1. Kathy Chapman Cancer Council NSW
Prioritising policy and advocacy issues on food, nutrition, alcohol and obesity
Kathy Chapman
Cancer Council NSW

2. 37,000 cancer cases are preventable
Whiteman DC, Webb PM, Green AC, et al. Cancers in Australia in 2010 attributable to modifiable factors: summary and conclusions. Aust N Z J Public Health 2015 Oct; 39,

3. Cancer-related Health Behaviours
6% of NSW adults eat the recommended 5 serves of vegetables and 48% eat the recommended 2 serves of fruit 52% of NSW adults are overweight or obese 43% of NSW adults are “adequately” physically active 26% of NSW adults drink alcohol at levels that pose a lifetime risk to health
Prevention Lead
Evidence that the community is not optimally following cancer smart behaviours
There have been significant declines in smoking rates over the past two decades with 14% of NSW adults aged 16 year and over are current smokers but that still equates to more than 700,000 smokers and given 2 out of 3 long-term smokers will die of a smoking related illness there is a need to reduce smoking rates further.
With less than 20% of NSW adults using adequate sun protection measures during peak UV time on a weekend, we need to do more to improve behaviours so people are better protected.
After not smoking, the combination of maintaining a normal body weight, eating a healthy diet and being physically active are the next most important preventable causes of cancer. According to the NSW Population Health Survey, in 2015 only 6% of NSW adults 16 years and over met the recommended usual daily intake of vegetables and only 48% of adults met the recommended usual daily intake of fruit.
In 2015, 45% adults over 16 years had “adequate” physical activity which is defined as undertaking physical activity for a total of at least 300 minutes per week over 5 separate occasions. 
26% of NSW adults are drinking alcohol at levels the pose a lifetime risk to health which is equivalent to 2 standard drinks. This includes 17% of females and 35% of males.(2015 NSW Health stats actual estimates)
2015 NSW Health Stats, September 2016

4. Significant gaps in awareness of cancer risks.
Beliefs about how much certain factors contribute to a person’s cancer risk
Prevention Lead
We know that behaviour are determined by a wide-range of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, norms, skills, environmental factors, etc. In 2013, CCNSW, commissioned a baseline surveillance survey to capture population beliefs, intentions and attitudes related to the prevention of cancer and reducing community exposure to cancer risk factors. The most recent results from the 2016 survey. The findings of that research indicated that there are some significant gaps in knowledge about cancer risks.
As the chart here indicates, smoking cigarettes, followed by sunburn were believed to contribute most, while eating red meat,, not eating enough fruit and physical inactivity were seen to contribute the least. Even more concerning is the proportion of the population who believe these risk do not contribution to cancer risk at all, as presented here by the dark blue band.
In addition to knowledge about cancer risk factors, the survey also found:
The relationship between alcohol and cancer was poorly understood
There was poor awareness of the link between cancer and other lifestyle behaviours, particularly lack of physical activity
Positive attitudes to sun tanning remain
A significant proportion of people do not try to avoid getting a suntan
Improving awareness of the connection between unhealthy lifestyles and cancer may increase motivation and potentially lead to more community members adopting cancer smart lifestyle recommendations.
Significant gaps in awareness of cancer risks.
Cigarette smoking and sunburn were believed to contribute most to cancer risk.
Eating red meat, not eating enough fruit and physical inactivity have the lowest levels of awareness.
Source: CCNSW Population beliefs, intentions and attitudes related to the prevention of cancer and reducing community exposure to cancer risk factors, 2016

5. % Australian adults who support….
2016 CCNSW Cancer Prevention Survey
n=1602 NSW adults

7. What’s on the Government agenda?
Australia:
Health Star Rating food labelling system
Healthy Food Partnership – food reformulation
NSW:
Kilojoule labelling at fast food outlets
Premier’s Obesity Prevention priority
Food marketing to children
Sugar-sweetened beverage tax
Health Stars:
While we wanted traffic light labelling, when the government established a process for developing an interpretive front of pack labelling scheme, this presented an opportunity to influence the outcome to maximise it’s utility in helping people to make healthier choices.
The Healthy Food Partnership will focus on making achievements in the following areas:
continuing to support industry to reformulate their foods supported by the Health Star Rating system
supporting consumers to eat appropriate levels of core foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, meat, fish and dairy, and appropriate levels of energy intake
educating consumers on appropriate portion and serve sizes
improving consumers' knowledge and awareness of healthier food choices, including through developing and publicising tools and resources to consumers and health professionals.
Kilojoule Labelling: Australian’s are increasingly eating away from home and the food they consume contributes to significantly to their kilojoule/nutrient intake. Out of home settings are important settings for public health interventions. NSW was the first state to introduce labelling. CCNSW has a history of research in the fast food sector that we have been able to contribute to policy development and ongoing improvements in this setting.
NSW Premier established a priority to reduce childhood obesity by 5% in 10 years. This has presented an opportunity to advocate for some of the most cost-effective obesity prevention interventions. Evidence review commissioned by the Commonwealth Government highlighted improving junk food marketing regulation to children and introducing s tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as the two most cost effective interventions. While there is limited capacity for the NSW government to introduce these measures at a state level, this provides an opportunity to advocate for the NSW premier to champion change at the national level.