Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

Public consultationOn 2 November 2011the Council of NHMRC agreed to recommend the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NHMRCrelease the Guidelines for public consultation.Public consultation on the draft Guidelines was undertaken from 13 December 2011to 29 February 2012. This processwas conducted in accordance with Section 13 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992.The public consultation was advertised in major Australian newspapers and on the NHMRC website. Invitations werealso sent to a large number of key stakeholders and those with a known interest in nutrition. Over 200 submissionswere received from a variety of stakeholders including individuals, professionals and industry.The Working Committee met on 17 and 18 April 2012 and again on 22 May 2012 to consider the submissions.More information and/or consideration were requested for:• the impact of food choices and the environment (practical recommendations required for environmentallysustainable food choices)• changed recommendation wording from ‘enjoy’ to ‘eat’• the approach to vegetarian and vegan diets• content around ‘red meat’• the placement of fats and oils ‘outside’ of the five major food groups• lack of information on glycaemic index• the recommendation on added sugars• the recommendation on foods to limit with consideration for ‘food-based’ approach• the recommendation for mostly ‘reduced fat’ dairy• increased information on the concept of ‘energy density’• the beneficial properties of fibre• practical issues relating to reducing fat and types of fats• legumes appearing in two food groups, and• difficulties interpreting the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and companion information (including commentson cultural diversity and relative sizes of foods).A second public consultation on Appendix G to the Guidelines was undertaken from 3 October 2012 to 2November 2012. This process was conducted in accordance with Section 13 of the National Health and MedicalResearch Council Act (1992). The public consultation was advertised in major Australian newspapers and onthe NHMRC website. Invitations were also sent to a large number of key stakeholders and those with a knowninterest in nutrition and sustainability. Over 70 submissions were received from a variety of stakeholders includingindividuals, professionals, government and industry.These submissions were considered by the Office of NHMRC. More information and/or consideration wererequested for:• focus on improving health but allowing for considerations of the environmental impact of dietary patterns,specifically overconsumption and waste management.• greater acknowledgment of the complexities of the food system, including the concept of ‘triple bottom line’sustainability, and the difficulties in assessing commodities individually and/or in isolation from the wholefood system.• clarification of Figure G1 to better represent a system (cyclic) rather than linear process, including recognitionof potential ‘drivers’ such as consumer and industry interest, and government policy.• acknowledgement of initiatives to improve sustainability at both government and non-government levels.• further information for health professionals (with references) with more comprehensive and practical suggestions.AppendicesNational Health and Medical Research Council115