Australian Dietary Guidelines - Summary - National Health and ...

Australian Dietary Guidelines SummaryGuideline 1: To achieve and maintain a healthyweight, be physically active and choose amountsof nutritious food and drinks to meet yourenergy needsChildren and adolescents should eat sufficient nutritious foods to grow anddevelop normally. They should be physically active every day and their growthshould be checked regularly.Older people should eat nutritious foods and keep physically active to helpmaintain muscle strength and a healthy weight.Many Australian adults and around a quarter of our children are now overweight or obese.Being overweight greatly increases the risk of high blood pressure, muscle, bone andrespiratory disorders and chronic disease including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokeand some cancers, and reduces life expectancy. Being underweight also carries health risks.Overweight people, especially children and adolescents, can also face social discrimination,low self-esteem, poor body image and depression. Children who are overweight tend tobecome overweight adults, especially if their parents are overweight too.Look at the box to see whether you are a healthy weight.What is my healthy weight?For adults, assessing your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a quickway to check weight status. The following chart can be usedby most Australians as a rough guide to assess weight status:1. Find your weight on the left and your height at the bottomof the chart.2. From your height and weight, trace along the lines untilthey meet.3. The point where the lines meet will tell you what BMI rangeyou are in.TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT7