Last Wednesday, Ms Nixon, Ms Crook, Alexander and I were audience members at a discussion on how the Queensland Government can help in lowering the number of people suffering from chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes. The discussion was part of the Science in Parliament program and was hosted by the Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor Peter Andrews. Three speakers made presentations on how these diseases can be detected, treated and even prevented.

The main causes of chronic diseases include the build-up of cholesterol, physical inactivity, high blood pressure and the use of tobacco. All three speakers agreed that it is possible to significantly lower the risk of contracting a chronic disease by making small changes to our lifestyles. These can be as simple as not sitting for more than six hours daily or even just eating one less chocolate biscuit. New developments in technology allow sensors to be put into mobile phones to monitor our health. In the near future, it will even be possible to find the genome of every person at birth, enabling doctors to treat many diseases before they become serious.

Emma - Year 11 Student