Howard launches $116m obesity fight

Australia–Prime Minister John Howard has unveiled a multi-million dollar plan to tackle childhood obesity, including funding for after-school physical activities for about 150,000 children.

Australia–Prime Minister John Howard has unveiled a multi-million dollar plan to tackle childhood obesity, including funding for after-school physical activities for about 150,000 children.Mr Howard has detailed the $116 million package while launching a healthy lifestyle forum in Launceston.Education authorities will require schools to include at least two hours of physical activity per week for primary and junior high school students.Mr Howard says there are about 1.5 million Australians under 18 who are overweight or obese, putting them at risk of preventable conditions such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke.”The paradox of that sports-loving nation becoming increasingly less mobile and increasingly more obese is something that today’s launch is designed to challenge,” he said.As well as the focus on exercise, the federal package will fund programs promoting healthy eating.This will include $15 million in grants to community organisations linked to schools that encourage balanced eating.AFL, cricket, netballThe AFL, Cricket Australia and Netball Australia will combine to provide the after-school physical activity programs.AFL boss Andrew Demetriou says the Sports Alliance partnership wants to include Australia’s 5,000 primary schools and has made a multi-million dollar financial commitment.He says about 1,000 sports stars will act as ambassadors to help promote healthy eating and exercise.”Everyone is aware in this country, thankfully, that Australia is one of the most obese nations in the world,” Mr Demetriou said.”This is a serious problem of epidemic proportions. If we don’t tackle it now, in 20 years it will become a burden on the Australian taxpayers through the health system.”The chief executive of Netball Australia, Lindsay Cane, says it is important to get sports back into schools.”We see sport having a responsibility to develop not only motor skills in young people but also social skills and life skills,” she said.”This sporting alliance is taking back into schools the opportunity for young people to develop themselves not just physically but emotionally, mentally and socially as well.”(Source: ABC Health News, June 2004)