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Western Sydney doctors tackle obesity
Wednesday March 29, 2006
A group of community minded Western Sydney general practitioners is tackling childhood obesity by going back to school.
The Mount Druitt Medical Practitioners Association has completed a one-year obesity prevention pilot program with Rooty Hill High School .
The Students As Life-Style Activists (SALSA) program received a grant from research-based medicines company Pfizer Australia . The successful 2005 pilot with year 10 and year eight students means the innovative peer-led program will be extended in 2006.
SALSA coordinator and Mt Druitt-based general practitioner Dr Kean-Seng Lim said the program came about because many of the 50-plus GPs in the association felt too many young people were not getting enough physical exercise and were not eating enough fruit and vegetables to stay healthy.
"Our aim is to increase activity levels and improve nutritional choices in the students," Dr Kean-Seng Lim said.
"It was decided to go with a peer-led program so students themselves would educate, activate and support each other.
"It's a three-part program of food, movement and the integration of both where students devise a plan of action.
"In some cases groups will write a letter to council to plan and build a skate park."
Sydney West Area Health Service Primary Health Care Education and Research Unit director Dr Smita Shah said the program has been well accepted and was highly rated by all involved.
"Useful secondary outcomes have included healthier choices being made available at the school canteen, along with an increase in demand for healthier alternatives," Dr Smita Shah said.
"Of particular importance was the feedback from the SALSA peer leaders who reported that their participation in the program had influenced them to eat five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day and increase their activity level."
Rooty Hill High School principal Christine Cawsey the SALSA program has resulted in the year 10 and year eight students speaking out on health issues.
"The students are becoming a strong voice for healthy lifestyles," Ms Christine Cawsey said.
"So far evaluations of the program are very positive. We've moved to a healthy canteen and I understand sales are up 200 per cent.
"This is the start of a cultural change in the school and we are planning to stay with it over the next couple of years."
The SALSA program was trialled and embedded into the 2005 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) curriculum of Rooty Hill High School .
A formal analysis of the data from the feasibility study is currently being reported by Dr Michael Dibley and Dr Ming Li from the University of Newcastle .
Pfizer Australia is the nation's leading research-based health care company. It discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical treatments for both humans and animals. Pfizer Australia is investing $A40m in local research and development. For more information visit the links on this website.