In April 2010 (2 years after the Preventive Health Taskforce commenced), its Taskforce's deputy chairman, Mike Daube, announced that Obesity had overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature death and illness in Australia.   "The obesity crisis is not on its way - it is already here," Professor Daube said. "What we have done about obesity is not working. This issue needs concentrated and determined action."  Medical experts are claiming that the Federal Government is woefully unprepared for a tsunami of weight-related health problems. 

2010 Zurich-National Heart Foundation Heart Health Index released 19 Oct '10 reports that Overweight and Obese Australians have admitted "they are too lazy, don t have the time, or are hampered by an existing condition or illness to make significant changes in their lifestyle to become healthy......... Many are in denial.  One in eight (13 per cent) Overweight Australians believe they are healthy and do not need to change....Close to half the people (46%) who are Overweight thought that their weight met health guidelines. 13% of people who are Obese thought that their weight met current guidelines."

The 2010 Zurich-National Heart Foundation Heart Health Index (full report) -

i)          measures awareness, knowledge, perceptions and behaviours relating to cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors;

ii)         refutes the logic of Fed Dept of Ageing allocating another $41 million, and the states and territories providing another $18 million for local level complementary  activities, to continue the highly questionable Measure Up campaign, which was supposed "to raise awareness of the risks associated with waist circumference." which can lead to Lifestyle Related Chronic Diseases; and  

iii)        seriously questions "Australian Better Health Initiative Phase I - Campaign Evaluation - Quantitative Research Report" which GfK Bluemoon prepared for Depart of Health and Ageing which 'inter alia' reported that ".......The (Measure Up) campaign has been successful at encouraging people to try to reduce their waist measurement or lose weight."; and 

iv)                  flies in the face of the Depart Health and Ageing funded GfK Bluemoon Campaign Evaluation - Quantitative Research Report which would have influenced Depart of Health and Ageing to allocate a further $41m, and induce states and territories to provide another $18 million, on nothing more than costly TV and bus-stop billboards, seemingly in Phase II to focus on "How" to lose weight.  It doesn't seem cost-effective expenditure of $59 million in light of the National Heart Foundation's alarming findings.

The Australian Govt's response report "TAKING PREVENTATIVE ACTION - A response to Australia: the healthiest country by 2020 - THE REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PREVENTATIVE HEALTH TASKFORCE" released in May 2010 announces its National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health will expend an additional $59m to extend the reach of the 'Measure Up' campaign, which has been running for four years, for another four years and targets 25-50 year olds. An additional $41m is to be allocated to national level activities and an additional $18m provided to the states and territories for local level complementary activities.

, rather harness project development and skills and rigorous exercise knowledge of a small percentage of successful business executives (fitting the profile of low cost Golden Gurus - one of nine ideas adopted by the 2020 Summit) as RECs to assist Interested adults to commence a REA in a Local District Recreational Exercise Group which incorporates a LCCBSG.

As noted in Philanthropy if Governments wish to encourage individual Philanthropy,  Corporate Philanthropy and utilise the Gatekeeper attributes of Golden Gurus beyond say Rotary Australia and Lions Australia,  Governments need to create explicit structures which harness particular skills of successful business people, approaching retirement or having recently retired, to perform specific roles which utilise those specific skills.

Only when the structure and operations functions of a humanitarian cause(s), such as he YELP  SPV, BTSCP SPV, BTSOP SPV, BTB&MD  SPV and ICDI-HELP SPV, are set out in logical steps on websites such as YELP Website and ICDI-HELP Website can such successful business people approaching or in early retirement, maximise their hands-on contribution which may have a spin-off benefit of enhancing the Brand Name of their company (if still working full time or part time) if their company facilitated their generous support.

RECs and Pioneer FOFs fall within the terms of reference for the Golden Gurus programme as explained in -

*        Section 12 "Employing earl retirees......" ; and

*        Section  24.  Utilise the skills of RECs and Pioneer FOFs under the Golden Gurus programme.

 

Below is a schedule of the Golden Gurus required under the Two National Preventive Health Research Programmes.

For the purpose of the Two National Preventive Health Research Programmes, Golden Gurus are Gatekeepers approaching or at retirement age who will generally come at a small fraction of the cost of comparably talented executives say 10 years younger, because -

i)           Pioneer FOFs, Pioneer Other Fit Old Farts, Pioneer Seasoned Choir Devotees, Pioneer Symphony Music Fogeys and Pioneer Elder Dance Aficionados would represent their employer on the YELP  SPV, ICDI-HELP SPV, BTSOP SPV and BTB&MD SPV respectively, would be paid by their employer whilst working on associated duties; and

ii)         RECs  would also be over 50, have nothing more to prove and are keen to be Philanthropic and would be remunerated at approx 75% of market rate for their skills with scope to donate up to 50% to YELP Disabled Equipment Fund as explained in Donation To YELP Disabled Equipment Fund.

 

See Golden Gurus website administered by Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations ("DEEWR") 50 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra ACT 2601.