❓ Mr Blayney asks about the success of Hon Ernie Bridge's diabetes management program in the Kimberley. Dr Hames responds positively, highlighting improvements in the Looma community but acknowledges ongoing challenges.
AnsweredQoN 963Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
UNITY OF FIRST PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA — DIABETES MANAGEMENT AND REPORT
Yesterday, the minister mentioned the good work that Hon Ernie Bridge, a well respected past member of this Parliament, has been doing with diabetes management in the Kimberley in his role as President of Unity of First People of Australia. Can the minister please update the house on whether the program is showing any signs of success? Dr K.D. HAMES
Yesterday, the minister mentioned the good work that Hon Ernie Bridge, a well respected past member of this Parliament, has been doing with diabetes management in the Kimberley in his role as President of Unity of First People of Australia. Can the minister please update the house on whether the program is showing any signs of success? Dr K.D. HAMES
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Before I answer the question, I want to start by honouring Hon Ernie Bridge, who is in the Speaker’s Gallery, and welcoming him back to this Parliament, where he spent so many years in the past. I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member for the question. Before I answer the question, I want to start by honouring Hon Ernie Bridge, who is in the Speaker’s Gallery, and welcoming him back to this Parliament, where he spent so many years in the past. I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I thank the member for the question. Before I answer the question, I want to start by honouring Hon Ernie Bridge, who is in the Speaker’s Gallery, and welcoming him back to this Parliament, where he spent so many years in the past. I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
[See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES replied: I thank the member for the question. Before I answer the question, I want to start by honouring Hon Ernie Bridge, who is in the Speaker’s Gallery, and welcoming him back to this Parliament, where he spent so many years in the past. I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I thank the member for the question. Before I answer the question, I want to start by honouring Hon Ernie Bridge, who is in the Speaker’s Gallery, and welcoming him back to this Parliament, where he spent so many years in the past. I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I would also like to thank, on behalf of both myself and the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Jandakot for providing us this wonderful gift of shaving cream and a razor ready for 1 December so that we can get rid of these awful moustaches! I will not read out to members what the member for Jandakot said in the little note — Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : I thank him for that, and also for the donation to Movember that came with it. I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
I can give members, finally, some very good news about the management of diabetes in the Kimberley, in particular. This very good news is about a program that is being conducted for the betterment of Aboriginal communities in this state. Members may well know that Hon Ernie Bridge has been working, through Unity of First People of Australia, for some years in the Kimberley on a diabetes program. Part of that program has been educating Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal children, about the importance of good health and a good diet, and the relationship between those things and diabetes, and about how to better manage their lives. Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Today I will be tabling a report that has been put out by the UFPA, in conjunction with Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, on the incidence of diabetes in the Looma Aboriginal community. That was a follow-up report from a study that was done by the UFPA in 2003 on the level of diabetes and obesity in that community, and a range of other health factors. This report compares what that Aboriginal community was like in 2003 with how it has progressed through to August 2009. The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
The news is very good. On the one hand, there has been a very strong awareness by the people in that community of the need to prevent the development of diabetes in the future. There was a very strong participation rate in that study. That is because people had been informed by the UFPA to a significant degree during the intervening years about the need to properly manage their diet. Whereas the participation in the survey was relatively modest in 2003, a large number of people from that community participated in the new study. That study found that almost no new cases of diabetes have emerged in the Looma community since 2003. The number of cases is certainly very small compared with the number in the first study. Another issue is that the weight of the people in the community has changed significantly over the years. For a start, the total body mass index for the whole community has stayed the same over that period of six years, whereas the trend for the whole of Australia has been a steadily increasing gain in weight. What is of particular importance is the body mass index of the children in that community. The study found that the prevalence of children in that community who are overweight is only 8.8 per cent. The majority of the children in that community are slim and healthy. That can be compared with the national figure of 17 per cent—so 8.8 per cent in that community compared with 17 per cent in the whole of Australia. However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
However, the news is not all good, because although the study found that there has been a significant improvement in awareness and a reduction in the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it is still the case that, consistent with the original study, about 30 per cent of the people in that community are overweight or obese, and a significant number—nearly half—have diabetes. That shows that we still have a lot of work to do. That figure of 30 per cent for the number of people who are overweight or obese is a large figure. It is probably similar to the figure that we would find in this Parliament — Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Mr C.J. Barnett : Just because you’re built like a ferret! Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : Well, no; I think my body mass index shows, in fact, that I am indeed overweight. Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Mr E.S. Ripper : I’m in trouble, then! Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Dr K.D. HAMES : Yes! Before I say hello to the face, and try to avoid the moustache, I look elsewhere—and I noticed yesterday that the Leader of the Opposition’s girth was preceding him down the corridor! Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
Diabetes is a significant disease in our community. Sadly, on average, those people who have diabetes have a greater body mass index than those who do not. There is a strong association between weight gain and diabetes, particularly in Aboriginal communities. It is, therefore, critically important that we manage this illness with a lot of contribution by the state government. I was very pleased to be in the Kimberley, with Ernie Bridge, earlier this year, when we significantly increased the funding, up to a total of $500 000 a year, to expand the services that are provided by the UFPA to people with diabetes in that community. We think that it is a fantastic program that the UFPA people are running in Western Australia. That funding has now been embedded in the recurrent funding of the Department of Health. See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
See how slim those schoolchildren are who are walking out of the public gallery! This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
This is a critical thing. This is not recurrent funding that has been added as a one-off. This has been embedded in the recurrent funding. I am seeking to expand the program that the UFPA is providing across the whole of rural and regional Western Australia. I table the report. [See paper 1686.]
[See paper 1686.]
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