We have secured more than $3 million per year for the next five years from the WA Government to continue delivering the world leading LiveLighter® campaign in WA, as part of Labor's pre-election commitment to sustain funding in public health prevention campaigns.
The extended funding comes as Deakin University released a report this week that confirmed the LiveLighter® mass media campaign is highly cost effective as it generates behaviour changes that can prevent obesity-related ill health saving the health care system money in the long term.
Our Director of Cancer Prevention and Research, Melissa Ledger, said the WA Government is to be congratulated for its ongoing investment in the campaign, and added the campaign is clearly delivering benefits for our health and our State budget.
"The WA Government is leading the nation in making a serious commitment to prevention by continuing to invest in the LiveLighter® campaign which we know is working. Not only is it having an impact on our community's health, but it is saving our hospitals and healthcare system money."
"This report shows that even small reductions in the consumption of junk foods, including sugary drinks, leads to substantial health improvements and healthcare cost savings.
"These findings are based on only one year of the campaign, so the real impact from sustained investment in LiveLighter® is likely to be even greater. The LiveLighter® campaign will continue to pay off as long as government investment in prevention continues.
"We have a long way to go to bring down WA's high levels of overweight and obesity and funding for LiveLighter® is quite rightly now front and centre.
"However, campaigns like LiveLighter® must be complemented by robust policies, such as those that protect children from exposure to the current barrage of unhealthy advertising and fast-food outlets on public transport, TV and digital," Ms Ledger said.
