Mr RAY WILLIAMS ( Castle Hill ) ( 11:59 :48 ): I move:
That this House:

(1) Recognises childhood obesity has a direct correlation to type 2 diabetes.

(2) Notes that more than half of Western Sydney’ s population is overweight and at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

(3) Commends the Government’ s investme nt of $5 million in funding to ‘Make Healthy Normal’ and, thereby, reduce the incidence of people developing type 2 diabetes.

Currently in New South Wales more than 50 per cent of adults and 20 per cent of children are overweight or obese. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the many young people in the gallery today and focus on the fact that the general population has become overweight in a short time and the figures are staggering. Being overweight affects our health now and into the future and it has an effect on the health budget. The direct economic cost of obesity to this State is estimated at $18 billion per year. Most people do not realise that just a handful of belly fat increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and, in particular, type 2 diabetes. In 2014, 9.4 per cent of the State’s population had diabetes or high blood glucose, which rose from 6.4 per cent in 2002.

The New South Wales Premier has included obesity and childhood obesity in his statewide priorities. The pending launch of the New South Wales diabetes prevention framework coordinates diabetes related work across the State. It will identify enhancements to evidence-based practice and set a range of strategic directions for New South Wales local health districts for decreasing the risk of diabetes or diabetes complications in local populations. Every six seconds a person dies from diabetes and every five minutes a person is diagnosed with diabetes. The number of people with diabetes in Australia is now three times higher than 25 years ago and one in four Australians aged over 25 years has diabetes or has been diagnosed with pre-diabetes.

Staggeringly, more than half of Western Sydney’s population is overweight and at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. During the 2013 to 2015 period an extensive screening program of 4,000 residents was undertaken throughout Western Sydney which found that 50 per cent of the people screened were at high risk of developing diabetes. In some areas of Western Sydney that risk was assessed as being as high as 100 per cent. The people being screened presented with a current condition of being overweight or obese and it was determined that they inevitably will develop diabetes. Every 30 seconds a lower limb is lost to diabetes—one of the horrific complications of diabetes that results in the death of thousands of people every year. Extraordinarily, every 30 seconds a lower limb is lost as a complication of diabetes.

Diabetes is responsible for 60 per cent of all amputations in Australia. Australia has one of the worst diabetes related lower limb amputation rates in the developed world with nearly 20 per 100,000 people with diabetes losing a limb compared to an average of 12 per 100,000 elsewhere in the world. These are horrifying statistics. Currently more than 50 per cent of the population of Western Sydney is now recognised as being overweight or obese, which is horrifying. That is a cost not only to their health and productivity; there is also an astronomical cost when they seek health services. It is estimated that the cost of diabetes alone on productivity and health services is $8.6 billion. As I said yesterday that is akin to the cost of the North West Rail Link. There is a loss in productivity and a cost to our health services.

Interestingly, if people were to lose two kilos of their body weight they would reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 30 per cent. If people such as the member for Wyong, or any member, were to run or exercise every morning and reduce their weight by four kilos they would eliminate the risk of developing diabetes. I know that the member for Wyong indulges in physical activity every day but it is incumbent on us all to play a role by highlighting this issue in our communities. I emphasise how important it is for us all, in particular, young people, to maintain our health. I welcome the fact that all members support this motion and I look forward to other members participating in this debate