VIC: Gov’t initiative to boost health

Putting a nutritious eating plan into action can be a great start to a weight loss program focused on improving your health and wellbeing.

And while it can sometimes be a chore to change old habits and introduce new ones – like cutting down on junk food or starting up and sticking to an exercise regime -  there are medical professionals and health organisations that can help, offering advice, information or support.

Added encouragement from the Victorian government was announced yesterday, with the launch of a new support scheme aimed at increasing public knowledge of what constitutes healthy living.

The Healthy Eating Enterprise has been put in place to help reduce potential costs related to heart, glucose and blood pressure conditions which can put a strain on public health systems, said Jane Martin, executive manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition.

"Putting a focus on fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables through the Healthy Food Charter, which will flow through to schools, hospitals and workplaces, is an excellent start in raising awareness of the importance of a healthy diet," she said.

Ms Martin added that including kilojoule information on fast food labelling and increasing restrictions on unhealthy food sponsorship and advertising around children's issues could benefit the scheme even more.

Posted by Juliet Pemberton