November 2010

Twenty five remote communities will enjoy greater health into the future with Outback Stores signing on to the Thumbs Up! program.

The stores have just started bearing the Thumbs Up! stickers on fruit, vegetables and water products in an effort to curb poor Indigenous health.

Thumbs Up! is an initiative of the Jimmy Little Foundation which delivers healthy lifestyle and eating messages to remote communities across Australia but primarily in the Northern Territory.

“It is fantastic to have Outback Stores taking up this message and actively working to create better health in Indigenous communities,” founder of the organization Dr Jimmy Little AO said.

“Outback Stores is not only spreading my message, but the message of governments and the whole community that kidney disease has to be addressed in the home, in school and has to be a point of discussion for everyone.

“We don’t want the statistics to keep climbing; already Indigenous Australians are eight to 10 times more likely to suffer kidney failure, and most of these people are in remote areas where there are limited facilities to treat patients.

“Numbers like this are not acceptable and we are so happy Outback Stores is coming on board to promote healthy eating.”

There are 25 community outlets managed by Outback Stores across Australia.

Outback Stores was established in 2006, with a commitment to improving health and nutrition in the communities it operates in. Profits from each of the stores are returned to the community for reinvestment in local projects.

“We’ve known about the Jimmy Little Foundation and what it is doing to try and improve Indigenous health and that is what Outback Stores aims to do as well, so this is a perfect partnership,” CEO of Outback Stores Rod Mainard said.

“The survival rate five years after a transplant for indigenous people is about 60% compared to non-indigenous about 90% - with the healthy food we provide and the Thumbs Up! message we are actively working to close that gap.

“By the end of the year, our stores in the NT will have Thumbs Up! signage that points people to fresh fruit and vegetables and other items that are proven to help in the fight against diabetes and other health diseases.”