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Hunters Hill Local News |
7 July 2010
FAT: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?
Fat. To be or not to be?
7 Jul 10 @ 06:50am by SCOTT HOWLETT
JOHN Alexander spent his teenage years hard in training to realise his dream of becoming a Wimbledon champion.
At the age of 17, he was crowned the Wimbledon Junior Boys Champion, in 1968.
He went on to play in an Australian Davis Cup-winning team and was once rated in the world top 10.
Today, Mr Alexander’s playing surface is the hustings where, as the Liberal candidate for Bennelong, he faces sitting Labor MP Maxine McKew, who turns 57 this month.
“As a former tennis player, sport has given me so much,” Mr Alexander, who turned 59 on July 4, told the Northern District Times.
“And as the Liberal candidate, I’m particularly interested in encouraging people to exercise or participate in organised sport to promote fitness and as a preventative tool to reduce long-term healthcare costs.
“Australia has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world.
“And eating and exercise habits start at a young age, so it’s vital that we encourage children to be active through sport.”
Ms McKew said she was a firm believer in practical measures close to home.
“As the parliamentary secretary for local government I oversee the successful community infrastructure program, which has invested over $400 million to build and refurbish recreational facilities that are identified as community priorities.” Ms McKew said.
“This includes $3.5 million towards a major sporting centre at ELS Hall Park in Ryde, $147,000 to build four new netball courts at Meadowbank Park and $381,000 towards the new Buffalo Creek walking trail through the Field of Mars.
“We’ve also invested $2.3 million to upgrade Epping Oval and other Hornsby Shire Council ovals.
“Cycling continues to grow in popularity through the $40 million national bike path project, which has delivered three important new cycleways in Ryde.”
Greens candidate Lindsay Peters, 55, said more than a half of all Australians were overweight, with one in 15 obese.
“The Greens would ban marketing junk food to children,” Mr Peters said. “Lessons learned in the successful anti-smoking campaigns are very much applicable in tackling obesity.”
NEXT WEEK: Asylum seekers.
Courtesy of Northern District Times
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