Priority S3(d):

Improved health through reduced obesity, smoking, illicit drug use and risk drinking

S3(d): Childhood obesity

The average life expectancy in NSW is among the highest in the world, yet many people still die prematurely. A large number of these deaths can be linked to diseases and conditions that result from unhealthy lifestyles.

Nearly half of all people in NSW are overweight or obese.

By improving the health of individuals we reduce the pressure on our hospital system.

Targets

• Stop the growth in childhood obesity by holding childhood obesity at the 2004 level of 25 per cent by 2010. Then reduce levels to 22 per cent by 2016.

Progress

 
 

The prevalence is rising rapidly. In boys, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 10.8% to 26.1% between 1985 and 2004 across all school years and from 12.0% to 23.7% in girls in the same period.

It must be recognised that adult obesity is also increasing, with about half the adult population now overweight or obese. Whilst adult overweight and obesity is not specifically addressed within the State Plan, the treatment of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes is a significant and immediate problem.

Recent Actions

• Developing a comprehensive program to tackle childhood and adult obesity with a focus on physical activity, advertising and educating individuals and families to make well-informed nutrition and lifestyle choices add link www.livelifewell.nsw.gov.au
• Implementing the Fresh Tastes@School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy.
• The development of the Healthy Kids website www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au to provide information, benchmarks and strategies on healthy eating and physical activity for a range of groups including parents and carers, teachers, early childhood and health professionals.
• The Good for Kids, Good for Life Program was launched on 8 June 2007. The purpose of the program is to prevent overweight and obesity in children from 0-15 years of age in the Hunter New England Area Health Service and to build evidence for policy and practice related to the prevention of childhood obesity in NSW.
• The Live Life Well @ Schools (incorporating Live Outside the Box) program is due to begin in Term 2, 2008. In collaboration with the Department of Education and Training, the proposed Live Life Well @ Schools program will utilise a best practice, whole of school approach, to improve physical activity opportunities and nutrition education in government primary schools. Focusing on the 5 key messages (www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au) it builds on, and incorporates, the Fresh Taste Healthy Canteen Strategy, Get Skilled Get Active curriculum support material, and the Crunch and Sip program. An additional component is the 'Live Outside the Box' awareness raising strategy, which encourages kids in grade 5 and 6 years to self assess their behaviours (ie record television and computer use and fruit and vegetable consumption and time spent being active).
• Munch and Move program in the early childhood setting. The Department of Health in partnership with the NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity are developing and refining the Munch and Move program. From 2008, it will be offered to all preschools and long day care centres across the State over the next four years. The 'Munch and Move' Program provides information and training for early childhood staff on how to teach and incorporate active play and healthy food choices into the childhood setting.