Page 1714 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2017
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Despite our busy lifestyles, we have prioritised it and fitted it in. A number of our activities have been undertaken before work. It is amazing how bearable an outdoors sub-zero morning is if you are vigorously moving.
I have managed to lose seven kilograms since February. I feel so much better for it. I genuinely do have more energy. The niggling health problems I had prior to this program seem to have disappeared. I am sleeping better at night. I am hoping to adopt this program not just as a short period diet, fad thing, but as a way of life. Probably the only downside is that if the current weight loss trend continues I will have to have the pants in a couple of my suits taken in, but I think I can live with that.
We live in the perfect city to live actively and healthily. The sun shines on Canberra for much more of the year than is the case in Sydney and Melbourne. We have got such wonderfully accessible open space.
The Heart Foundation recommends this goal: if you are between 18 and 64 you should aim for between two and five hours of moderate physical activity each week. Keeping up an active and healthy lifestyle can help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and lung disease.
On the cycling front, I would like to air my personal view and suggest that it is one that I will be seeking agreement on from my colleagues on this side and the other side. It is that the government should not shy away from spending money on creating accessible infrastructure that will enable people to participate in an active lifestyle.
I do not believe that the government is spending enough on maintaining our current cycling infrastructure or filling the holes in the current cycling network. I know it is easy for opponents of that sort of infrastructure spend simply to cite its bottom line cost, but I think that we must move the conversation towards a broader narrative of creating a healthy city, which ultimately will repay us all many times over. We are set for a sunny day on Saturday. I would urge all members to go out and enjoy the sunshine. Walk, play or ride, and spread the message far and wide.
MS FITZHARRIS (Yerrabi—Minister for Health, Minister for Transport and City Services and Minister for Higher Education, Training and Research) (3.59): As I noted when walking up the stairs with Mr Parton earlier, I am very pleased that he has brought forward this motion today, having given me an opportunity to have a very active walk up and down the stairs over the last 45 seconds or so. So thank you very much. I agree very strongly with Mr Parton that this is a matter of public importance—the importance of an active lifestyle to the health of the ACT community. Indeed, preventative health and enabling Canberrans to lead active lifestyles is a key priority area for this government. It is a key priority for me across all my portfolios.
Delivering our vision for a healthy Canberra is a priority. We want to help the people of Canberra to live a happy, healthy life. Sadly, almost two-thirds of ACT adults, however, are overweight and one in four is obese. For children, 25 per cent fall into the overweight or obese category. The risk of premature cardiovascular disease, stroke,
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