The inaugural State of Preventive Health report highlights the commitment of federal, state and territory governments to good health among all Australians. ITA BUTTROSE was one of a number of leading Australians who contributed.
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I’m passionate about preventive health. Longevity beckons but what’s the point if we’re not fit and healthy enough to enjoy it.
When I became the 2013 Australian of the Year, I pledged to raise awareness about positive ageing and to encourage people to adopt preventive health strategies especially in relation to chronic diseases such as dementia, arthritis, macular degeneration and diabetes that affect so many Australians as they grow older.
The establishment of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency in 2011 was an important step forward in recognising the importance of prevention and health promotion, and the Agency’s campaigns against tobacco, obesity and harmful alcohol use – three key health areas impacting on Australians – are excellent, but there is still much more to be done.
Everyone needs to be more aware of the relationship between the different chronic diseases. Too few Australians know about this connection.
We now know there is a link between diabetes and dementia.
We also know that some of the same lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of heart disease can also reduce the risk of macular degeneration and dementia.
Even though most people are aware that tobacco, obesity and excessive alcohol use can lead to health problems they often don’t realise that all three of these factors are risks for heart disease in general, dementia, macular degeneration for which smoking is a significant risk factor, and other chronic illnesses, including cancer. Perhaps most disturbing, is how few Australians are taking up a healthier lifestyle as a result.
For instance, while 3.3 million Australians have arthritis, osteoarthritis, the most common form affects 1.8 million people.
Obesity is a clear risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. For every kilo a person loses, four kilos of pressure is taken off weight-bearing joints (knees/hips). By simply losing three kilos a person saves a load of 12 kilos yet finding the will to lose a few kilos eludes many men and women.
With the ageing of the population and conditions such as dementia on the rise we need more research into the causes, treatment and prevention of chronic diseases to combat some of our country’s major causes of death and burden of disease.
Government and non-government sectors, industry, workplaces, individuals, families and friends need to work together if we are to change behaviour, attitudes and make a commitment to healthy lives and ageing.
As Australian of the Year, I am urging all Australians to realise the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, one that includes taking positive steps for their brain health from as early an age as possible.
Being brain healthy means keeping our brains active, being socially engaged, eating healthily, only drinking alcohol in moderation, keeping fit, managing our weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels and not smoking.
The State of Preventive Health in Australia is a welcome report to help us celebrate the work that has been done to date, and to provide goals for what we can and should do in the future.
In the meantime, everybody needs to take personal responsibility for embracing healthier lifestyles so the future can be all that we want it to be.
Ita Buttrose is 2013 Australian Of The Year, National President Of Alzheimer’s Australia, Vice President Emeritus Of Arthritis Australia and Patron Of The Macular Disease Foundation Of Australia.
The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (the Agency) was established to strengthen Australia’s investment and infrastructure in preventive health. The Agency is providing policy leadership and establishing partnerships with Commonwealth, state and territory governments, community health promotion organisations, industry and primary health care providers. Its inaugural report, State of Preventive Health 2013, aims to give Australians a comprehensive overview of the health challenges facing Australians, particularly in relation to chronic disease, and the associated risk factors including tobacco consumption, harmful alcohol use and obesity.
