getting out there and getting that exercise done.

We should all try and find 10 minutes three to four times a day to do some sort of physical exercise. This, of course, does not have to be difficult. It can be making sure that you take the stairs instead of a lift, that you take the long way around when you visit somebody else in the building or that you walk around the block an extra time. If you get the bus to work, then walk to a more distant bus stop rather than going to a closer one. All of these things will add up to increasing our level of activity each day.

Motivation can be improved by scheduling exercise with friends or family members. Keep an exercise diary and remember: boredom kills motivation-variety is the key. Now that the weather is starting to fine up, why not start up a walking party at your work and take advantage of the wonderful Canberra streetscape? I know that this is a great time of year to start walking through Commonwealth Park. It is not too hot yet and it is good to get out in the middle of the day. Remember to keep it simple and think of movement not as a luxury but as a necessity.

Of course, the Health and Fitness Expo not only concentrated on nutrition and movement. Our health is also affected by other aspects. The incidence of mental health illnesses, depression, youth suicide and drug, smoking and alcohol abuse is steadily on the increase in Australia. Australia-wide it is estimated that 15 per cent of children aged

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