HealthInsite Newsletter
 IN THIS ISSUE Volume 3, Issue 4
Editorial
Welcome to the latest edition of the HealthInsite Newsletter. Happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a fantastic time over the Christmas and New Year break. We here at HealthInsite would like to thank all our old and new subscribers for making 2005 a great year. We’re looking forward to a busy and productive 2006!
There are some really exciting things happening for us and we have a long list of improvements that will be coming your way over the next 12 months. It's amazing to think that HealthInsite is coming up for its sixth birthday! Most of the team have been here from the beginning and it's great to see all our efforts pay off as we see more people making use of HealthInsite services every day.
As part of our commitment to bringing you the best service possible, we are undertaking a review of all our operations. For the next three months a fantastic team of experts will be working with us to look at how far we've come over the past six years and to identify ways that we can improve and continue to provide Australians with reliable health information in the future. Are there other services that we could provide? Are there new technologies on the horizon? How will your needs change in the future?
How are you going with your New Year’s resolutions? Did you solemnly swear to make this year better than the last? Lots of people make goals about improving their health and there are a host of things that you can do to improve your level of fitness and wellbeing. What are your health goals? Some of the most popular are to quit smoking, lose a few kilos or start an exercise program. Not surprisingly these are also some of the most difficult to achieve and maintain. Whatever your starting point, HealthInsite has some really useful resources to help you along the way. Good Luck!
Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking at any age improves health and quality of life for you and people near you. Various aids are available to help you quit smoking, including self-help materials, nicotine replacement therapies (patches and gums), and the drug Zyban (TM). Evidence confirms that even brief counselling by a health professional, particularly a general practitioner, can increase your chances of successfully quitting.
People interested in quitting smoking can phone Quit Line on 131 848 or can check out the Australian Government’s Quit Now website at:
http://www.quitnow.info.au/index1.html
The following HealthInsite topic pages and partner resources contain information on quitting smoking:
Quitting Smoking
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Quitting_Smoking
Help with Quitting Smoking
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Help_with_Quitting_Smoking
National Initiatives for Quitting Smoking
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/National_Initiatives_for_Quitting_Smoking
National Initiatives for Tobacco Control
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/National_Initiatives_for_Tobacco_Control
Smoking – quitting tips
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Quit_smoking_tips
Quitting smoking – the first few days
http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/7415.html
Top 10 tips to quit smoking
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2751
Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Losing weight is another very popular New Year’s resolution. We all know that we should aim for a healthy weight but those who struggle with weight problems also know that it's easier said than done. While the keys to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight are to enjoy a balanced diet and to be physically active, it also takes determination, support and a real commitment to lifestyle change. Of course, you should consult with your doctor before you begin.
The one sure thing is that you're not alone. I come from a long line of short, round women and, like many others, have tried almost every diet program at one time or another. I've lost weight on all of them but, until recently, have never been able to keep those kilos off for more than a few months.
While the subject of healthy weight and how to achieve it is hotly debated, we know that carrying excess weight combined with low levels of physical activity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, osteoarthritis and a range of other health problems.
There are no quick fixes but HealthInsite has many resources to help you sort the fact from fiction. Whatever your starting point, we link to resources to help you make healthy lifestyle choices, eat sensibly and increase your activity levels.
One of the first things to do when thinking about losing weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Your BMI is a measurement of your body fat based on your height and weight. You can find more information on calculating your BMI at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Body_Mass_Index__BMI_
How healthy is your current diet? Are you exercising enough? Take a look at our Healthy and Active Quizzes to find out how you rate.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Healthy_and_Active_Quizzes
The following HealthInsite resources contain information on losing weight:
Diet and Overweight
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Diet_and_Overweight
Food and Nutrition
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Food_and_Nutrition
Exercise, Fitness and Sports
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise__Fitness_and_Sports
Exercise, Sports and Fitness Services
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise__Sports_and_Fitness_Services
Obesity
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Obesity
Your Feedback - We Need Your Help!!
As I mentioned earlier we have asked an independent company to review HealthInsite so that we can improve our services. They would like to speak to any of our users who have a few minutes to spare on February 15th . Constructive comments, both positive and negative, are welcome.
If you are able to help us out, please send an email to healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au with your phone number and let us know if you prefer to be called in the morning, afternoon or evening. The interviews will take about 15 or 20 minutes.
One of the members of the review team will call you during your preferred time and ask some questions about your experience with HealthInsite and whether is has been useful to you.
All answers will be anonymous and the HealthInsite team will not be sitting in on the interviews so feel free to give us any feedback that you think we should hear.
Partner Spotlight - Novita Children's Services
Novita Children's Services (formerly the Crippled Children's Association of SA) is the main provider of therapy and family support services to children with physical and multiple disability living in South Australia. This includes a specialist toy and resource centre, as well as assistance and advice about assistive technology.
http://www.novita.org.au/default.asp?p=1
Latest Resources
The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including
new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can
find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the
past month at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=28
Beware that the list of new resources and updated material this month is quite extensive.
Hot Tip - International Health Information
Like HealthInsite, other countries have developed health information gateways to provide access to quality-assured information and services on a wide variety of topics, including many not yet covered by HealthInsite. If the topic you are interested in is not listed on the HealthInsite Topics Page, and you have not been able to find any relevant information through the HealthInsite search facility, you may be able to find some information through one of these gateway services. Just keep in mind that not all the information will be relevant to Australians.
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/International_Health_Information
What's on next month?
Next month we’ll look at the resources available for seniors on HealthInsite, including information on healthy ageing and aged care services.
That's it for now,
from all of us at HealthInsite.
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