DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

A7.3 Social distribution of food intake and
nutrition status
Socioeconomic factors have a large impact on food and nutrient intakes and food purchasing
decisions and patterns [858], and there is clear evidence of a social gradient for the distribution of
diet-related chronic disease. Yet evidence for a social gradient related to specific foods - rather
than overall dietary patterns - is less clear.
Two recent systematic reviews assessed the impact of dietary interventions relative to social
disadvantage [1012] and determinants of healthy eating for those with low income [1013]. They
found that economic and cultural influences impact on consumption of specific foods or food
groups. While nutrition interventions can have greater impact in higher socioeconomic areas and
non-ethnic groups, they do not have a detrimental impact in low socioeconomic groups [1012,
1013].
Those with the least disposable income are at the greatest risk of poor nutrition as households
vulnerable to poverty spend less per person on food but a greater proportion of their total
expenditure on food [1014]. Analysis of Australian household food expenditure data suggests that
a substantial proportion of the population is severely restricted in its capacity to make nutritious
food choices and to achieve a healthy diet [1015].
A7.3.1 Economics of food choice
There is a growing body of research which indicates that food groups with more favourable
nutrient profiles are more expensive. The ‘economics of food choice’ theory states that people’s
dietary decisions, when made within the context of sustained budgetary constraints, are driven by
maximising energy value for money (dollars per megajoule [$/MJ]), resulting in energy-dense,
nutrient-poor diets [730, 806]. For instance, meat, fruit and vegetables food groups have the
highest nutritional quality however are usually associated with highest costs, while sweets and
salted snacks have the lowest nutritional quality but are an inexpensive source of dietary energy
[730, 806, 859, 1016]. Although high-quality nutrition is known to protect against chronic diseases,
energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods costs considerably less than nutrient-rich foods [728].
The costs of healthy (low energy-density, high nutrient density) foods are reported to be
increasing in Australia in comparison with higher energy density, lower nutrient density food. Over
six years from 2000 to 2006 the Consumer Price Index for food in Brisbane increased by 32.5%
while the cost of a standard basket of healthy food increased approximately 50% across
Queensland [140].
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