Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

Challenges for adoption of the GuidelinesDietary patterns consistent with the GuidelinesAdherence to dietary recommendations in Australia is poor. 44 Most children’s intake of vegetables, fruit, grain(cereal) foods and milk, yoghurt and cheese products and alternatives is below recommended levels, while theirintake of saturated fat, sugar and salt exceeds recommendations. 12 Analysis of Australia’s 1995 National NutritionSurvey 45 found that energy-dense, nutrient-poor ‘extra foods’ 46 contributed 41% of the total daily energy intake of2–18 year olds. 47The most recent dietary data available for Australian adults (collected in the 1995 National Nutrition Survey)also showed a poor dietary pattern, with inadequate intake of vegetables, fruit, wholegrain cereals and milk,yoghurt and cheese products and alternatives, and higher than recommended proportions of fat intake derivedfrom saturated fat. 45,48 More than 35% of daily energy intake was derived from energy-dense nutrient-poor ‘extra foods’. 47Barriers to dietary patterns consistent with the GuidelinesInfluences on dietary choices throughout life are complex, ranging from individual, physical and social factorsthrough to societal and environmental factors. 49-87Possible barriers to compliance with recommendations may include the food environment (including availabilityand affordability), poor communication of advice, low levels of understanding of the information, low levels of foodliteracy and high levels of food insecurity (this may include the inability to access adequate amounts of nutritious,culturally acceptable foods), conflicting messages (such as advertising and promotion of energy-dense nutrientpoorfoods and drinks), and particular dietary preferences. 88,89There appear to be complex relationships between dietary patterns established in childhood and dietary qualityover time. Studies suggest that frequency of consuming takeaway food increases with age and is associatedwith higher intakes of energy, total fat, saturated fat and sodium, 75-77,90 while frequency of breakfast consumptiondecreases with age and skipping breakfast is associated with reduced intake of calcium and dietary fibre. 91There is some evidence that family meal patterns during adolescence predict diet quality and meal patternsduring early young adulthood. 92 Childhood smoking is also associated with poor dietary habits, 78,83 as is astressful family life. 86,87Improved understanding of what Australians are eating will assist the implementation and uptake of theGuidelines, which provide the evidence for what Australians should be eating. Much of our current knowledge ofadult Australian dietary patterns comes from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey; however the 2011–13 AustralianHealth Survey 93 will provide a better understanding of the current diet and nutrition of Australians. This surveyis collecting data on food and nutrient intake, dietary behaviours and supplement usage. Detailed data from thesurvey will be released from May 2013 for the general population and from June 2014 for the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander population.Although the key messages of the Guidelines may not have changed significantly since the 2003 edition of thedietary guidelines, the evidence base supporting them has strengthened considerably. The challenge now is toensure that these Guidelines – particularly the renewed emphasis on achieving and maintaining a healthy weight –are strongly promoted within a context that encourages and supports more nutritious food choices, dietarypatterns and healthy lifestyles within the community.Dietary choices and the environmentThe food we eat has an impact on our personal health. The food system (including the production, processing,distribution and consumption of food and drinks) also has broader implications for the health of the environmentand hence the ability of individuals to continue to enjoy a healthy diet. Numerous Australian Government agencieshave responsibilities that cross all of these areas, and a range of activities is underway to monitor, betterunderstand and improve the issues.The concept of sustainable dietary patterns is not straightforward, as there are many complex interactions as foodis grown, transported, sold, prepared, consumed and the remnants disposed. Considering a specifically Australiancontext is also important, as some food production and subsequent handling differs considerably to processes inNorth America and Europe, where much of the literature originates.8EAT FOR HEALTH – australian dietary guidelinesNational Health and Medical Research Council