Published Tuesday, 06 February, 2007 at 08:33 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Local Government, Planning and Sport
The Honourable Andrew Fraser
IT’S TIME FOR QUEENSLANDERS TO EAT WELL, BE ACTIVE: PREMIER
Premier Peter Beattie and former tennis ace Pat Rafter have joined forces to launch the State Government’s Eat Well, Be Active initiative to help more Queenslanders take the plunge and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
As part of the health drive, every Queensland home will receive a pack full of useful tips and information that aims to make an enormous difference to people’s lives.
Premier Beattie, who kicked off the new three-year Eat Well, Be Active initiative in Brisbane today, said the campaign would encourage people to make small changes to their everyday habits.
“Eat Well, Be Active is all about making small changes to the things we do every day and finding the right balance between food and activity in our lives,” Mr Beattie said.
“The reality is most of us are eating too much of the wrong foods and not taking part in enough physical activity – and it’s killing us,” he said.
“In Queensland, two out of three males and one in two females are overweight. Of these, about 650,000 adults and 25,000 children are clinically obese.
“This all leads to higher mortality rates, shorter life expectancies, plummeting productivity and crippling financial burdens on families and our health system.”
Eat Well, Be Active campaign ambassador Pat Rafter said the good news was there was an easy solution to the problem – eating healthier foods and being more active.
“The message behind the Eat Well, Be Active campaign is that everyone has the power in them to change their lives and become healthier,” he said. “You don’t have to make drastic changes – it is the little things that make all the difference, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, grabbing fruit instead of junk food or getting off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way home.
“The best part of all is that eating well and being active is great fun and it’s something we can enjoy with our families and friends every day. Spending time having fun and getting active together as a family is really rewarding and can make a huge difference to everyone’s wellbeing and confidence.
“And when you combine this with smarter food choices, your body will reward you with more energy and vitality.”
As part of the Eat Well, Be Active initiative, Queenslanders are encouraged to join the ‘Cherish the Children and Eat Well Be Active Challenge’ in coming weeks.
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh will join Pat Rafter in the six-week Challenge which encourages participants to follow national dietary and physical activity guidelines and record their progress. Ms Bligh’s and Pat’s efforts will be tracked on the Eat Well, Be Active website.
Queenslanders who sign up for the Challenge will be asked to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week and if possible, every day. The Challenge is not based on weight loss but changes to lifestyle.
“One of the great things about being a Queenslander is the number of opportunities that surround most of us every single day to live a happy, healthy lifestyle,” Ms Bligh said.
“We’re lucky enough to have the chance to eat a wide range of fantastic produce and we can make the most of our climate and great natural environment by getting out and being more physically active,” she said.
“I invite anyone in the community who wants to make some positive changes to their health and wellbeing to join me in the Challenge. After all, it’s your life, so make the most of it.”
Mr Beattie said every Queensland household would receive the Eat Well, Be Active information pack which contains healthy eating and physical activity information and a range of tips on how to get motivated and maintain a healthy body weight.
The Eat Well, Be Active campaign is the latest initiative under a package totalling more than $21 million over three years announced after the Queensland Government Obesity Summit last May. This component is supported by a website and regional events, as well as television, radio and press advertising.
The Eat Well, Be Active campaign, with its focus on encouraging physical activity, complements the healthy eating messages of the Queensland Go for 2 & 5 fruit and vegetable promotion.
“There is a lot of misinformation already out there about what foods we should eat and what kind of activity we should be doing to gain health benefits,” Mr Beattie said.
“The household information pack and special website are based on the latest research and evidence on healthy eating and physical activity and should appeal to people of all ages, young and old.”
Eat Well, Be Active is administered by Local Government, Planning and Sport in partnership with Queensland Health.
See www.eatwellbeactive.qld.gov.au
February 6, 2006
Media Contacts: Premier’s Office - 3224 4500
Local Government, Planning and Sports Minister’s Office – 0405 767 659
As part of the health drive, every Queensland home will receive a pack full of useful tips and information that aims to make an enormous difference to people’s lives.
Premier Beattie, who kicked off the new three-year Eat Well, Be Active initiative in Brisbane today, said the campaign would encourage people to make small changes to their everyday habits.
“Eat Well, Be Active is all about making small changes to the things we do every day and finding the right balance between food and activity in our lives,” Mr Beattie said.
“The reality is most of us are eating too much of the wrong foods and not taking part in enough physical activity – and it’s killing us,” he said.
“In Queensland, two out of three males and one in two females are overweight. Of these, about 650,000 adults and 25,000 children are clinically obese.
“This all leads to higher mortality rates, shorter life expectancies, plummeting productivity and crippling financial burdens on families and our health system.”
Eat Well, Be Active campaign ambassador Pat Rafter said the good news was there was an easy solution to the problem – eating healthier foods and being more active.
“The message behind the Eat Well, Be Active campaign is that everyone has the power in them to change their lives and become healthier,” he said. “You don’t have to make drastic changes – it is the little things that make all the difference, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, grabbing fruit instead of junk food or getting off the bus one stop early and walking the rest of the way home.
“The best part of all is that eating well and being active is great fun and it’s something we can enjoy with our families and friends every day. Spending time having fun and getting active together as a family is really rewarding and can make a huge difference to everyone’s wellbeing and confidence.
“And when you combine this with smarter food choices, your body will reward you with more energy and vitality.”
As part of the Eat Well, Be Active initiative, Queenslanders are encouraged to join the ‘Cherish the Children and Eat Well Be Active Challenge’ in coming weeks.
Deputy Premier Anna Bligh will join Pat Rafter in the six-week Challenge which encourages participants to follow national dietary and physical activity guidelines and record their progress. Ms Bligh’s and Pat’s efforts will be tracked on the Eat Well, Be Active website.
Queenslanders who sign up for the Challenge will be asked to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week and if possible, every day. The Challenge is not based on weight loss but changes to lifestyle.
“One of the great things about being a Queenslander is the number of opportunities that surround most of us every single day to live a happy, healthy lifestyle,” Ms Bligh said.
“We’re lucky enough to have the chance to eat a wide range of fantastic produce and we can make the most of our climate and great natural environment by getting out and being more physically active,” she said.
“I invite anyone in the community who wants to make some positive changes to their health and wellbeing to join me in the Challenge. After all, it’s your life, so make the most of it.”
Mr Beattie said every Queensland household would receive the Eat Well, Be Active information pack which contains healthy eating and physical activity information and a range of tips on how to get motivated and maintain a healthy body weight.
The Eat Well, Be Active campaign is the latest initiative under a package totalling more than $21 million over three years announced after the Queensland Government Obesity Summit last May. This component is supported by a website and regional events, as well as television, radio and press advertising.
The Eat Well, Be Active campaign, with its focus on encouraging physical activity, complements the healthy eating messages of the Queensland Go for 2 & 5 fruit and vegetable promotion.
“There is a lot of misinformation already out there about what foods we should eat and what kind of activity we should be doing to gain health benefits,” Mr Beattie said.
“The household information pack and special website are based on the latest research and evidence on healthy eating and physical activity and should appeal to people of all ages, young and old.”
Eat Well, Be Active is administered by Local Government, Planning and Sport in partnership with Queensland Health.
See www.eatwellbeactive.qld.gov.au
February 6, 2006
Media Contacts: Premier’s Office - 3224 4500
Local Government, Planning and Sports Minister’s Office – 0405 767 659