Please join us for the Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) and Preventive Health SA forum on Childhood Obesity: Prevention and Action

Childhood obesity is escalating globally. Our expert speakers will present on international and local research and insight with collaborative partnerships for obesity prevention and action.

OUR SPEAKERS

Professor Dot Dumuid, Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia

Forecasting Childhood Obesity to 2050: Global Insights and Australia’s Trajectory

Childhood obesity is escalating globally. Recent estimates from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study show child obesity rates have tripled from 2.0% in 1990 to 6.9% in 2021. Rates are forecast to continue to surge, reaching 15.6% by 2050. We will explore GBD forecasts, and look at how Australia’s trajectory compares to those of other countries and world regions.

Dot Dumuid is Professor in Behavioural Epidemiology at the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, and is an adjunct Research Fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She holds an ARC DECRA Fellowship (2023-2025) and NHMRC Investigator Fellowship (2026-2030). Her research explores the relationships between lifestyle factors and risk of chronic disease. She is part of the Global Burden of Disease collaborator network, with a special interest in finding novel ways of visualising population trends over time.

Dr Alanna Sincovich, Manager, Translational Research, Preventive Health SA

Childhood Overweight and Obesity in South Australia: An evidence-based summary for action

Almost four in ten South Australian children are living with overweight or obesity. Urgent preventive health action is needed to protect the health and wellbeing of South Australians. This presentation will describe the key drivers of overweight and obesity and highlight evidence-based prevention action needed to create healthier systems and promote a healthy weight for children and young people in South Australia.

Alanna Sincovich has a PhD in Public Health from the University of Adelaide and is Manager, Translational Research at Preventive Health SA. She has over 10 years experience in public health research environments, with a focus on population health approaches to ensuring equity in child health and development outcomes, both in Australia and internationally. She leads the Translational Research function within Preventive Health SA, including development of the agency’s Strategic Research Agenda.

Jacki Anderson, Chief Project Officer, Public Health Nutrition, Preventive Health SA with Gabi Diaz, Prevention Programs Lead (PHSA Collaborative) Cancer Council SA; Katrin Buerkle, Policy Research Officer in Obesity, Health Policy Centre, SAHMRI; and Lucinda Ward, Senior Active Living Officer - South Australia, Heart Foundation

Obesity Prevention Collaborative: Partnerships for Obesity Prevention Action

The Obesity Prevention Collaborative was established in 2024 as a partnership between Preventive Health SA, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Cancer Council SA and the Heart Foundation to lead action on obesity prevention for South Australia. This presentation will describe the collaborative and provide an example of the work achieved under this partnership - a summary of the findings of an audit of the placement and promotion of unhealthy food and drinks in SA supermarkets.

Jacki Anderson has a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics and Masters in Public Health, and is currently Chief Project Officer-Public Health Nutrition within Preventive Health SA. Jacki’s experience spans working for non-government organisations, local government and primarily over the last decade working across various portfolios within the Government of South Australia’s Department for Health and Wellbeing. With a passion for primary prevention approaches and action on determinants, Jacki’s former experience in South Australia’s Health in All Policies team has reinforced her interest in supporting intersectoral collaboration, now with a strong focus on implementing polices to create healthy food environments for South Australia.

Katrin Buerkle has a background in health psychology and over 8 years of experience working in health research. Katrin has contributed to the development and coordination of many projects linked to the management of chronic conditions in Australia and overseas, including e-health interventions. Katrin’s current position at SAHMRI’s Health Policy Centre is focused on obesity and the role of public policy and research to address this major health issue, by working directly with Preventive Health SA within the Obesity Coalition.

Lucinda Ward has worked as an Urban Planner for a number of years both within large infrastructure companies and multi-disciplinary consulting firms. She thrives on collaboration with other disciplines to inform and enable rigorous and elegant solutions that contribute to healthy and inspiring environments.

Mel Bradley, Executive Director, Population Health & Aboriginal Health & Health Equity, Preventive Health SA

Unhealthy food and drink advertising policy

The South Australian Government’s policy restricts unhealthy food and drink advertising on transit assets to reduce exposure, especially among vulnerable groups. By limiting marketing of high sugar, salt, and fat products, it aims to promote healthier food environments and support better dietary choices across the community, particularly for children and youth.

Mel Bradley has a background of over 30 years in health and human services and has developed a wealth of experience in reform and transformation. With a strong background in healthcare leadership and a proven track record of achieving positive outcomes, Mel is a results-driven professional who excels in leading change and fostering innovation within the health sector - with the innate ability to achieve tangible outcomes within a variety of roles.

OUR CHAIR

Professor Carol Maher (HDA Co-Convenor), Professor of Population and Digital Health, Medical Research Future Fund Investigator / Director of the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia

Carol Maher’s research focuses on how children's and adults' daily activity patterns (e.g. physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviours) impact their health. In particular, Carol is interested in how technologies such as wearables, online social networking, mobile phone apps and gamification can be used to improve lifestyle in a fun engaging way, and how these interventions can be delivered at scale to positively impact Australia's health. Carol has received over $4.5 million in research funding, has published 140 journal articles, and is Section Editor for BMC Public Health.

Other event information:

Networking and light refreshments will follow the session from 7.30pm.

This is a public forum and also open to the community, everyone is welcome to attend.