Article: Brisbane health best in the state

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Brisbane health best in the state

Brisbane health best in the state
Date January 29, 2014 - 12:01AM Kim Stephens

The Sunshine Coast has Queensland's lowest number of obese people.

Gympie can boast the state's highest number of vegetable eaters, while Ipswich has the lowest number of risky drinkers.

The people of Balonne, in the south-west, and the centrally positioned Burdekin are Queensland's most sun-smart and those on the Gold Coast are the most active.

Cairns residents have the state's lowest cholesterol levels.
Advertisement

But when it comes to overall health, Brisbane City Council residents are Queensland's superstars, new figures reveal.

The recently released State Government's Self Reported Health Status 2011–12 report analysed nine key factors influencing the health of residents in 43 Queensland local government areas.

Brisbane residents dominated most categories.

The report revealed the municipality boasts the lowest percentage of smokers in the state, the lowest percentage of overweight adults and the lowest percentage of adults who were sunburnt in the past 12 months.

The city also has the lowest percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood sugar and the lowest percentage of adults with high blood pressure.

But wait, there's more.

Brisbane residents also have the highest percentage of people who consume the recommended two serves of fruit each day, as well as the highest percentage of adults reporting good, very good or excellent health.

They also appear to be the happiest in the state, having the highest percentage of people reporting good, very good or excellent health.

Abdullah Mamun of the University of Queensland's School of Population Health, said the health of Brisbane residents in comparison to some other municipalities most likely reflected its younger demographic.

''I think it could be the demographics in some ways, there is a higher percentage of younger people living in the cities, while many of the other areas have mostly families,'' he said.

Associate Professor Mamun also said council's significant long-term investment in pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure put the city many years ahead of some of their counterparts.

He said outside the city the vast majority of the population relied on their cars for transport, while in Brisbane there were many more opportunities for incidental exercise.

''I think people living outside of the cities are still catching up with many health initiatives but change doesn't happen automatically,'' he said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said in addition to pedestrian and cycling paths, there had been significant investment in other programs and infrastructure throughout the city to aid residents in their pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

"We have endless facilities in Brisbane including over 2000 parks around the city with 80 of these with outdoor gym equipment as well as basketball courts, netball courts and tennis courts for group exercise options,'' he said.

"Council also supports local sporting groups through our grants program and offers sport and recreation programs including the Growing Older and Living Dangerously (GOLD) and BrisAsia Active and healthy workshops for all Brisbane residents."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-health-best-in-the-state-20140128-31kyv.html

[Jonno]

All credit to the slightly higher % of walking, cycling and transit usage!  Time for more investment and less road widening!!

[Golliwog]

See it's all part of the plan! Now we know the real reason for the 9 and free lunchtime off peak loophole: to get more SEQlders to go for a walk at lunchtime! 

[#Metro]

State Government's Self Reported Health Status 2011–12 report

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/epidemiology/documents/srhs-2012-qld.pdf

Queensland is also home to the largest concentrated to deluded no??

Self reported measures = good student effect / bias / people who are obese who think they are fine, and eat super healthy (ha!)

Think about it... if you got to write your own report card in School, are you going to put down all the bad stuff? No way!!