• issue no. 34, November 2012
• previous issues

From paddock to plate: a new take on food & nutrition

Some of the challenges facing our food and nutrition system include rising rates of obesity, food security and unequal distribution of food, environmental concerns and nutrition-related disease.

The AIHW’s much-anticipated Australia’s food & nutrition 2012 report takes a ‘big picture’ approach to these challenges while looking at everything from food supply and distribution, to consumption and health outcomes.

The report was launched by Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King, at the 2012 World Congress of the International Federation for Home Economics.

‘Food is fundamental to our overall health and wellbeing’, said report author Ann Hunt.

‘So it’s important that we have a good understanding of the various components that influence and affect our food choices and ultimately our own health, the environment and the global community.’

In examining these key components the report also highlights some of the major issues challenging our food and nutrition system today, both within Australia and worldwide.

Australians are getting fatter

Rates of people who are overweight and obese are continuing to rise in Australia and we currently have one of the highest obesity rates in the world. In 2007– 08, 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 12 children were obese. ‘The report shows that many Australians are not striking a balance between foods high in fat and sugar and more nutritious choices, and this is leading to increasing rates of overweight and obesity’, Ms Hunt said.

More than 9 in 10 people aged 16 and over don’t eat the recommended 5 serves of vegetables per day, and 50% don’t eat enough fruit per day.

Most adults and children have higher energy intakes from total sugars and saturated fat than recommended. ‘Treat’ or ‘extra’ foods—such as takeaway items, crisps, sweet biscuits, cakes and pastries, confectionery, soft drinks and alcohol— contribute 36% of energy intake for adults and 41% for children. In addition, both adults and children exceeded the maximum recommended intake from total sugars (20%) and combined saturated and trans fats (10%).

Regular physical activity is also associated with maintaining a healthy weight. However, less than half of the population (40%) exercise at sufficient levels to obtain benefits to their health, as defined by national guidelines.

Australians are suffering from more diet-related chronic diseases

Poor dietary choices increase the risk of developing many chronic diseases. These include coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, some forms of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, dental caries, gall bladder disease, dementia and nutritional anaemias (lack of haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying component of the blood, in red blood cells).

'Chronic diseases are a major cause of death and disability in Australia and their prevalence is steadily increasing’, Ms Hunt said.

‘Improving the nutritional status of Australians can play an important role in reducing the incidence or severity of many chronic diseases.’
Evidence shows that people who have diets high in vegetables, fruit and legumes have a lower risk of developing certain health conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and
Type 2 diabetes.

Over-nutrition (in the form of overweight and obesity) now competes with tobacco smoking as a major contributor to national and international ill health.

Global obesity and under-nutrition

The current global food system feeds more than 6 billion people, but not all equally.

In theory, the world currently produces enough food (in terms of kilojoules) to sufficiently feed the entire population, provided it is distributed equitably. However, more than 925 million people don’t have access to sufficient food, mainly due to poverty, while more than 1.6 billion people are overweight and at least 400 million people are obese.

‘Under-nutrition isn’t the only food-related problem faced by developing countries’, Ms Hunt said.

‘As countries become more developed, there is a shift in eating and physical activity patterns, characterised by people eating more fat, sugar and processed foods, and becoming more sedentary, leading to increases in overweight and obesity. For example, 8 out of the 10 countries with the greatest increases in obesity are developing or newly industrialised nations.’

Some developing countries have increasing rates of obesity, yet still struggle with high rates of under-nutrition.

Future global food security

By 2050 the world’s population will be around 9.3 billion, and forecasters predict that food production will need to double to support this many people.

And with increasing numbers of people living in cities, not only will food demand increase overall, the types of food demanded will alter.

‘Globally, urban dwellers generally eat more meat, fruit and vegetables, whereas rural dwellers eat more cereals, tubers and roots’, Ms Hunt said.

In 2011, more than half of the world’s population lived in urban areas—a shift from the 1950s when the figure was less than 30%.

Global environmental challenges

Global food production depends on land, water and energy to produce, process and distribute food. Land for food production is diminishing due to changing land use such as urbanisation, mining and biofuel production. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and increasing water scarcity are further challenges facing the food supply system.

Agriculture and food production are also closely linked to climate change. Despite advances in farming practices, weather and climate are still major factors in determining productivity.

And with up to half of all food produced worldwide being wasted, landfill areas are rapidly expanding.

‘Food waste isn’t just leftover food on our plates’, Ms Hunt said.

‘It includes all food and resources, for example, water and fuel which are used in the food production and distribution process.’

Each year, Australian households throw out about $600 of food on average, and nationally we waste about $5 billion of food.

The largest category of food thrown away in dollar terms is fruit and vegetables (just over $1.1 billion per year), closely followed by restaurant and takeaway food, and then meat and fish.