RESIDENTS of the Loddon Campaspe region face the same obesity crisis and rising rates of chronic disease gripping Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But city planning could offer an innovative solution, helping stop people getting sick in the first place.
Stakeholders from all sectors and sections of government gathered in Bendigo on Wednesday to start a conversation around creating a healthy Loddon Campaspe.
The aim was to make health everyone's business, not just health professionals'.
Read more:
Healthy Heart of Victoria and Healthy Greater Bendigo hosted the initiative, which brought together representatives from across the country.
Healthy Greater Bendigo executive officer Amy Brown said the initiative's core aims were to help people eat well and move more.
This would mean healthier bodies, healthier minds and less mental illness among the population, Ms Brown said.
City of Greater Bendigo active and health lifestyles manager Lincoln Fitzgerald said the region's residents faced different challenges, depending on their situation.
Read more:
Mr Fitzgerald said many chronic diseases were caused by lifestyle choices, so planners aimed to make healthy choices the easy choices.
This could prevent chronic diseases, and thus the need to treat them through the medical system, he said.
"It's about people being able to live their life to the best of their abilities, whether you're a small child who has access to a park or a walking track or cycling track, or whether you're an older resident who's got access to a social outlet," Mr Fitzgerald said.
"People of different ages and stages of life have different needs, and it's about trying to see how can we plan a city that is connected, that is safe, and is engaging."
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.