LiveLighter campaign adopted in South Australia to tackle Obesity

A new campaign is being spearheaded in South Australia with advertisements showing the damaging impact of toxic fat on the body aimed at addressing the obesity epidemic across the state and following successful adoption in other states.

The strategy adopts parts of the proven evidence-based LiveLighter public health campaign which the SA Government considers to have been successful in Western Australia for more than a decade, and which has also run in ACT and Victoria.

The hard-hitting ads, which start screening on free-to-air TV on Sunday 29th June, take people inside their own bodies and shows the toxic build-up of visceral fat on internal organs due to obesity, particularly when caused by an unhealthy diet. The images are from real footage taken during medical procedures in Australia.

The LiveLighter campaign comes as the latest data from Preventive Health SA reveals 66% of South Australian adults and 37.% of children are overweight or living with obesity.

Obesity puts people at greater risk of many diseases and health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. South Australia has the nation's highest rate of diabetes.

The LiveLighter campaign is part of a collaboration on obesity prevention including Preventive Health SA, Cancer Council SA and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

The ads will run on TV, radio, billboards and social media, aiming to increase awareness of the impact of toxic fat and prompt South Australians to eat well and increase physical activity to improve their health.

The toxic fat ads will direct South Australians to the comprehensive LiveLighter website which contains information and tools to support eating well and being more active, such as healthy recipes, meal planners and workout builders.

More information and resources can be found on the LiveLighter website

Chris Picton, SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing notes “obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading risk factor in preventable health conditions for South Australians, which is why we are taking action.

“Two-thirds of adults and more than one in three kids in SA are overweight. Unless we change this too many kids will face reduced life expectancy and a lifetime struggling with chronic disease.

“Overweight and obesity has become our most urgent public health challenge, putting growing pressure on the health system and our society.”

Preventive Health SA Chief Executive, Marina Bowshall adds  “the results of this campaign are proven, after years running interstate. We know that people who see the ads are more aware of the serious health consequences of obesity.

“We want this campaign to kickstart a conversation about obesity and spark action here in South Australia. For individuals, taking even a small step towards eating well and moving your body more can make a big difference to your health.”

Cancer Council SA Senior Manager Prevention, Christine Morris shared “at Cancer Council SA we support all initiatives that are working to increase healthy eating and physical activity as we know that action on these can reduce the rate and impact of cancer.

‘There is strong evidence that shows living with obesity increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, particularly bowel cancer. It's so important to raise awareness, alert the community to the impacts of rising rates of obesity and chronic illness, and trigger community-wide action on tackling obesity.

“It's fantastic to see the State Government take comprehensive action on obesity through the launch of this campaign.”

More information can be found on the LiveLighter website