A series of confronting advertising campaigns will hit Tasmanian televisions today in the latest effort to quash the state’s growing health epidemic.
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The Heart Foundation’s LiveLighter program is aimed at encouraging Tasmanian’s to lead healthier lifestyles by eating better, moving more as well as encouraging education around lifestyle choices.
Launched on Monday, the statewide campaign will be rolled out on television, print and social media platforms over the next few months with an end of goal of making Tasmania the healthiest population in Australia by 2025.
More than 67 per cent of Tasmanian's are either overweight or obese, with one in three believing they are within the average weight range.
Heart Foundation Tasmania chief executive Graeme Lynch described the campaign as unique and said it is designed to start a strong discussion on the factors contributing to the problem.
“The campaign is intended to shock, but not to blame or shame people for their choices,” he said.
“In our television and online ads you’ll see men and women who, though fit and active in many respects, are still carrying a few extra kilos around the midriff.
“Even though they’re far from obese, these folks still have an elevated risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and several different types of cancer.”
The LiveLighter program was funded by the state government’s Healthy Tasmania strategy – a response to rising chronic disease rates and strain on the healthcare system.
Mr Lynch said socioeconomic circumstances and a lack of education are two of the biggest contributing factors to the problem, but that comparisons between Tasmania and the rest of Australia are often unfair.
“If you look at the big picture in Australia, it is not really an equal comparison,” he said.
“We are often compared to capitals cities like Sydney or Victoria.
“But when you look at our circumstances we are more fairly comparable with regional areas.”
In Tasmania, 64,000 people or 13 per cent of the population live below the poverty line and as a result are more likely to have poor health.
The head of Launceston’s Charles Clinic and the newly opened Healthy Heart Clinic, Dr Geoffrey Evans, said the bottom line to the crisis is a lack of education.
“People just don’t understand the consequences of their health choices,” he said.
“This can go on for years and years and then they have a health event and they are surprised.
“I think health literacy and understanding how to better look after themselves is something we really need to improve on.”