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Roles of government in obesity prevention |
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| Action area |
Description |
Rationale |
Examples |
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| Leadership |
∘ Providing a visible lead ∘ Reinforcing the seriousness of the problem ∘ Demonstrating a readiness to take serious action |
∘ All societal change needs strong leadership ∘ The role of governments is central, powerful and carries sufficient authority to stimulate a sustained multi-sector response ∘ Government voices speak loudly about problems ∘ Government actions speak louder about solutions |
∘ Being visible in the media ∘ Role modelling healthy behaviours (at an individual level) ∘ Role modelling healthy environments (at a government agency level) ∘ Creating mechanisms for a whole-of-government response to obesity ∘ Lifting the priority for health (versus commercial) outcomes |
| Advocacy |
∘ Advocating for a multi-sector response across all societal sectors (governments, the private sector, civil society, and the public) |
∘ Solutions will need to involve many sectors within governments and all sectors outside government ∘ Authoritative mechanisms will be needed to achieve cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination |
∘ Advocating to the private sector for corporate responsibility around marketing to children ∘ Creating a high-level taskforce to oversee and monitor multi-sector actions ∘ Encouraging healthy lifestyles for individual and families |
| Funding |
∘ Securing increased and continuing funding to create healthy environments and encourage healthy eating and physical activity |
∘ Changing environments requires funding ∘ Social marketing and programs require funding ∘ Supporting actions (eg training, research, evaluation, monitoring) require funding ∘ Public good funding comes mainly from government sources |
∘ Establishing a health promotion foundation (eg using an hypothecated tobacco tax) to fund programs and research ∘ Moving from project funding to program and service funding for obesity prevention ∘ Creating centres of excellence for research, evaluation and monitoring |
| Policy |
∘ Developing, implementing, and monitoring a set of policies, regulations, taxes, and subsidies that make environments less obesogenic and more health promoting |
∘ Most behaviours are heavily influenced by environmental factors (physical, economic, policy, socio-cultural) ∘ Changing environments often requires policy drivers ∘ Education-based approaches are weak without supportive environments |
∘ Banning the marketing of unhealthy foods to children ∘ Subsidising public transport and active transport more than car transport ∘ Requiring 'traffic light' front of pack labelling of food nutrient profiles ∘ Restricting the sale of unhealthy foods in schools |
Swinburn Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2008 5:12 doi:10.1186/1743-8462-5-12 |
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