#anappleaday keeps obesity at bay
Published on 01 April 2015
Mildura Rural City Council is one of several local councils across Victoria calling on the State Government to continue critical funding for preventive health in councils beyond 30 June 2015.
Obesity is the leading cause of illness and premature death in Australia. Future projections of overweight and obesity indicate that by 2025 around 83% of males and 75% of females aged 20+ years will be overweight or obese.[1]
Healthy Together Victoria is working to improve community health in 14 targeted local government areas, including Mildura Rural City. But this funding and the long-term health of Victorians, is at risk.
Funding for the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health was cut by the Abbott Government in the 2014 Federal Budget. The Victorian Government committed to providing funding for prevention until 30 June 2015.
Currently, there is no on-going commitment from the Victorian Government to fund Healthy Together beyond this date.
Mildura Rural City Council Mayor Glenn Milne says the Victorian Government via Healthy Together Mildura delivers health promotion support to some of the State’s most at-risk populations of preventable chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
“Funding for prevention is critical to helping us build healthier, more resilient communities,” Cr Milne said.
In just three short years, Healthy Together Mildura has achieved high rates of engagement through the Achievement Program and currently has 100% of early year services, 88% of schools and 50 workplaces proactively participating toward improved health and wellbeing. Additionally, the HTM breakfast program, providing more than 1000 breakfasts each week ensures that many of our children get a healthy nutritional start to the day.
With over 50,000 people living, learning, working and playing in our local government area, many are leading healthier lives thanks to Healthy Together Mildura. It’s important for the health of our City to fund prevention.
“We know that prevention is more cost effective than responding to chronic disease in the health system and that the Healthy Together model is more effective than how we’ve tackled prevention in the past, which is why we need to take action,” said Craig Stanbridge, CEO of Sunraysia Community Health Services.
Mildura Rural City Council is calling on community to show support of a healthier Victoria by tweeting a picture of themselves eating an apple and posting it on social media with the campaign hashtags #anappleaday and #fundprevention.
For more information about Healthy Together Mildura visit http://healthytogethermildura.com.au/
[1] McKinsey Global Institute, Overcoming Obesity: An initial economic analysis, November 2014
ENDS
Media enquiries
Angela Umback
p) (03) 5018 8689
e) angela.umback@mildura.vic.gov.au