Using the skills of 20 seasoned volunteer "Go To" sports administrators to enable interested adults to commence a recreational exercise activity in a local district recreational exercise group

In Oct 2008 the Preventive Health Taskforce’s Discussion Paper asserted "there is an urgent and immediate need to address the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight in Australia."  It proposed adopting 'learning by doing’.  It cited a recent US study Prevention for a Healthier America that estimated for every US$1 invested in "proven community-based disease prevention programs", the return on investment over and above the $1 per head cost of the program would be US$5.60 within five years.  

The Taskforce's Final Report in June 2009 to Minister for Health & Ageing titled "Australia: the healthiest country by 2020" did NOT announce the structure of any new community-based disease prevention programs which sought to capture the high cost savings it pointed out above.

At the suggestion of a Taskforce member, in Aug 2008 the writer, with a lifetime in voluntary sports administration, and 18 years experience financing major infrastructure projects, began regularly posting to Population Health Division, Dept of Health & Ageing, CDs containing further R&D of a detailed business plan for a community-based disease prevention program, known as Youthful Exuberance Lifestyle Programme. 

The YELP  First Business Plan provides an Executive Summary, URLs to facilitate navigation, hundreds of Defined Terms to ensure certainty, thereby enabling the Taskforce to challenge assumptions and forecasts.  YELP draws from successful programs noted in the afore-mentioned US study. 

YELP's Forecast Return on YELP Capex is at least tenfold within 5 years due to its low delivery costs from tapping into –

i)          the myriad of existing local community groups invariably seeking to encourage new members; and

ii)         active, seasoned sports administrators.

The Taskforce’s Chair, Dr. Rob Moodie, wrote to the writer in April 2009 acknowledging receipt of the writer's continued R&D and concluded "Best wishes for the continued development of the programme". 

Health & Ageing wrote to the writer on 2 July 2009 informing "the Government will consider on merit any recommendations the Taskforce may make concerning support for community programs in physical activity".

In March 2010 the Medical Journal of Australia published a report which identified annual cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2004/2005 was $56.6 billion.  Earlier this month, the Taskforce's deputy chairman, Mike Daube, announced "The obesity crisis is not on its way - it is already here......What we have done about obesity is not working.  This issue needs concentrated and determined action." 

What would the annual cost of obesity be five years later in 2010?  What will it be in a further five years if the Taskforce, or the heralded new preventive health agency, does not action a national programme which Supervises  Interested Adults who want to re-ignite the skills they learnt as adolescents during their youthful exuberance growth phase, to become a competent bushwalker, cyclist, kayaker or swimmer etc where the mental benefits of enjoying the great outdoors with like-minded local citizens often exceed the physical benefits.

Unlike so many other preventive health programs which rely on primary care providers charging market labour rates, YELP’s Pilot draws on Eleven Sports Administration Attributes of 20 seasoned volunteer sports administrators known as Recreational Exercise Consultants (“RECs”) and uses existing social infrastructure, namely the network of bush walking clubs, bicycle groups, kayaking groups, triathlon clubs, surf clubs annual ocean swims etc, and the enthusiasm of those groups to welcome new members. 

Attributes of RECs include Walk the Talk motivational skills, liability risk management acumen and sense of community that approx 2% of Australians, aged between 50 and 60 years, possess.  YELP accords with Kevin Rudd's Golden Gurus mentoring programme. 

A YELP Website would draw on the mammoth 'information delivery' of the internet not presently open to GPs on a one-on-one patient basis.  A YELP Website would provide all pertinent information for each of the recreational exercise activities (contact details of organisers, links to bush walks and cycling maps etc, e-learning tutorials that interested adults would have to complete to mitigate trauma accidents).

RECs would oversee eleven explicit steps to supervise interested adults who want to commence a recreational exercise activity.  20 RECs would be drawn from amongst the organisers of local bicycle clubs/groups, bushwalking clubs, triathlon clubs, kayaking groups, surf clubs etc who have provided their services, generally gratis, for many years, and who hold the respect of many like minded local citizens that they have assisted to transition into one or more of these sports. 

The YELP  First Business Plan proposes that the 20 RECs be renumerated based on interested adults that they successfully supervise at hourly rates materially less than comparable primary care providers, with scope for RECs to donate up to 50% of their remuneration to a trust fund to assist disabled interested adults.  YELP incorporates a structure which facilitates philanthropy from fit, successful business executives approaching retirement who have confidence in YELP’s business plan because they assisted set it up.

A YELP 20 months Pilot could launch on 13 Aug 2011 to achieve by 2016,  400,000 fitter, stronger Australians better able to work (from 2023) to a 67 pension age, thereby setting a platform for even the most sceptical obese Australians to contact a REC.

Following initially receiving written encouragement from two of the seven Taskforce members, and mindful that the Taskforce’s Deputy Chair recently asserted “What we have done about obesity is not working”, the writer welcomes receiving the Taskforce’s thoughts on his two years R&D to document Youthful Exuberance Lifestyle Programme.

Philip Johnston