New body will focus on obesity crisis facing state

State Parliament has approved the creation of a statutory-body which will help Queenslanders battle the bulge and help stop the scourge costing the Queensland economy billions every year.

A FAT-BUSTING agency will be established to improve the health of Queenslanders, in a move to relieve the strain obesity is placing on the economy.

On Thursday, State Parliament passed legislation to create Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQ), tasked with battling the bulge which costs the healthcare system $756 million and the Queensland economy $11.2 billion every year.

Particular focus will be paid on soaring rates of obesity in regional and remote areas and Indigenous communities, which according to government data are disproportionately unhealthier than metropolitan centres.

Government Bill to combat obesity and promote healthy body weight

Obese Australians claiming disability payments despite not doing enough to lose weight

The new statutory body will cost $32.9 million in 2019-20, which Health Minister Steven Miles said was an important health spend for improving the health of Queenslanders.

“Obesity has much in common with the other big health policy challenges — like smoking, skin cancer and drinking.” Minister Miles said.

“While I accept that everyone of us has to take responsibility for our own health, I do not see scores of people waking up and deciding one day they’d prefer to be fat.”

The creation of the body, equipped to tackle Queensland’s worsening obesity crisis was promised by Labor prior to the 2015 state election.

However, there was debate in the chamber about what specific purpose HWQ would serve.

Health Minister Steven Miles. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

Burleigh MP Michael Hart. Picture: AAP/Richard Waugh

LNP Member for Burleigh Michael Hart said the Palaszczuk Government had wasted four years honouring their election commitment, and that a separate department would create extra bureaucracy.

“With Anna Bligh, she wanted to break up the health system.

“This is breaking up the health department because this is putting (in) another body,” Mr Hart said.

He said the current state government had wasted four years to take action on obesity and other issues within the Health Department, including hospital ramping.

ALP Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders however defended the Palaszczuk Government’s performance on health, comparing it to the previous government.

“The Palaszczuk Government is proactive in this field, unlike the Newman Government who cut agencies like this in their slash-and-burn years that they were in power,” Mr Saunders said.