Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 3MB) - Eat For Health

income, education, cultural influences and lifestyle, language, sex and other genetic differences,isolation (geographic, social or cultural), age and disability, the security and standard ofaccommodation, and the availability of facilities and services all interact with diet, health andnutritional status[27, 28]. Conversely, a person’s poor health status can contribute to socialisolation and limit their ability to gain employment or education and earn an income, which can inturn impact negatively on health determinants such as quality and stability of housing.Australians who are at greater risk of diet-mediated poor health include the very young, the veryold, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those in lower socioeconomic groups [27-32]. The Guidelines address some of the issues these population groups face under ‘Practicalconsiderations for health professionals’ in each guideline. Further discussion of the socialdeterminants of health and food choices is provided in Appendix 7.1.3 Scope and target audienceThe Guidelines, together with the underlying evidence base, provide guidance on foods, foodgroups and dietary patterns that protect against chronic disease and provide the nutrientsrequired for optimal health and wellbeing. They are important tools which support broaderstrategies to improve nutrition outcomes in Australia, as highlighted in Eat Well Australia: an agendafor action in public health nutrition, 2000-2010 [2]. They are consistent with the most recentAustralian Food and Nutrition Policy 1992 [33] in considering health and wellbeing, equity and theenvironment.The Guidelines apply to all healthy AustraliansThe Guidelines aim to promote the benefits of healthy eating, not only to reduce the risk of dietrelateddisease but also to improve community health and wellbeing. The Guidelines are intendedfor people of all ages and backgrounds in the general healthy population, including people withcommon diet-related risk factors such as being overweight.They do not apply to people with medical conditions requiring specialised dietary advice, nor tothe frail elderly who are at risk of malnutrition.The Guidelines are based on whole foodsDietary recommendations are often couched in terms of individual nutrients (such as vitamins andminerals). People chose to eat whole foods not single nutrients, so such recommendations can bedifficult to put into practice. For this reason, these Guidelines make recommendations based onlyon whole foods, such as vegetables and meats, rather than recommendations related to specificfood components and individual nutrients.DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 9