The program loaunch will be led by Senate President Sue Lines and former Ironman Champion Guy Leech.
With chronic illness, preventable hospitalisations, and mental health issues on the rise, Fit for Office aims to lead by example. AMA’s Professor Steve Robson says without a shift to prevention, GP shortages and rising health costs will continue to burden the healthcare system.
“If Australia’s health system is to be sustainable in the long term, then the only option is to flip our thinking from providing care for established disease to preventing illness in the first place,” he says.
Key stats driving the challenge:
• Preventable Hospital Admissions: Over 700,000 annually due to inactivity and chronic illness.
• Economic Impact: Obesity and sedentary lifestyles cost Australia $11.8B each year.
• Healthcare Strain: GP shortages expected to reach 2,500 doctors, with 1.75 million Australians delaying GP visits due to rising costs.
AUSactive is also calling on the government to incentivise exercise through tax-deductible gym memberships and Fringe Benefits Tax exemptions for employer fitness programs. Its CEO, Barrie Elvish, call Fit for Office an essential step forward.
“Australia needs to stop being a nation of spectators and become participants,” says Mr Elvish. “Despite what our colleagues in the sporting world may claim, government investment in sport has a negligible impact on physical activity participation. It may well create photo opportunities for politicians but the reality is, while all sport involves physical activity, very little physical activity involves sport.
Research from Dr Ben Singh at the University of South Australia reveals exercise is significantly more effective than medication for mental health, enhancing cognition, memory, and reducing depression.
His new large-scale review of 133 studies involved over 258,000 people of all ages shows even light-to-moderate exercise including ‘exergames’ integrate brain-boosting activity. This adds to his 2023 study which showed exercise is 1.5 times more effective than medication or therapy in reducing mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety.
Dr Mike Freelander, pediatrician and Federal Member for Macarthur, said: “I’m excited to be getting involved with Fit For Office’s campaign to increase awareness around the need for fitter, more active lifestyles.
As a medical professional, I understand how important active lifestyles are in increasing mental & physical health in individuals, yet more needs to be done to increase this awareness and ensure individuals get the time to work out.
“By not doing so, it’s not just the individual’s health that is affected, but our wider community is affected too. Poor health leads to poor outcomes, including greater strain on our healthcare services and decreases in work productivity. As an MP, I firmly believe in using my platform to advocate for better decisions, and that is why I have signed up for Fit For Office.”