Obesity prompts Brisbane City Council to get bigger cremator

The “largest cremator in southeast Queensland” has been purchased by Brisbane City Council for its busiest cemetery. The reason why is shocking.

The crematorium at Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Photo: Danielle Buckley

OBESITY rates have forced Brisbane City Council to purchase the “largest cremator in southeast Queensland” for it busiest cemetery.

Mt Gravatt Cemetery, which performs approximately 620 cremations and 760 burials each year, began using the new machine on October 5.

The crematorium at Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Photo: Danielle Buckley

The old cremator was constructed in 1999 and its door was 75cm wide and 65cm high but the door of the new machine is significantly bigger at 95cm wide and 75cm high.

Lifestyle and Community Services chairman Peter Matic said the council had invested $394,000 into the machine and new equipment to move coffins at the cemetery.

“To cater for a changing industry, Council has purchased a new cremator which will be able to cater for a wider variety of coffin types,” he said.

A worker operating a cremation chamber. FILE PIC Picture: Jerad Williams

A council officer put the news to the Lifestyle and Community Services Committee in more straightforward terms.

“Unfortunately what we’re seeing with our population at the moment is, obviously with obesity, we’re getting much larger cremations,” she said.

“This machine, as morbid as it might sound, is actually the largest machine in south-east Queensland.”

A Queensland Health spokesman said 64 per cent of Queensland adults were either overweight or obese however about one-third of those thought they were an acceptable weight.

In addition, 26 per cent of the state’s children are either overweight or obese.

The crematorium at Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Photo: Danielle Buckley

Cancer Council Queensland chief executive officer Chris McMillan said obesity rates in Queensland had been increasing for several decades and was a “major public health issue”.

“But the good news is that obesity and being overweight can be prevented and reversed,” she said

“The benefits to losing weight are a reduced risk of chronic disease, including some cancers, and an increased sense of wellbeing.”

Around one quarter of all cancers cases can be prevented through eating a healthy diet and being physically active.

Brisbane City Council runs cheap or free fitness classes and activities for all ages in its Active Parks program.

Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Photo: Danielle Buckley

The Queensland Government has a 10 year target to reduce childhood obesity by 10 per cent as part of its “My Health, Queensland’s Future: Advancing health 2026” strategy.

Last month, Health Minister Steven Miles launched the “Find your happy healthy” campaign to target Queenslanders who are overweight and obese who know they need to change their lifestyles.