While pleased with how the Southern Highlands shapes up in comparison to other regions of NSW, Southern Highlands Division of General Practice executive director Warwick Ruscoe says the area can still do better in the battle of the bulge.
Following a special report published by the Sun-Herald on the weekend comparing the percentage of overweight and obese people in each of the state's 37 GP divisions, Mr Ruscoe said obesity, especially as it relates to the onset of Type-2 diabetes, was a prime concern for the local division.
Ranking in at equal 15th, 47.5 per cent of the Southern Highlands population was found to be obese or overweight, which compared to a state average of 47.3, based on data collected in the 2002-2004 adult health surveys.
"We're pleased by it, but we can do better," Dr Ruscoe said.
He said the regional results were interesting and indicated the skinniest regions had younger populations and tended to be more affluent than the areas of the less slender.
"The answer to adult obesity is weight loss and activity," he said.
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