Page 3998 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Berry for the question. There are a number of programs at work in schools. There is “kids at play”, “healthy food at school”, “ride or walk to school”, “it’s your move ACT” and “healthy food@sport”. There are other programs that are being implemented under the national partnership for health promotion that we are working with the department of education on. There are steps being made in healthy foods and, of course, the health promotion grants—the $2.1 million provided through that program—will all be targeted to this area.
We have had a good response to round one of that. I think $12 million worth of applications have come in for $2 million worth of funding. We will proceed to the second round of that shortly. All of that money will go into sending positive messages around healthy eating and healthy activity levels, promoting physical activity, so that we can start turning around some of these shocking statistics. And they are shocking. Anyone who pretends they are not is wrong. They are simply shocking and the health system will not be able to cope.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, will the potential action on sugary drinks also apply to soft drinks with artificial sweeteners such as Coke Zero?
MS GALLAGHER: It is identified as an action item in the healthy weight initiative, in zero growth. There have been no decisions taken about how to proceed with that. I would say that some of the big supermarkets got in touch fairly quickly on the release of that report, our publication, to start early engagement with us on this subject and to let us know that they are keen on working in partnership with government. They recognise the problems being experienced across the community in relation specifically to the health costs of having such an unhealthy population, which is what we have got. The government will work in partnership with stakeholders as outlined in the plan.
Health—healthy weight action plan
MR WALL: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, in the government’s towards zero growth healthy weight action plan, one of the identified actions is to:
Implement a program of health risk assessments for ACT Government staff and explore options for extending this to the private sector.
That is from page 18. The plan also noted that this action item may:
… include linking the assessments to a competition or exercise/nutrition program.
How will staff be identified for health risk assessments?
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