The Health News – 05 May 2015

Overview

• Peterborough’s Mayor says community interest in health is so high that there was a waiting list to attend a public forum, hosted by federal Health Minister Sussan Ley, in the mid-north South Australian town.

• The Red Cross has opened a new blood donor centre in Broadmeadow, designed to meet the increasing need for plasma.

• The Darling Downs has the fattest population in Australia and four other Queensland regions are not far behind, according to a new report.

This is the news on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 5TH May 2015. Read by Rebecca Foster.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/waiting-list-in-peterborough-for-public-health/6442866

Peterborough’s Mayor says community interest in health is so high that there was a waiting list to attend a public forum, hosted by federal Health Minister Sussan Ley, in the mid-north South Australian town.

It was the region’s second chance this year to speak directly to a minister, after the state Country Cabinet held there in March.

Mayor Ruth Whittle said people raised many issues with Ms Ley, particularly the strain on aged care.

She said the 11-bed low-care aged care facility at the town was being used as a high-care facility.

Councillor Whittle said many locals spoke to Ms Ley about the need to upgrade and possibly combine the facility with the hospital’s aged care wing.

“She was most sympathetic, gave us some ideas and put us in touch with some of her colleagues who will talk to us, because she’s the minister for health but not the federal minister for aged care,” she said.

“So we need to talk to both, so she’s promised to do that, so at some stage in the future we’ll be sitting down with some of her minders and talking about the state of aged care in Peterborough.”

Cr Whittle said the community was making the most of opportunities to have its issues heard by MPs.

“Every minister or every politician that comes into our community at the moment I guess, all of the community is saying to them, ‘we just want to be listened to, please listen to our problems, please come and look at our problems and please help us’,” she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/state-of-the-art-blood-donor-centre/6442700

The Red Cross has opened a new blood donor centre in Broadmeadow, designed to meet the increasing need for plasma.

The state of the art facility replaces the Watt Street Donor Centre and will see an additional 3,000 appointments to attract new blood donors.

Spokeswoman Jemma Falkenmire said they hope to have an extra 700 plasma donations in the centre’s first year of operation.

“Over the last ten years there is a part of blood called plasma and we do call it liquid gold because it can help about 18 different types of patients and that includes cancer patients,” she said.

“Across Australia we are seeing a huge increase in the need for medications made from plasma and the move to this centre is to really make sure we can meet that need.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/five-queensland-regions-the-fattest-in-the-nation/6441968

The Darling Downs has the fattest population in Australia and four other Queensland regions are not far behind, according to a new report.

The National Heart Foundation has released new statistics on obesity and physical inactivity in the nation, and for Queensland it is a case of what the report said is a rising CPI — Couch Potato Index.
…
Queensland and South Australia share the gong for the most out of shape — 30 per cent of the population in those states are obese, and 60 per cent do not do enough physical activity.

The Darling Downs-Maranoa region, west of Brisbane, is the fattest in the nation.

The region has an obesity rate of 44 per cent, and 75 per cent of the population does not do enough physical activity to be healthy.

Ipswich is the fourth fattest in the nation, with Mackay 5th, Fitzroy 8th and Toowoomba 10th.

The Heart Foundation’s Rachelle Foreman said Queenslanders need to change their lifestyle.

She said 37 per cent of their diet is made up of discretionary food which is high in kilojoules, fat and sugar with no nutritional value.

“The image of a ‘typical Queenslander’ is often of a fit, active, outdoor person but these statistics are painting a very different picture, particularly in regional areas,” she said.
…
“We are creating bodies that are breeding grounds for heart disease.”

Ms Foreman said Queenslanders are getting heavier because unhealthy lifestyles are socially contagious.

Metropolitan areas across the country have much lower rates of obesity and higher levels of activity, including Brisbane.

A quarter of Brisbane residents are considered obese.

“If you look at your own values and your norms they reflect the people that you surround yourself with,” she said.

The Heart Foundation is also calling on the Federal Government to implement a national Physical Activity Action Plan and for the Queensland Government to follow suit at a state level.

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