Governments weigh into obesity issues

June 2 2009, 9:58am

It is pleasing to see governments tackling the weighty issue of obesity.The State Government earlier this year announced a $22.3m Obesity Prevention and Lifestyle (OPAL) trial program in six council areas, including Mount Gambier.OPAL has been designed to bring community groups and government together to help create healthy lifestyles for children and their families.The recently released 2007-08 National Health Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that 62pc of Australian adults are overweight or obese.Alarmingly, one in four children aged between five and 17 are also overweight or obese.The survey results were based on the height, weight, hip and waist measurements of 22,000 Australians aged five and over.The data has led to claims that Australia is facing an obesity epidemic.This led a federal parliamentary committee to recommend that morbidly obese people should have access to free lap-band surgery, which normally costs about $15,000.The committee has also urged the government to keep a closer watch on the food industry through research into the influence of food advertising on children's eating behaviour, standardised guidelines for food labels and the development of a healthy food code.Governments are rightly concerned about obesity because of the strain it places on the health system.While the State and Commonwealth have an obligation to address these issues, it is unclear why local councils should get involved with funding programs.The City of Mount Gambier's contribution of $50,000 a year to OPAL could be viewed as another example of cost shifting by the State.