University of Sydney leads forum on our "Healthy Future"

On 3rd May, the University of Sydney led the "Healthy Future for Australia" conference at the Sydney Marriot Hotel. The conference was collaboration between the University's College of Health Sciences and College of Science and Technology.

This conference brought together leaders from all sectors of the community to address and examine the major challenges facing the future health of the nation. In particular the conference addressed the areas of nutrition, biotechnology and the impact of an ageing population.

"The conference tackled many of the difficult ethical questions that come with an aging population and the continued rise in the life span of the average Australian", said Professor Richmond Jeremy, co-organiser of the conference. "We forget that the obesity epidemic and the ageing of the population are a much greater threat to our way of life than terrorism."

Guest speakers included the well known broadcaster Dr. Norman Swan from the ABC’s Health Report, McDonald's CEO Guy Russo and a range of specialist Professors including Ian Kerridge from the Centre for Values, Ethics & the Law in Medicine, Paul Zimmet from the International Diabetes Institute, Ed Blakely from the School of Architecture, Design Science & Planning, Hans Coster from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Ted Kraegen from the School of Medical Sciences at UNSW and Stephen Leeder from the Australian Health Policy Institute.