Page 6 2009-10 Summer

Jean Hailes education update

A new resource coming soon…“My Healthy Weight”

At the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health, we are committed to providing relevant and up-todate health information on topics that interest you. One area that women told us they would like more information on is achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Why is having a healthy weight important?

According to the 2007-2008 National Health Survey, 62% of Australian adults are overweight or obese. Being above your healthy weight increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension and gall bladder disease.

Exciting News: National PCOS Alliance

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health is continuing to play a leading role in education and research into Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) by facilitating the National PCOS Alliance.

PCOS affects 11% of Australian women of reproductive age. Health Minister Nicola Roxon recognises the significance of this condition and is acting to support women with PCOS and their families. The Australian Government will provide $1.134 million over three years to support the National PCOS Alliance. Some of this money will be used to develop the first national guidelines for the diagnosis and care of women with PCOS. The Government funding will also enable the Foundation to carry out a significant education program for women and healthcare practitioners

More than just another weight-loss resource There is a lot of information available on weight loss, diet tips, exercise programs and miracle pills that promise instant results. However according to a recent survey conducted by our Education Unit, what women really want is quality, research-based information on achieving a healthy weight for them.

Survey results

We surveyed 356 women and 46 health professionals to find out:

where you look for information on healthy weight
what kind of information is important to you

The results showed that most women access information on weight from a variety of sources, including fact sheets or pamphlets (45%), the internet (44%), magazine or newspapers (42%) and health websites (41%). About 30% ask their GP for advice on weight.

Some of the topics that women are interested in include healthy eating (70%), physical activity (66%), psychology of food and eating (49%), recipes (49%) and weight loss tips (46%).

The next step

Now that the initial research is complete, the Foundation will work towards creating a new resource on healthy weight that educates and engages women of all ages.

A Healthy Weight Advisory Group, made up of Jean Hailes health professionals, researchers, community members, health educators and outside experts will help guide the development of this project.

Content Updated November 23, 2009