Australian Medical Association

Food provides our bodies with the energy, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals to live, grow and function properly.  Concerning trends have been observed in the eating habits of many Australians and the implications are serious. The National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines 2011 provides population level guidance on healthy eating patterns and related guidance for health professionals.  

The AMA's Submission highlights that a range of measures is needed to improve nutritional literacy, including education on energy needs and portion sizes, improved food labelling, and affordable access to healthy food options.  The AMA Submission also identifies a need for practical resources aimed at medical practitioners including access to a database of locally available supports such dieticians, healthy cooking classes and walking groups.

An increasing number of Australians are at a high risk of serious disease and premature death because of excess body weight or obesity. The National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Clinical Guidelines on the Management of Overweight and Obesity is an important resource for medical practitioners who identify and support patients who are overweight and obese.  Medical practitioners also play a preventive role in identifying those patients who are at risk of becoming overweight, particularly children and young people.  

The AMA believes that a key challenge is to ensure that the Clinical Guidelines are practical and easy for medical practitioners to adopt as part of their clinical practice.  The AMA's Submission highlights the key role of medical practitioners in preventing overweight and obesity, particularly among children and young people, as well as providing support to those patients who wish to lose or maintain their current body weight.  The AMA Submission advocates around the development (with appropriate consultation) of practical resources, such as short term eating plans, evidence summaries, multi media videos and fact sheets that can support medical practitioners and patients in this area.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that last night’s Budget cuts to Practice Incentive Payments (PIP) to GPs will have a double negative impact on the health system by penalising GPs for not meeting new higher targets for cervical cancer screening and specialised diabetes care and removing incentives for immunisation.

Dr Hambleton said these measures, along with changes to the e-health PIP, have the potential to pose serious public health risks and undermine successful preventive health programs that are providing health benefits to many Australians.

The AMA strongly believes that strong support for health and medical research is necessary to ensure that the best and most efficient health care is available to all Australians. Australia has been falling behind other countries in its funding and strategic long-term commitments to health and medical research. This submission to the McKeon Review outlines how Australia can regain its position as a world leader in health and medical innovation.

In September 2011, the AMA hosted a summit of public health and police stakeholders to consider advice to the Australian Government on reform of alcohol taxation and pricing. A Communique was issued which outlined a consensus view on options for reform.

MJA release - It is clear that the problem of unhealthy consumption and the associated health consequences are societal problems that require a societal approach, Dr Ken Harvey, from La Trobe University, Melbourne, argues in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.

Transcript: AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, and National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA) Co-Chair, Prof Mike Daube

                Media Conference

                AMA House, Canberra

               Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Subject:   Alcohol tax reform; Penicillin shortage

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, today questioned why the Government was reluctant to approach alcohol taxation reform and why it had excluded alcohol tax from next month’s Tax Forum.

“The Government has a strong record in public health with tobacco plain packaging and the alcopops tax, and it should be building on this momentum,” Dr Hambleton said.

“The evidence for the need for alcohol tax reform is considerable and beyond challenge.

The AMA today urged the Government to adopt the alcohol health warning labels concept launched today by the Alcohol Education & Rehabilitation (AER) Foundation.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that warning labels should be mandatory on alcohol products, especially as a deterrent to teenage drinking and drinking when pregnant.

“Health warning labels on alcohol must contain clear, strong messages about the negative health effects of excessive or irresponsible drinking,” Dr Hambleton said.

A new report shows that teenagers often consume alcohol at harmful levels.

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that this is further evidence that targeted marketing of alcohol to young people should be banned to prevent them from taking up drinking at a young age.

“These latest figures show that young people who are barely in their teens have already started drinking alcohol, and those who are older are drinking at harmful levels,” Dr Hambleton said.