Overview

The food and beverages we eat and drink (our diet) play an important role in our overall health and wellbeing. Diets that provide insufficient or excessive amounts of energy, nutrients and other components can result in ill health. Health conditions that are often affected by our diet include overweight and obesity, coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer and type 2 diabetes.

More reports and statistics on food & nutrition can be found under Physical activity and Overweight & obesity.

Latest findings

It was 30% more expensive to buy basic nutritious foods in rural and remote areas than in capital cities in 2006 Neural tube defects fell by 14% following mandatory folic acid fortification of bread in Australia 936kg of food waste was produced per household per year, based on data from 2006–07 4 out of 5 evening meals were home cooked in an average week in 2009 15% of babies were exclusively breastfed at 6 months in 2010 Iodine intakes in women aged 16–44 increased by 52% following mandatory iodine fortification of bread in Australia Neural tube defects in Indigenous women fell by 74% following mandatory folic acid fortification of bread in Australia Iodine intakes in children aged 2–3 increased by 29% following mandatory iodine fortification of bread in Australia

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Highlights