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Whanganui DHB to Lead Obesity Prevention
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At today's Board meeting the Strategic Action Plan for tackling obesity was presented and it was agreed by all members that tacking obesity is a high priority for the Whanganui District Health Board.
The Board accepted the recommendation made by the Community and Public Health Advisory Committee that the DHB need to lead the change in partnership with other organisations and has agreed to commit funding in the current year to support the implementation of the action plan.
The Board Chair Kate Joblin said that there needs to be a focus on prevention as this is the best long term investment for the community.
“Earlier in the year, a member of the public addressed the Board and in doing so has raised a flag about the importance of tackling obesity in our community. I am excited that as a result the Board has now agreed upon a comprehensive plan. We all agreed that a major thrust of the plan must be on our children and encouraging youth to make healthy choices. It is essential that we take actions that will have a positive effect on obesity rates in years to come” said Ms Joblin.
“We recognise that tackling obesity cannot be successfully achieved by health services alone. The Board intend to take a leadership role to ensure that a whole community approach, across all sectors, is taken”.
The Board accepts the value of bariatric surgery for some people but has decided to await national direction pending the outcome of Countries Manakau bariatric surgery pilot.
General Manager, Planning and Funding Tracey Schiebli commented that “it is important that we wait for national guidance to ensure that a fair process can be put in place for patient eligibility and priority, as it expected that in the first instance the need for this service will be greater than our ability to publicly fund it”.
Overall Whanganui has an obesity rate 18% higher than New Zealand as a whole. Levels of obesity increased from 11% in 1989 to 26% in 2006/07 in a population where 63% of the adult population were considered either overweight or obese.
The Board accepted the recommendation made by the Community and Public Health Advisory Committee that the DHB need to lead the change in partnership with other organisations and has agreed to commit funding in the current year to support the implementation of the action plan.
The Board Chair Kate Joblin said that there needs to be a focus on prevention as this is the best long term investment for the community.
“Earlier in the year, a member of the public addressed the Board and in doing so has raised a flag about the importance of tackling obesity in our community. I am excited that as a result the Board has now agreed upon a comprehensive plan. We all agreed that a major thrust of the plan must be on our children and encouraging youth to make healthy choices. It is essential that we take actions that will have a positive effect on obesity rates in years to come” said Ms Joblin.
“We recognise that tackling obesity cannot be successfully achieved by health services alone. The Board intend to take a leadership role to ensure that a whole community approach, across all sectors, is taken”.
The Board accepts the value of bariatric surgery for some people but has decided to await national direction pending the outcome of Countries Manakau bariatric surgery pilot.
General Manager, Planning and Funding Tracey Schiebli commented that “it is important that we wait for national guidance to ensure that a fair process can be put in place for patient eligibility and priority, as it expected that in the first instance the need for this service will be greater than our ability to publicly fund it”.
Overall Whanganui has an obesity rate 18% higher than New Zealand as a whole. Levels of obesity increased from 11% in 1989 to 26% in 2006/07 in a population where 63% of the adult population were considered either overweight or obese.
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