The major parties should subsidise fruit and vegetables in some communities to combat an obesity crisis in Queensland, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says.
Queensland president Dr Shaun Rudd said the “state emergency” of obesity was costing the state economy more than $11.6 billion every year.
The issue tops the AMA’s election platform, which also made recommendations for political parties on alcohol abuse, end-of-life-care and hospital technology.
Dr Rudd said more education was needed to lower the alarming rates of obesity across the state.
“What was used to be called the smart state we now call ourselves the fat state,” he said.
“We now have 10 per cent more fat people in Queensland than the Australian average, we have 2.5 million fat people or overweight [people] and 1.5 million of those are obese that’s another fancy way of saying they are very, very fat.
“It’s a never ending list, but it’s something that has to be done.”
The AMA’s recommendations include banning fast food outlets from opening within one kilometre of new schools, subsidising fruit and vegetables for at risk communities, additional funding to allow more people to die at home, and investing in a world-class IT system for Queensland hospitals.
Dr Rudd said all politicians have a vested interest in putting health first.
“Recent polls show more than 80 per cent of voters regard health as the major election issue,” he said.
“Being too fat, drunk and violent puts an enormous burden on our communities and our healthcare system but it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Dr Rudd has urged all sides of politics to step up to the plate.