The Government will spend an unprecedented $87 million in the 2006–07 State Budget under a Healthy and Active Living program to fight the obesity epidemic and promote good health and physical activity.

Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said much of the funding recognised that obesity, and associated chronic diseases, was a rising epidemic that must be addressed.

The funding will help promote health and fitness in the community, targeting a number of groups such as children, teenagers and seniors, as well as smokers and people with diabetes.

'A staggering 47 per cent of Victorian adults are currently overweight or obese, almost double the figure of two decades ago.

'The level of obesity among our children tripled in the 10 years between 1985 and 1995.

'This is a problem that not only costs lives but also drains the community's resources.

'Meeting this challenge head on makes good health sense and takes the burden off the health system.'

The Government will spend $28.4 million promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in people of all ages through the highly successful Go For Your Life program, including:

•          $10.4 million for the Kids Go For Your Life program to help schools, kindergartens and childcare centres develop healthy policies such as discouraging soft drinks and junk food, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and increasing play activity;

•          $2.1 million to promote positive body image in teenagers;

•          $3.3 million for community projects promoting physical activity in people 50 and over;

•          $8.6 million to support 'hard to move' groups, such as men, in becoming healthier;

•          $4 million for research to ensure programs are effective.

Ms Pike said the Kids Go For Your Life program would encourage primary schools to apply for grants of up to $6,000 on projects which improve physical activity and nutrition.

Examples could include replacing a deep fryer in the canteen with sandwich-making facilities, installing a bike shed or purchasing sports equipment.

Around 39 schools will also receive over $50,000 each to set up vegetable gardens to teach students about the value of fresh food in nutrition.

Ms Pike said $8.7 million would be directed towards getting more people in the community walking and riding bikes, as well as programs to improve the use of parks and gardens as centres of physical activity.

A massive $40.8 million will be spent on tackling chronic obesity-related diseases with an emphasis on diabetes, as well as measures to bring down the smoking rate.

This includes $19.1 million to expand groundbreaking chronic disease management teams around the State, $11.3 million on diabetes prevention and self-management programs and $10.4 million to extend the Quitline and for new anti-tobacco campaigns.

The Go For Your Life awareness campaign, already recognised as a great success, will be continued as part of a $7.8 million program to fund a number of information campaigns to:

•          Increase fruit and vegetable consumption;

•          Promote walking and cycling and the health benefits, including active transport to school;

•          Decrease consumption of high sugar and high fat food;

•          Reduce sedentary behaviour, including reduced television viewing targeting families with young children;

•          Educating people about the dangers of fad diets;

•          Improve community understanding of food labelling and advertising information.

Ms Pike said $1.3 million was allocated towards increasing the skill and knowledge of people working in community-based healthy eating and physical activity promotion.