Almost a quarter of the region’s children are overweight, a new report has revealed.
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The NSW Council of Social Services’ (NCOSS) Cost of Living report says 23 per cent of children in the Murrumbidgee-Riverina area are overweight or obese.
Chief executive officer Tracy McLeod Howe said an NCOSS survey had found that nine per cent of adult respondents were forced by rising energy bills to go without a substantial meal on a regular basis, while 6.5 per cent of respondents' children had to miss out.
Sheree Morris, the acting dietitian in charge at the Wagga Health Service, said eating well in the early stages of life was important, and could help decrease the risk of later health problems includes type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease.
“But we know that to purchase a basket of healthy food can cost more than a third of some people’s income,” Ms Morris said.
“It can be much easier to get hold of unhealthy choices.”
