DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

1. Introduction
1.1 Why the Guidelines matter
There are many ways for Australians to achieve dietary patterns that promote health and
wellbeing and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Diet is arguably the single most important
behavioural risk factor that can be improved to have a significant impact on health [1, 2]. As the
quality and quantity of foods and drinks consumed has a significant impact on the health and
wellbeing of individuals, society and the environment, better nutrition has a huge potential to
improve individual and public health and decrease healthcare costs. Optimum nutrition is essential
for the normal growth and physical and cognitive development of infants and children. In all
Australians, nutrition contributes significantly to healthy weight, quality of life and wellbeing,
resistance to infection, and protection against chronic disease and premature death.
Sub-optimal nutrition can be associated with ill-health. Many diet-related chronic diseases such as
cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer are the major cause of death and
disability among Australians [3]. More than one-third of all premature deaths in Australia are the
result of chronic diseases that could have been prevented [3]. Many of these are mediated by
overweight and obesity.
Poor nutrition is responsible for around 16% of the total burden of disease [1, 4] and is implicated
in more than 56% of all deaths in Australia [5]. The most recent available estimates for the total
cost of poor nutrition were more than $5 billion per year, based on 1990 costings [5]. Given that
the cost of obesity alone was estimated to be $8.283 billion per year in 2008 [6], the current cost
of poor nutrition in Australia is now likely to greatly exceed the 1990 estimates.
Most of the burden of disease due to poor nutrition in Australia is associated with excessive
intake of energy-dense and relatively nutrient-poor foods high in energy (kilojoules), saturated fat,
added or refined sugars or salt, and/or inadequate intake of nutrient-dense foods, including
vegetables, fruit and wholegrain cereals [2, 7]. Deficiency in some nutrients such as iodine, folate
[8], iron and vitamin D is also of concern for some Australians [9, 10].
Overconsumption of some foods and drinks, leading to excess energy intake and consequent
overweight and obesity, is now a key public health problem for Australia [7, 11]. The prevalence of
overweight and obesity has increased dramatically in Australia over the past 30 years and is now
62% in adults [12] and around 25% in children and adolescents [12, 13].
These Guidelines summarise the evidence underlying food, diet and health relationships that
improve public health outcomes.
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 7