By Bill Jayet
It appears Parkes Shire residents are less active than their city counterparts which contributes to life threatening illnesses such as obesity and diabetes.
The Greater Western Area Health region has the highest levels of obesity and diabetes in the state.
It’s a fact that city folk are healthier than their country cousins despite our fresh air and wide open spaces.
We are set in our ways and simple things like driving to work or to the nearest shop rather than walking helps contribute to our poor health.
Residents still get up-in-arms about being unable to park in front of the store of their choice. The less walking we have to do the better – even when shopping.
We want everything literally at our fingertips and because of this we are paying the consequences.
Apparently this convenience factor is what sets us apart from our city counterparts and contributes to our poor health rating.
This has been confirmed over the years in community surveys conducted by Parkes Shire Council where residents have rated infrastructure items that could benefit their health such as new swimming pools, walking and bike tracks at the bottom of the list of priorities.
Whilst health facilities such as a new hospital tops the priority list, the irony (especially with council), is that residents don’t appear to understand that by keeping active it not only assists their health but helps eliminate the need for hospital stays.
At the recent lecture in Parkes by Professor Patrick Ball of Charles Sturt University
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he confirmed the Greater Western Area Health Service that includes Parkes, as having the highest levels of obesity and diabetes in NSW.
Mayor Ken Keith said it is a sad statistic but one that council has known about for some time.
He is keen to see the trend reversed – especially within our shire.
Cr Keith said that council needed to do more to encourage a healthier outcome within the community.
“I believe as a council and a community we should be taking a more pro-active role to improve the health outlook for our constituents,” Cr Keith said.
“On my recent vacation the number of people out walking in the mornings and swimming laps at the local pools far exceeded the relative participation in our shire,” Cr Keith said.
With the heat of summer already with us, Cr Keith would like to see more residents taking advantage of the shire’s swimming pools.
“Swimming is a great way of exercising whether it is by doing laps, wading back and forth across the pool or doing water aerobics,” Cr Keith said.
The Mayor said he had already approached the PCYC to again organise and promote the `swim around Tasmania’ challenge to encourage lap swimming.
The unique exercise programme was conducted several seasons ago where it was calculated just how many laps of the Parkes pool had to be completed to literally swim around the apple isle.
Conducted as a fund-raiser for the PCYC – several keen swimmers completed the task.
“I would like to see this become a fundraising effort for the Central West Lodge with people getting sponsorship per lap swim. The rate being dependent on their ability,” Cr Keith said.
“For example someone could sponsor me to swim 1000 laps during the season at two cents a lap which would help me stay fit while at the same time raise $20 for Care West Lodge.”
At the most recent Parkes Shire Council meeting, Cr Keith sought council’s endorsement of applications for grant funding at both state and federal levels which can be utilised for healthy lifestyle initiatives.
“These would complement council development of walking tracks, community walking groups and other projects,” Cr Keith said.
“It also complements the Heart Foundation proposal recently reported to council.”
Councillors endorsed the concept of the Parkes Shire becoming a healthy community and that council also promote the lap swimming initiative proposal of the Mayor.
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