Page 1715 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 May 2017
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diabetes, arthritis and a host of other conditions can impact on a person’s health for many years.
According to last year’s Chief Health Officer’s report, only 19 per cent of primary school age children and 12 per cent of high school children are meeting Australian physical activity guidelines, while 56 per cent of adults are meeting the guidelines. The ACT government is taking action to improve these rates. While it is up to individuals, of course, to make daily choices about their health and wellbeing, as a government we can help to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
As members know, the government launched the healthy weight initiative in October 2013 and invested $3.6 million over four years to address the challenge of obesity and to help create environments where making the healthy lifestyle choice is easy. This is guided by the towards zero growth: healthy weight action plan. The action plan set the target of zero growth in the rates of overweight and obesity within the ACT. It is a coordinated whole-of-government initiative that works across multiple directorates and with non-government organisations and the private sector. The initiative encompasses a number of activities being implemented to effectively plan and develop our neighbourhoods and increase healthy lifestyle choices across a range of areas including schools, communities, workplaces, homes, sports clubs and places where food is provided, sold and consumed.
Under the initiative, ACT Health delivers obesity prevention programs in partnership with other government agencies, community and non-government organisations, and academic institutions. ACT Health also administers the ACT health promotion grants program, which disburses around $2 million annually to activities aimed at improving population health outcomes. Last year I released the healthy weight initiative progress report, which presented preliminary findings of our progress, although I was concerned to see that fewer ACT primary school children are meeting the national guidelines for physical activity than previously.
We are not alone in this trend. This suggests active transport is now “the road less travelled”, a concerning predicament for our country as a whole. We need to ramp up our efforts to reverse this trend. Cycling, walking, scooting and skating are just some of the ways to incorporate physical activity into everyday lives and daily journeys. In our society, sometimes time poor, undertaking incidental exercise throughout the day is an ideal way to support maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.
The ACT government is delivering a range of programs and initiatives aimed at improving the health of the ACT population. They can be grouped under a number of key headings. In the early childhood area, the kids at play active play program promotes active play and fundamental movement skills to children aged three to five in early childhood education and care settings. This is currently delivered to 64 early childhood education and care settings annually.
Through our schools, the ride or walk to school program was launched in September 2012. The associated safe cycle program is delivered in primary and high schools in the ACT. The active streets pilot is an extension of the ride or walk to school program
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