Chapter 8 – Promoting Healthy Eating

HH330 – Unit 3 – AoS2

Key KnowledgeThe role of Australia’s governments in promoting

healthy eating through:the information provided by nutrition surveys and how it is

usedthe purpose of Nutrient Reference Values to guide dietary

intakethe Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and Dietary Guidelines legislation developed by Food Standards Australia and New

Zealand governing the safety and quality of food;The role of Australia’s non-government agencies,

including Nutrition Australia and the Heart Foundation, in providing dietary advice to promote healthy eating.

Key Skillsexplain and draw informed conclusions about

the role of government and non-government agencies in promoting healthy eating.

WHAT WE WILL BE COVERINGGovernment role in promoting healthy eating

Nutrition surveysNutrient reference valuesGovernment agencies to promote healthy eating

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating Dietary Guidelines

Food standards legislationNon-Government role in promoting healthy

eatingNutrition AustraliaHeart Foundation

Governments roleWe know that healthy eating is a major way to

improve our health and maintain a healthy lifestyle. It also reduces costs associated with treating many diseases.

The Australian government addresses public health nutrition through health promotion activities.

They conduct surveys, provide standardised recommendations for nutrients, fund awareness programs and make laws for what people can say about their food.

Nutrition SurveysWhy? To monitor and assess what we are eating.

Once we know this, we can identify problems, fun appropriate programs and develop public policy that addresses these concerns.

We can monitor changes in eating habits over time, to measure the success of programs and modify.

Example: Finding – children in all age groups exceed recommended sodium intake.

Solution?Mandatory declaration of sodium contentEducation/awareness about recommended levelsTax on junk food

Quick Review – Name 3 Surveys1. National Children’s Nutrition and Physical

Activity Survey2. Food Consumption Survey3. National Nutrition Survey4. Healthy Food Basket Survey

National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NCNPA)

Specifically aimed at children. Why important?Addresses both exercise and food intake. Why?Age 5-16Participants recalled what they had eaten in

the last 24 hours.Participants wore pedometers to measure

incidental exercise. Why?

Food Consumption SurveyMeasures how much food is available.Measures consumption of different food

groups.Works on the ‘apparent consumption’ –

the amount of food being produced and sold divided by the amount of people.

Look at the graphs on ppp220-221. what can you say overall about the amount of food we have available to eat?

National Nutrition SurveyAll age groupsDetailed survey including physical

measurements, recall of food intake and profile of eating habits.

Compares what people are eating to RDI’sData from this survey can highlight

population groups at risk to enable special programs

Longitudinal capacity

Healthy Food Basket SurveyThe healthy food basket is a set selection of

healthy food that is typically available all over Australia. It contains the nutritional and energy requirements for a family of 6 for 2 weeks.

The survey involves testing to see how much this basket costs to purchase in different parts of the country.

The more it costs, the less likely you are to eat healthily.

Nutrition Surveys QuestionsUse the information from the previous slides

and your text book (pp216-223) to complete these questions;

1. Why do governments use nutrition surveys? What are their potential benefits?

2. Identify and describe 3 nutrition surveys – who are they aimed at, what do they aim to do, what benefits have they provided?

3. What limitations are there for using nutrition surveys?

Activity 8.31. Identify a major trend in Figure 8.9. A major trend in Figure 8.9 is that shopping for healthy food is more expensive the

further you are away from a major city.   2. What was the cost of a ‘healthy food basket’ for the state of Queensland? How

does this compare with the regions identified? The cost of a healthy food basket for the state of QLD was $457.46. It is average for

cities and regional areas but cheaper than outer region and remote areas.  3. Describe the impact the increased cost for food could have on the population

of the area with the highest cost. The impact the increased cost of food could have on the population of the area with the

highest cost is that being on a lower income already healthier food will become more expensive.

Activity 8.34. Referring to graph, identify foods that you think are nutritious and those

that you would consider less nutritious. Justify your answer. ..... Page 220-221? 5. What did the survey results indicate regarding the costs of the nutritious

and less nutritious foods? The survey results indicate that the price of healthy food has increased more than it’s

less nutritious alternatives.  6. Describe the impact of this on the health of the population group in the

region with the highest cost for the food basket. The region with the highest cost for the food basket is the very remote population

group, who have the least access to health care services, including doctors, specialists, hospitals, preventative health care and health screening, yet they will be eating the least nutritious foods because they are more affordable.

Nutrient reference values (NRVs) nutrients required on daily basis for physiological function

prevention of deficiency or chronic disease

Dietary Guidelines offer nutritional advice to target specific groups in the community

advice to reduce risk of diet-related disease

↓

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating based on the NRVs and the Dietary Guidelines

range of multicultural foods 5 groups based on nutrient content

recommends serve sizes improves knowledge and skills base for healthier diet

Nutrient Reference ValuesDetailed research into the requirements of

the human body.Reference to measure what we are putting

into our body against.NRV is the ‘amount of nutrients required on

an average daily basis for adequate physical functioning and the prevention of disease.

4 Reference valuesEAR – Estimated average requirement

Estimated to meet the needs of half the healthy individuals in a particular demographic.

RDI – recommended dietary intakeSufficient to meet the needs of nearly all

individuals in a demographic. As not everyone has the same needs, this figure accounts for a wider range of people

4 Reference valuesAI – adequate intake

Sometimes an RDI cannot be determined. When this is the case, the average intake of this nutrient is used.

UL – upper limitMost nutrients are useful but cannot be

consumed in unlimited quantities. UL is the most you can consume without increasing the risk of health problems.

Beneficial?Health professionals can use as a guide when

prescribing treatments.Meal planning by individuals or

organisations.Food labelling – people have informed

choices.Helps empower people. ______ model of

health.

LimitationsThey are recommendations for healthy

people. People already sick, elderly and infants or people with special needs need individual advice.

Designed to be used by health professionals, not individuals as they are very detailed and require some knowledge of nutrition.

Complete activity 8.4

Activity 8.41. Using the data in this table, compare the intake of the eight-year-old

female (with a high activity level) with the RDIs. Identify nutrients that the child is deficient in, and those that she is having an excess of.

  According to the table, nutrients the child is deficient in are: Vitamin C - less than the RDI Calcium – almost half the RDI Calcium – less than half of the RDI CHO % of total energy intake – only 60% of RDI   Nutrients the child is consuming in excess are: Protein – in excess of 2.5 times the RDI Thiamin – Almost twice the RDI Niacin – 2.5 times the RDI Vitamin A – Nearly 9 times the RDI Fat % of total energy intake – almost two times the RDI

Activity 8.42. Consider the functions of the nutrients for which the girl is deficient. Describe

the possible consequences of these deficiencies if they occur regularly.

A regular lack of vitamin C may result in: Increase in colds Increase in infections Slow wound healing Lack of energy due to less effective iron absorption

A regular lack of calcium may result in: Less growth and strengthening of bones Less ability for the body to build strong teeth Risk of developing osteoporosis

A lack of carbohydrates will result in: Tiredness or fatigue Poor mental function Lack of stamina

A lack of carbohydrates will result in:•Tiredness or fatigue•Poor mental function•Lack of stamina

A lack of carbohydrates will result in:•Tiredness or fatigue•Poor mental function•Lack of stamina

Activity 8.43. Identify appropriate food sources for the

vitamins and minerals for which the girl is deficient.

Examples of food sources that could improve the girl’s deficiencies are:

dairy foods - such as milk, yoghurt and cheese

fruits and vegetables – such as oranges, broccoli, tomatoes and capsicum

A lack of carbohydrates will result in:•Tiredness or fatigue•Poor mental function•Lack of stamina

A lack of carbohydrates will result in:•Tiredness or fatigue•Poor mental function•Lack of stamina

Activity 8.44. Referring to appendices relating to the Nutrient Reference Values on the Student CD.a) Identify the changes in recommended quantities that occur as the girl continues through the lifespan. Protein – the RDI for protein increases as a girl moves through the lifespan and increases further during pregnancy and lactation  Fibre – the RDI for fibre increases as a girl moves through the lifespan and increases further during pregnancy and lactation Vitamin C – the RDI for Vitamin C increases as a girl moves through the lifespan and increases further during pregnancy and lactation Vitamin A – the RDI for Vitamin A increases as a girl moves through the lifespan and increases further during pregnancy and lactation Iron – the RDI for Iron increases as a girl moves through the lifespan, until the age of 50 years when it decreases. The RDI for iron increases significantly during

pregnancy and falls significantly during lactation. Iodine – The RDI for Iodine increases slightly at aged 15 and remains constant throughout the rest of the life span. There is also a significant increase in the RDI

for iodine during pregnancy and a further increase during lactation. Calcium – The RDI for calcium decreases between the ages of 19 and 50 when in again increases to 1300mg b) Define each of the abbreviations that are used in the Nutrient Reference Values. RDI – Recommended dietary intakeUL – Upper level of intakeAI – Adequate intakeEAR – Estimated Average Requirement  c) Referring to the website with the Nutrient Reference Values, is the girl above the ‘upperintake limit’ for any of the nutrients? Why might this be a problem for her health? Niacin – she exceeds the UL for Niacin by 5mgVitamin A – she exceeds the RDI for Vitamin A by 2600mgProtein – she exceeds the RDI by 30 g, however no UL provided

Government ProgramsAustralian Guide to Healthy Eating

Dietary Guidelines

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE)• Funded by Commonwealth

Department of Health and Family Services and was first published in 1998.

• Aim is to help people understand the relationship between nutrients and food, so they have the necessary knowledge to choose a healthy diet.

• Provides general information that can be used by population as a whole rather than specific conditions.

AGHE

AGHEDivides foods into 5 main food groups and

provides 4 main recommendations; Eat from each food group each day; Choose a variety of foods from within each food

group; Lots of plant based foods, moderate animal based

foods, and minimal human constructed foods. Drink lots of water.

Do these sound general, and easy to remember, or specific and complicated.

What do you think the benefits and limitations of this program are?

Benefits/LimitationsBenefits

Applies to everybodyEasy to remember the recommendationsContains information about quantities of each

foodVisual – easy to digest

LimitationsNot specific to individuals, age groups, ethinic

groups, activity levels etc.

Dietary GuidelinesGuidelines have been

developed by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for the past two decades.

Most recent guidelines published in 2003.

Aims to promote benefits of healthy living and eating. Distils into 4 guidelines that allow you to be a healthy adult.

What are the Guidelines?Enjoy a wide range of nutritious foods

Same ideas as AGHE.Be physically active and balance energy input

and output.Care for your food

Food bourne illnesses are common.Encourage and support breast-feeding.

- Best nutritional start to life.

NHMRC is currently reviewing the following:Core food groups: The scientific basis for

developing nutrition education tools (1994)Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults (2003)Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

incorporating the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers (2003)

Dietary Guidelines for Older Australians (1999)The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (1998)In addition, NHMRC is developing new dietary

guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women

Benefits/LimitationsBenefits

More than just what to eat. Involves what to do with our food as well as managing food intake and output – more holistic.

Much more detail than AGHE – explains why we need to do certain things.

Age appropriateLimitations

Less accessible – harder/more effort to understand

Food Standards LegislationThe government is responsible for

ensuring the country has a safe food supply.

There are rules for farming, manufacturing, recalling food, monitoring imports and labelling.

Ain Australia, we have a Food Standards Code, which aims to;Protects public safety,Provides information to consumersPrevents misleading and deceptive conduct

Food standards code.To sell something as ‘food’, there is a

minimum standard of quality which must be reached.

Each type of food has a particular set of standards which cover, microorganism levels, nutritional content, and labelling requirements.

Food labellingAny food product must contain a list of

information. Name/description of the food Name and address of manufacturer Allergy warnings and advice Ingredients list Net weight Nutritional info panel Used by or best before date Country of origin Lot number Percentage labelling Food additives

Your turn!What do you think would happen if these laws

were not in place?What would the effects of this be?How do these laws promote healthy eating?Educates/empowers people – gives us controlEg.

Kid has allergy. Parent only buys food with no nuts.

Person is counting calories – allows them to monitor intake

Person has iron deficiency

ExamplesKid has allergy. Parent only buys food with no

nuts.Person is counting calories – allows them to

monitor intakePerson has iron deficiency – needs to eat

foods high in iron.

Write down one way that you could use food labelling to improve your own health.

Nutrient and Health ClaimsTo sell food, people need a reason to buy it.

Often food will be promoted as either tasty, cheap, healthy or a combination of these.

Your cereal may say ‘calcium is good for strong bones’, which is true. This is a nutrient claim and is allowed.Why would the cereal box say this?What do you think about the cereal without reading

anything else?What else should you read on the box?How can the government restrict claims like this?

Examples of nutrient claimsOnce you put a claim on your food, their are

nutritional requirements you need to reach.To say ‘low cholesterol’ you must have less than

20mg per 100g of food.Many food companies attempt to deceive us,

which is why these requirements are in place.‘light’ can mean light in colour, not fat.Food is advertised as ‘fat free’ because it has lots

of sugar.Because nutrient are permitted they are difficult

to control.

Health claimsHealth claims tell us that if we eat the food,

we will have a decreased rick of certain diseases.

To say this – there must be clear, proven, reliable evidence that this is true.

As this is much more complicated, there is only one health claim allowed – the benefit of folate during pregnancay to protect against defects.

TPSDiscuss the Think Pair Share on p245 with

the person next to you?

The role of non-government organisations in promoting healthy eatingNon-government organisations (NGOs) provide:

• advice and information to improve eating habits• services to improve healthy eating

Some NGOs have a vested interest in changing dietary patterns (such as the Australian Dairy Corporation).

Other NGOs receive government funding, which means that their policies must be in line with those of the government.

Non-government ProgramsNon-government agencies are funded largely

by private donations. While governments are concerned with everybody, non-government organisations are funded by people with specific interests, so they target specific causes

Examples include – cancer council, Australian Dieticians Association diabetes Australia, Nutrition Australia, Heart Foundation

What do you think each of these organisations tries to do?

Nutrition AustraliaFounded in 1979 to promote educate about

nutrition using scientifically based information.

Offers services like funding for research, seminars, consults with food industry, menu assessments

Developed the Healthy Living Pyramid.

Healthy Living Pyramid

BenefitsVery easy to interpret and remember. Even if

you are too busy to try and manage individual nutrients, everyone can remember three groups of food and ‘eat most, moderately and least’.

Based on dietary guideline – simplifies it.Pictorial – foods can be swapped depending

on audience.Incorporates exercise.

LimitationsNo serving sizes – people can still eat too

much or not enough.Because it is simplified, it is difficult to place

some combination foods. A fruit tart could go in eat most because of the fruit or in eat least because of the fat and sugar.

Heart FoundationAims to improve heart health and reduce

disability and death from heart disease.Promotes and conducts research for prevention

and treatmentPromoting and influencing behaviour to improve

heat health. Also produce publications.Their message is;

Enjoy healthy eatingBe activeDon’t smokeGo to the doctor

Tick ProgramThe Heart Foundation tick of approval is

printed on foods that are low in nutrients that promote heart disease and high in one that reduce it.

What could these beLow saturated fat, trans fat, energy, saltHigh fibre, calcium

What effects do you think the tick has had on food quality?

BenefitsEasy to identify foods that are more healthy –

without having to specifically read nutrition info – someone we trust has done the work for us!

Often we have a selection of items in the same category. The one with the tick usually represents a healthier choice.

It is now a well known institution. People care about their health and will purchase the tick product. Manufacturers are changing their products to conform to the standards so they can print the tick, which makes them healthier for us.

LimitationsCommercial investment requiredHealthier options without tick?

Research another NGO that promotes health and write a report detailing how they promote healthy eating.

Include information on the use and limitations of the programs and support they provide.

You must also include contact information and highlight who this organisation is targeting their message and services at.