Page 2134 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 6 August 2014
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Secondly, if we go down the path of having publicly funded weight loss surgery, we should assess the effectiveness of this surgery. I would hope that is going to be done anyway, but let us have a longitudinal study to assess how the patients that receive the surgery are going, and where they are at after a period of time, to see whether that surgery has been successful, whether it has resulted in weight loss, and make other assessments, in concert with national research as well, to make sure that the dollars we are investing in that surgery are the best place for those dollars to be put, in terms of both looking after people’s health and making sure that it is a prudent investment in our health system.
I commend Dr Bourke’s motion. I indicate that we will be supporting it, and I would encourage members of the Assembly also to support the amendment, which I now move:
After paragraph (2)(c), add:
“(d) emphasise programs that encourage healthy behaviours rather than restrictive interventions; and
(e) institute a longitudinal study of the effectiveness of weight loss surgery.”.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for Sport and Recreation) (5.06): I would like to thank Dr Bourke for raising this issue today and giving space in the Assembly to discuss this question. The Greens certainly share Dr Bourke’s concerns about people’s health and the impacts of obesity. In particular, the Greens have long campaigned for more support for and promotion of preventive health measures.
As the newly appointed sport and recreation minister, I look forward to doing all I can to support the work already underway to tackle obesity and find new ways to create a healthier and ultimately happier society.
A great practical example of what we are already doing in this space is the healthy food in sport project. This innovative partnership between the Health Directorate, Sport and Recreation Services and Nutrition Australia ACT was funded under the national children’s initiative under the Council of Australian Governments national partnership agreement on preventive health. The project focuses on supporting canteens run by community sports clubs to increase healthy food choices available to children and young people and to promote water as the drink of choice—not too dissimilar to the approach taken in ACT public schools recently. So far, 18 community sporting clubs have been engaged, ranging from little athletics centres to ACT government contracted pools. We have seen some good results, particularly in the reduction in “red” foods—that is, foods with little to no nutritional value. Unfortunately, the recent federal budget announced the cessation of the national partnership agreement on preventive health funding. Thankfully, ACT Health has provided Sport and Recreation Services with additional funds until 31 December this year, to assist with wrapping up the project and to explore what options may be available for the engaged community sporting clubs.
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