❓ The Minister for Health responds to a question regarding initiatives to reduce sugary drink consumption, highlighting the success of the LiveLighter campaign and increased investment in preventative health.
AnsweredQoN 841Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS
841. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cancer Council's
national survey of secondary students' diet and activity, which showed
that one in six Australian teenagers consume 5.2 kilograms of sugar each year.
Can the minister update the house on what initiatives the government has
implemented to help reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and improve the
health and wellbeing of the community?
841. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Cancer Council's
national survey of secondary students' diet and activity, which showed
that one in six Australian teenagers consume 5.2 kilograms of sugar each year.
Can the minister update the house on what initiatives the government has
implemented to help reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and improve the
health and wellbeing of the community?
AnswerView source ↗
It is another public health issue;
the member for Dawesville will hate this as well!
We all know that public health has
an important role to play in making sure that we preserve the health of our
community. The recent national study by the Cancer Council of Australia of more
than 9 000 students around the country demonstrated that Western Australian
teenagers are much less likely than teenagers in other states to drink large
volumes of sugary drinks. As the member for Thornlie would know, one in 10 Western
Australian students consume a litre or more
of sugary drinks each week compared with the national average of one in six, or
17 per cent. This is an outstanding example of what we can do when we
put proper resources into campaigns such as the LiveLighter campaign. The
LiveLighter campaign is the only difference between us and the other states.
Therefore, it is the reason that we have such outstanding results. I commend
Hon Kim Hames and Hon John Day, who also backed
the LiveLighter campaign. We need to make sure that we have proper investment
in public health campaigns to ensure that our community stays healthier.
This cohort—this generation of Western Australians—will grow up
healthier as a result of these important public awareness campaigns. These
sorts of themes were captured in the ''Sustainable Health Review''.
We said in the ''Sustainable Health Review'' that we want to halt
the rise of obesity in Western Australia by
July 2024 and have the highest percentage of population with a healthy weight
of all states in Australia by 2029. We can do this, as long as we have
the proper investment around these campaigns. The
other states look at LiveLighter and are envious of the great investments we
can make. It is about making sure that Western Australians understand
that if they continue to partake in an unhealthy diet, it will have
ramifications for that individual and for the society into the future. We want
to make sure that Western Australians stay healthier. That is why under the
sustainable health review we have committed to the migration of 2.5 per cent of the budget into preventive health to five per cent by 2026. This is an important
opportunity to reverse the trends of deteriorating public health in the
community and to continue to treat chronic illness and sickness in our
community. It is a great example of what we can do when we invest in public
health, and it is of great credit to the Western Australian community.
the member for Dawesville will hate this as well!
We all know that public health has
an important role to play in making sure that we preserve the health of our
community. The recent national study by the Cancer Council of Australia of more
than 9 000 students around the country demonstrated that Western Australian
teenagers are much less likely than teenagers in other states to drink large
volumes of sugary drinks. As the member for Thornlie would know, one in 10 Western
Australian students consume a litre or more
of sugary drinks each week compared with the national average of one in six, or
17 per cent. This is an outstanding example of what we can do when we
put proper resources into campaigns such as the LiveLighter campaign. The
LiveLighter campaign is the only difference between us and the other states.
Therefore, it is the reason that we have such outstanding results. I commend
Hon Kim Hames and Hon John Day, who also backed
the LiveLighter campaign. We need to make sure that we have proper investment
in public health campaigns to ensure that our community stays healthier.
This cohort—this generation of Western Australians—will grow up
healthier as a result of these important public awareness campaigns. These
sorts of themes were captured in the ''Sustainable Health Review''.
We said in the ''Sustainable Health Review'' that we want to halt
the rise of obesity in Western Australia by
July 2024 and have the highest percentage of population with a healthy weight
of all states in Australia by 2029. We can do this, as long as we have
the proper investment around these campaigns. The
other states look at LiveLighter and are envious of the great investments we
can make. It is about making sure that Western Australians understand
that if they continue to partake in an unhealthy diet, it will have
ramifications for that individual and for the society into the future. We want
to make sure that Western Australians stay healthier. That is why under the
sustainable health review we have committed to the migration of 2.5 per cent of the budget into preventive health to five per cent by 2026. This is an important
opportunity to reverse the trends of deteriorating public health in the
community and to continue to treat chronic illness and sickness in our
community. It is a great example of what we can do when we invest in public
health, and it is of great credit to the Western Australian community.
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