Last Update: Tuesday, October 31, 2006. 2:45pm (AEDT)
Schools take action to address obesity
Schools in south-east New South Wales are heeding the warnings that Australia is heading towards being one of the most overweight nations in the world.
Principals are taking action in line with a recent Access Economics report that estimates that just under 30 per cent of Australians could be overweight by the year 2025.
The grim statistics come as no surprise to teachers who have been watching their students become slower and heavier each year.
The principal of Cooma's Monaro High, Ray Downey, says he is shocked at the increase in obesity-related illness.
"More and more young people being diagnosed with diabetes 2 is a bit of a signal," he said.
But it is not all bad news.
Batemans Bay principal Neil Simpson says the school is doing its part to stem the fat epidemic.
"We've introduced a new elective in year nine called physical activity in sports science," he said.
Most schools in the region have introduced healthy eating canteens with back-up information on weight control.
Childhood Obesity in Australia 
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