Australia: the healthiest country by 2020
National Preventative Health Strategy – the roadmap for action

1.1 - Making healthy choices easier choices

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'Action currently under way does not adequately reflect the magnitude of the problem. There is indeed a need for a greater sense of urgency' (Quote from submission)

Tackling the growing personal, social and economic burden of chronic illness is imperative, especially in a country with an ageing population. Prevention is increasingly being seen as a crucial means of reducing this burden. The three priority areas for action identified by the Australian Government are:

• Reducing the growing epidemic of overweight and obese Australians
• Accelerating the decline in smoking
• Addressing the health and social harms resulting from risky drinking

Australia must significantly scale up its prevention effort in these and other areas. Making healthy choices is often difficult – and there are many barriers to action at all levels. The Strategy provides a number of priorities and actions that will help reduce these barriers and enable healthy choices to become easier. In the first instance, these actions will help people maintain or achieve a healthy weight, prevent smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke, and limit intake of alcohol to safe levels.

The Taskforce has set out a phased program which seeks to match the magnitude of the problems and the required urgency of action, while also recognising that everything cannot be done instantly. The phased approach to the Preventative Health Strategy will be challenging, but it is feasible. The extent of the problem and the benefits to be gained for the health of the community require nothing less.

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