You're killing people, Mr Abbott
A few decades ago, it became clear drink driving was costing lives, lots of lives, and predominantly taking its toll on our young. An education program telling drink-drivers they were silly, naughty and dangerous didn’t work, and hence the advent of random breath tests.
Predictably, RBT was at first unpopular in some circles, attracting criticism about nanny states and lost civil liberties. Now, however, it’s accepted as a necessary and successful public health measure. Who knows if you or I or one of our loved ones might be dead today if not for random breath testing?
The same goes for a myriad of other public health programs. Compulsory fitting and wearing of seat belts, compulsory bicycle and motor cycle helmets aim to save us from ourselves, as do divided roads, rest stops and registration checks on cars.
In the health sphere, think no-smoking areas and legislation forbidding the sale of tobacco products to under 18’s.
The big question on everyone’s lips right now, especially since last month’s Obesity conference (link) is why we don’t use a similar approach for obesity, an epidemic of gross proportions.
Sure, telling people they should exercise more and eat less is wise advice, but that doesn’t mean it works. In the words of two people who should know, the ‘decades-long reliance on health promotion and intense media coverage of obesity have had virtually no effect”. Writing in the MJA, Professor Paul Zimmet and UK Professor Philip James call for evidence-based approaches to the ‘unstoppable Australian obesity and diabetes juggernaut’ (link). And despite the mounting pressure for GPs to pack a brief intervention for just about every lifestyle illness into a 20 minute consultation, our effect on the weight of the nation has been negligible.
Thousands of people will die as a result of the Federal government’s preference for ideology over evidence on this issue, we just don’t know which ones. Tony Abbott may not find his stance so justifiable if the beneficiaries of government intervention were identifiable.
Given he’s shown no sign of yielding despite public pressure from countless Australian and international experts, perhaps the next step should be the creation of a cenotaph (link) in memory of those who’ve died from obesity and its complications, listing the names of the dead.
I wonder how long politicians would allow the toll to grow?
MJA 2006 Vol 185 Number 4
Predictably, RBT was at first unpopular in some circles, attracting criticism about nanny states and lost civil liberties. Now, however, it’s accepted as a necessary and successful public health measure. Who knows if you or I or one of our loved ones might be dead today if not for random breath testing?
The same goes for a myriad of other public health programs. Compulsory fitting and wearing of seat belts, compulsory bicycle and motor cycle helmets aim to save us from ourselves, as do divided roads, rest stops and registration checks on cars.
In the health sphere, think no-smoking areas and legislation forbidding the sale of tobacco products to under 18’s.
The big question on everyone’s lips right now, especially since last month’s Obesity conference (link) is why we don’t use a similar approach for obesity, an epidemic of gross proportions.
Sure, telling people they should exercise more and eat less is wise advice, but that doesn’t mean it works. In the words of two people who should know, the ‘decades-long reliance on health promotion and intense media coverage of obesity have had virtually no effect”. Writing in the MJA, Professor Paul Zimmet and UK Professor Philip James call for evidence-based approaches to the ‘unstoppable Australian obesity and diabetes juggernaut’ (link). And despite the mounting pressure for GPs to pack a brief intervention for just about every lifestyle illness into a 20 minute consultation, our effect on the weight of the nation has been negligible.
Thousands of people will die as a result of the Federal government’s preference for ideology over evidence on this issue, we just don’t know which ones. Tony Abbott may not find his stance so justifiable if the beneficiaries of government intervention were identifiable.
Given he’s shown no sign of yielding despite public pressure from countless Australian and international experts, perhaps the next step should be the creation of a cenotaph (link) in memory of those who’ve died from obesity and its complications, listing the names of the dead.
I wonder how long politicians would allow the toll to grow?
MJA 2006 Vol 185 Number 4
posted by ozdocblog at 12:14 AM
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