Recent health statistics have shown that Cessnock local government area comes in well-above the state average for obesity and smoking rates.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Primary Health Network snapshot showed that 32.3 people per 100 were obese in Cessnock, almost seven percent above the state average of 26.4.
The smoking rate measured in at 23.2 people per 100 in Cessnock compared to 16.2 in NSW.
Cessnock also doubled the state average in the number of mothers who smoke during pregnancy, 25.4 percent in comparison to 12 percent across NSW.
While the obesity and smoking statistics were nothing new to Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat cooordinator Shane Feeney, the amount of women smoking while pregnant is shocking.
“That’s something that should be addressed,” he said.
“There should be funding to get that statistic down immediately.”
Mr Feeney believes the funding should go towards quit smoking programs that are specifically catered towards for pregnant women, with things such as creches for mothers.
But he also believes the other statistics need attention for the fact that they have been the same for so long.
“Some of these statistics have been here for a while, that’s why we need to reduce them,” he said.
Mr Feeney believes the statistics come from the fact that Cessnock has a low-socioeconomic status, and are related to a lack of physical exercise and poor diet, but thinks there needs to be more financially accessible options in Cessnock.
Coalfields Healthy Heartbeat free and low-cost programs such as Healthy Money Planner and Healthy Budget Bites.
It was instrumental in the initiative to have a free outdoor gym installed in Branxton, for which it has received a $52,000 grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.
