Deadly Choices is about building strong leaders among the Aboriginal community in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and Hunter Region. We want to encourage healthy lifestyles and create a healthy future for our people.
‘Deadly Choices’ is a campaign which aims to empower Aboriginal peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat good food and exercise daily.
‘Deadly Choices’ also encourages our people to access their local health service and complete a ‘Health Check’ – not just to see the Doctor when they are sick but visit their health service and access support to prevent or better manage their chronic disease and remain healthy.
Focusing on the risk factors for chronic disease – smoking, physical activity and nutrition – is critical if we are going to ‘close the gap’ in Aboriginal health.
Smoking, poor nutrition and not enough physical activity that are the biggest contributors to chronic disease in our communities – this is why we see high levels of diabetes, heart disease, lung and kidney disease in our families.
Governments have committed to ‘closing the gap’ in Indigenous health but it is only our communities that can make this happen.
A Deadly Choice is a Healthy Choice!