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Nutrition

Eat Well Australia

In the option strand, Contemporary Food Issues: Nutrition you will learn about the role of government organisations and private agencies in promoting health. Eat Well Australia is the name of the latest national public health nutrition strategy. Eat Well Australia provides a strategy from 2000 to 2010. The group responsible for coodinating the research and developing the strategy is the Strategic Inter-Governmental Nutrition Alliance (SIGNAL). In this tutorial you will examine some of the issues raised in the strategy.

Outcomes

This material addresses aspects of the following syllabus outcome:

H3.2 The student investigates contemporary food issues.

Source: Board of Studies NSW, Stage 6 Food Technology Syllabus, Preliminary and HSC Courses (1999)

Eat Well Australia: the agenda

The Strategic Inter-Governmental Nutrition Alliance (SIGNAL) was established in 1998 to coordinate the development of a policy to improve the nutritional health of Australians. During 1999 - 2000 SIGNAL consulted with a wide range of people in health and nutrition systems, and related areas such as education, to develop the Eat Well Australia strategy.

Activity 1

1. Skim read the contents of the document: Eat Well Australia: a strategic framework for public health nutrition, 2000 - 2010 . Look in particular at Part B: Strategic directions. List the six strategic directions under health gain.
2. What is the aim for strategic direction 1.1: Promoting vegetables and fruit consumption? See page 12.

Eat Well NSW: Strategic Directions for Public Health Nutrition 2002 - 2007

The Strategic Direction for Public Health Nutrition 2002 - 2007 for NSW has been based on the principles of the Eat Well Australia framework. The draft document is a valuable resource as it summarises many nutrition issues and outlines strategies to address these concerns.

3. List the priorities identified in Eat Well NSW: Strategic Directions for Public Health Nutrition 2002 - 2007 . See page 19. Compare the priorities with the strategic directions in Eat Well Australia.
4. Select one priority identified in the document and examine:

• key facts
• groups most affected
• context for action
• reviews of effectiveness of action
• one page summary of action.

Increasing vegetable and fruit consumption

Results from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey indicate that Australians are not eating enough vegetables and fruit to meet the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommended intake of at least five serves of vegetables (including legumes) and two serves of fruit per day.

On average, adults eat about 3.5 serves of vegetables and 1.5 serves of fruit daily which is around two-thirds of the minimum recommended amount for good health. A diet rich in vegetables and fruit has benefits for the reduction of risk from:

• cardiovascular disease
• type 2 diabetes
• some forms of cancer (particularly bowel, stomach and lung cancer).

Activity 2

1. One of the first priorities of the action plan is to:

• commission market research to inform programs that promote nutrition.

Prepare your own market research within your school or neighbourhood, focussing in particular on fruit and vegetable consumption. Summarise your results in either a table or graph.

1. Suggest strategies that you think work effectively to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. Consider actual campaigns, such as the banana na na na jingle.

Select your favourite fruit or vegetable and brainstorm a range of promotional ideas to promote that fruit or vegetable to primary-aged children.

FOODChain Newsletter

FOODChain Newsletter is the official newsletter of the SIGNAL. Current and past issues of FOODChain are available in pdf format. A summary of the contents for each available issue can be found on the web site. Issue number 5, for example, looks at food projects in Sydney and Meals on wheels; issue number 4, indigenous nutrition programs.

Activity 3

1. Select one article from an issue of FOODChain Newsletter and write a precis (summary) of the article.

Ensure you make the FOODChain Newsletter a favourite hot link. Check it regularly for important updates in nutrition and nutrition promotion.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nutrition

A separate strategy and action plan was developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. If you are going to focus on this group of Australians when you investigate and report on the health of a group in Australia it would be good idea to look at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan, 2000 - 2010: a summary. In particular read Part B: Summary of action areas.

Answers for activity 1

1. Skim read the contents of the Eat Well Australia: a strategic framework for public health nutrition, 2000 - 2010 document. Look in particular at Part B: Strategic directions. List the six strategic directions under health gain.

The six strategic directions under health gain are:

1.1 Promoting vegetable and fruit consumption
1.2 Promoting healthy weight
1.3 Promoting good nutrition for mothers and infants
1.4 Promoting good nutrition for school-aged children
1.5 Improving nutrition for vulnerable groups
1.6 Addressing structural barriers to safe and healthy food.

2. What is the aim for strategic direction 1.1: Promoting vegetable and fruit consumption? See page 12.

The aim for strategic direction 1.1: Promoting vegetable and fruit consumption is to increase average consumption per capita of vegetables and fruit to five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit a day. This means increasing both the number of people who consume vegetables and fruit every day and the amount eaten.

3. List the priorities identified in Eat Well NSW: Strategic Directions for Public Health Nutrition 2002 - 2007 . See page 19. Compare the priorities with the strategic directions in Eat Well Australia.

• promoting healthy weight
• promoting increased consumption of vegetables and fruit
• promoting breastfeeding
• achieving improved food security
• achieving effective and sustainable action in public health nutrition.

The strategic directions that are represented in the Eat Well NSW document are 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.6. The last priority has a very broad perspective and encompasses 1.4 and 1.5 and many other issues.

Notice the different use of language for safe and healthy food. Eat Well NSW describes it as food security.