Chapter 7: Healthy Eating in Australia

Question 1

Australian Dietary Guidelines aims

Answer 1

• To promote health and wellbeing
• To reduce the risk of diet-related conditions that act as biological factors influencing overall health and wellbeing, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity
• To reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers

Question 2

5 Australian Dietary Guidelines

Answer 2

• G1 – maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs
• G2 – have a variety of foods from the five groups every day
• G3 – limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol
• G4 – encourage, support and promote breastfeeding
• G5 – care for your food; prepare and store it safely

Question 3

Challenges to bringing about change in dietary intake

Answer 3

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Question 4

Factors that influence food choices

Answer 4

• Sociocultural – income, culture, family and peers, attitudes and beliefs, education (knowledge and skills)
• Personal – personal taste preferences, meal patterns
• Biological – age, stress levels
• Environmental – food availability and security

Question 5

Income

Sociocultural

Answer 5

• Food selection is often influenced by cost and an individual’s SES
• Those of high SES are more likely to consume:
  
  • Consume nutrient-dense diets
  • More whole grains, lean meats, fresh fruits and veg
  • Less refined grains and added sugar

Question 6

Family and peers

Sociocultural

Answer 6

• Dietary habits and choices develop early
  
  • Children observe and pick up on others’ eating habits, thus, it’s important for parents to be good role models
• When people are together, they tend to eat according to how much their peers eat
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Question 7

Culture

Sociocultural

Answer 7

• The values, beliefs and practices that a group shares can affect the adoption of health education messages
• Food tends to play an important role in most cultures
• Some food traditions are more healthy than others e.g. many Asian cultures consume lots of vegetables

Question 8

Attitudes and beliefs??????

Sociocultural

Answer 8

• Society attaches certain values to food items which influences the attitudes and beliefs of the individuals within that society
• Teenagers’ desire to conform to their peer group’s expectations may cause them to make unhealthy food choices

Question 9

Education (knowledge and skills)

Sociocultural

Answer 9

• Nutrition knowledge is important to enable healthy choices
  
  • Thus, people with lower levels of education tend to eat larger amounts of unhealthy, energy-dense food

Question 10

Personal taste preferences

Behavioural

Answer 10

• Many people make food choices simply based on taste
• People may know what they should be eating, but still choose to eat what is satisfying and what they are used to eating

Question 11

Meal patterns

Behavioural

Answer 11

• An individual’s eating patterns involving meals
• Common unhealthy meal patterns is skipping breakfast
  
  • Can result in ↑ snacking and ↓ intake of nutrients

Question 12

Ageing

Biological

Answer 12

• We tend to eat less and make different food choices as we age
• Physiological changes associated with ageing (e.g. ↓ basal metabolic rate and dental problems) make some foods too difficult to eat which can contribute to lower food intake

Question 13

Stress levels

Biological

Answer 13

• In the short term, stress can shut down appetite
• If stress persists, cortisol is released which increases appetite
• Stress can also affect food preferences
  
  • ↑ cravings for food high in fat/sugar; comfort foods

Question 14

Food availability and security

Environmental

Answer 14

• Availability – sufficient quantities are available consistently
• Access – sufficient resources are available to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet
• Use – appropriate use (based on knowledge of nutrition and food preparation)
• Stability – stability of availability and access over time

Question 15

Challenges in addressing factors to bring about dietary change

NOT IN SAC

Answer 15

• Involvement of all stakeholders – to bring about dietary change, a coordinated plan is necessary (involving individuals, families, educators and health professionals)
• Tailored approach – a ‘one-size-fits- all’ model cannot be applied to a wider population with many different influences
• Helping the unmotivated – it’s difficult to motivate people disinclined to engage in healthy behaviour
• Focus on the environment – environment may be the driving force behind many unhealthy dietary practices
  
  • E.g. modern food environments are characterised by abundant availability of energy-dense foods
• Affordability of interventions – campaigns should incorporate practical solutions that are affordable for all stakeholders
• Targeting change in children’s dietary intake – in order to change dietary intake, interventions are required early in life

Question 16

Nutrition Australia

Answer 16

• Non-proft, non-government organisation (NGO)
• Provides scientifically based nutrition information
• Aims to promote the health and wellbeing of all Australians
• Tend to focus on vulnerable, minority groups

Question 17

Services offered by Nutrition Australia

Answer 17

• Provision of the latest information on nutrition research and current food and health trends
• Extensive media coverage and public speaking demonstrations
• Menu assessments
• Nutrition training and presentations
• Facilitation of workplace health and wellbeing programs

Question 18

Victorian Healthy Eating Enterprise

Answer 18

• Aims to improve the HWB of Victorians through food
• Their priorities are to:
  
  • Increase consumption of fruit and vegetables
  • Decrease consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Improve access to nutritious food

Question 19

Fruit and Vegetable Consortium

Answer 19

• Collaborative group coordinated by Nutrition Australia
• Works toward improving supply and consumption of fruit and veg
• Members can:
  
  • Collaborate on new initiatives
  • Share information and resources
  • Promote each other’s initiatives

Question 20

Product and menu assessments

Answer 20

• Product assessments – checking whether or not products meet the state and territory nutrition guidelines
  
  • Manufacturers can thereby refomulate their products to make them healthier or use their results as leverage to sell their products
• Online assessment tool – FoodChecker allows people to review the foods and drinks they supply against the relevant Vic healthy food and drink guidelines for their establishment

Question 21

Workshops and Programs

Answer 21

• Health and wellbeing program – services to workplaces
  
  • E.g. cooking demonstrations, nutrition education seminars and workplace vending machine
• Seasonal long day care menu packs – simple seasonal recipes suitable for children
  
  • Based on the menu-planning guidelines for seasonal day care and the Australian Dietary Guidelines
• Healthy Lunchbox Week – aims to promote healthy eating among children, by inspiring parents to create healthy lunchboxes
  
  • Provides quick online recipes, lunchbox swaps and virtual lunchbox builder
• Healthy Eating Advisory Service – advice regarding healthy food and drink options delivered by experienced nutritionists and dietitians
  
  • For early childhood services, schools, workplaces, hospitals, sport and recreation centres and tertiary education facilities

Question 22

Nutrition Australia initiatives

Answer 22

• Recipes and fact sheets – recipes, nutrition and activity books, educational posters and booklets
• National Nutrition Week – activities and are hosted in early childhood services, schools and workplaces relating to a increasing vegetable intake
• Healthy Eating Pyramid – sets out the recommended types and proportions of food that should be eaten every day

Question 23

The Healthy Eating Pyramid (HEP)

Answer 23

• Bottom (largest) – vegetables, legumes, fruits and grains
• Middle – milk, yoghurt, cheese, lean meat, poultry, fish and nuts
• Top (smallest) – healthy fats
• Additional messages:
  
  • Enjoy herbs and spices; limit salt and sugar
  • Choose water over sugary drinks