High rates of obesity and smoking contributing to poor heart health in Tamworth

Recent research from the Heart Foundation has shown the area is above the state average for heart disease death rates, heart-attack hospitalisations, obesity and smoking, while 23.5 per cent of adults also have high blood pressure.

The most damning of the statistics was that deaths, with 85.8 out of every 100,000 people dying of a heart related issue - that is 33 per cent higher than average.

Tamworth based cardiologist, Dr Michael McGee, said a massive attitude change was required not just by residents, but by local government too.

"It's very good that we've got lots of new services and industries coming to town, but we're one of the fattest towns in Australia," he said.

"And we're just putting in a fourth McDonalds and I haven't seen any new bike lanes since I've been in town.

"So while it's a cardiologist's role to treat heart disease, we're not designing the communities we're all living in."

The area ranks in the top 10 for highest rates of inactivity, as 69 per cent of people currently don't do enough exercise.

The Heart Foundation is attempting to increase the amount of people partaking in physical activity by launching their Personal Walking Plans program.

Tamworth Trekkers walking leader Robyn Barton is always looking to add more people to her group, but acknowledges that it's difficult to convince the right people.

"You're often preaching to those who are already converted, but it's about affecting change for the others," she said.

Joking about the large amount of fast food outlets in town and trivialising the problem is something that Ms Barton is wary of, as she stated it was an easy way to pass the issue off.

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Keeping fit and and enjoying a healthy lifestyle are crucial factors in avoiding medical complications, but the research has found residents of the New England North West region are among the worst in that category too.

About 21 per cent of people in the region smoke, which is the second highest rate in the state, and 43 per cent of locals are classed as obese.

Dr McGee revealed people are usually quite responsive to messaging from doctors once they have suffered a health scare, but said it was important to prevent it getting to that point in the first place.

"People are generally pretty receptive, but a lot of it is a lack of awareness of how to tackle it and that's a real frustration when they're trying to tackle it in later life," he stated.

"It's a much easier disease to treat if you've always been healthy and exercised and had a good diet as part of your life.

"It's a bit like quitting smoking, it's better if you never started than if you have to quit."

The New England North West region encompasses the Armidale Regional, Glen Innes Severn, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tamworth Regional, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha local government areas.

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