Health

Healthy Living

On this page, you'll find background information about the health of Australia's young people (from the perspective of physical activity and nutrition levels). If you're interested in reading more about physical activity and nutrition as they can relate directly to your school, follow one of the following links:

What are the policies in schools that affect physical activity and nutrition? How can you get involved in making decisions about physical activity and nutrition at your school? Suggested initiatives - Physical Activity Suggested initiatives - Nutrition

In 1999, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare published a report titled Australia's Young People - Their Health and Wellbeing 1999. This was the first national report on the health status of Australia's young people aged 12-24 years and included data and statistics from a range of organisations, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The report clearly shows that the level of physical activity (including organised sporting activities and general exercise such as walking) undertaken by young Australians declines significantly between the ages of 12 and 24 years.

For full details related to physical activity, access this section of the report at:

http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/health/ayp99/ayp99-c14.pdf

On top of this, the majority of young people aged between 12 and 24 years are consuming more than the recommended level of fat in their daily diet while the consumption of essential foods such as fruit and meat declines with age, especially amongst young women.

For full details of the nutrition section of the report, visit:

http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/health/ayp99/ayp99-c15.pdf

Lack of exercise and poor nutrition (whether this be overeating, not eating enough or eating the wrong foods) can lead to increases in illnesses such as diabetes, osteoporosis, colon, breast and digestive system cancers, mental illness, obesity, and eating disorders (AIHW 1999). While obesity amongst our youth is a serious issue, equally concerning is the issue of poor body image, which can lead to eating disorders and the tendency for over-exercising.

Our society needs to take action in an attempt to reverse the trends of inactivity, poor body-image and inadequate nutrition. The earlier we start getting this message across to our youth, the healthier our population will be in the future. However, we need to make sure that we are sending the right message to our youth. Educating and encouraging students to eat the right amounts and types of food (from all major food groups) and including a healthy amount of physical activity in their daily routine (as opposed to spending hours at the gym) is the key to building a healthier body and a happier lifestyle.