Obesity in South Australia has overtaken smoking as the state’s biggest Health risk, and experts have said the concerning trend is impacting children’s life expectancy.
The statistics paint a grim picture: 68 per cent of South Australian adults and 27.5 per cent of children are now obese or overweight.
Modelling predicts an additional 1900 children and 48,000 adults will become obese or overweight in the next five years if no action is taken, while children born last year could see as much as a seven-month reduction in life expectancy.
“If we can focus around ultra-processed food and drink it’s gonna make a phenomenal change,” Miller said.
The South Australian government’s newly established agency, Preventative Health SA, has been tasked with developing a response.
Changes to advertising laws are also being considered, with consultation already underway to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food on public transport.
“Our environment’s saturated with messaging that sends us towards food and drinks which really aren’t healthy,” Professor Caroline Miller from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute said.
“What happens is people end up paying the price for that themselves, and that flows onto our health system.”
