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Australia is falling behind different international locations in addressing the unhealthy state of our diets.
Several different international locations, together with the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico, have lately taken main steps to assist enhance inhabitants diet and stop weight problems.
But our newest evaluation, launched as a part of the International Congress on Obesity, has discovered main holes in Australian authorities coverage relative to worldwide greatest apply, with restricted coverage progress up to now 5 years.
What we assessed?
Our evaluation of the federal authorities included a scorecard of how Australia goes in 50 coverage areas for addressing unhealthy diets. These coverage areas embrace key influences on what we purchase and what we eat, together with insurance policies that have an effect on the value and affordability of various meals, the forms of meals out there, how meals is labelled, and the way in which meals is promoted.
We labored intently with authorities officers to doc present motion in every coverage space. We then assessed how present insurance policies in comparison with worldwide benchmarks.
Finally, we made suggestions to deal with the gaps, prioritising them primarily based on their relative significance and feasibility. Eighty-four specialists from 37 organisations participated within the evaluation and prioritisation course of.
Read extra:
No, it’s not only a lack of management that makes Australians chubby. Here’s what’s driving our unhealthy meals habits
How does Australia evaluate to different international locations?
We discovered implementation of worldwide beneficial insurance policies for bettering inhabitants diets and addressing weight problems in Australia falls far in need of worldwide greatest apply.
There has been solely restricted coverage progress in Australia up to now 5 years.
Areas the place Australia is doing effectively
One of the one areas the place Australia fared effectively was within the space of meals labelling, the place a few of the laws relating to ingredient lists, diet data panels and well being claims was rated among the many greatest on the planet.
The different space that scored Australia prime marks is that the GST doesn’t apply to recent fruit and greens, which helps decrease their costs relative to different much less wholesome merchandise.
What are different international locations doing higher?
Several different international locations have applied insurance policies to restrict the advertising of unhealthy meals and make it simpler for individuals to decide on more healthy choices.
Countries in Latin America are main the way in which globally. Chile has put in place complete restrictions on TV promoting for unhealthy meals, conspicuous warning labels on the packaging of unhealthy merchandise, in addition to taxes on sugary drinks. Mexico has related insurance policies.
The warning labels on this product offered in Chile point out it’s excessive in power (energy), sugar, saturated fat and sodium (salt).
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Elsewhere on the planet, greater than 50 international locations now have taxes on sugary drinks. There is obvious proof these taxes have decreased consumption of the taxed merchandise, whereas additionally incentivising tender drink producers to cut back the sugar content material of their drinks.
Several different governments are taking sturdy motion to guard youngsters from publicity to advertising of unhealthy meals. As an instance, the United Kingdom is ready to ban advertisements for unhealthy meals on-line, and on TV earlier than 9pm from 2024. Canada has related legal guidelines earlier than their parliament.
The UK additionally simply launched main modifications to how supermarkets function. Laws that got here into impact this month imply unhealthy merchandise can now not be displayed in distinguished in-store places, similar to store entrances and checkout areas.
In addition, the UK has proposed a ban on worth reductions on unhealthy meals, though implementation stays unsure with the current change in authorities management.
Several different progressive insurance policies are in place internationally. For instance, in some elements of Mexico, retailers can’t promote unhealthy meals to youngsters. And in Argentina, there are legal guidelines dictating most sodium (salt) content material in a spread of merchandise.
Read extra:
Sugary drinks tax is working – now it is time to goal muffins, biscuits and snacks
How unhealthy are Australian diets?
Unhealthy diets and weight problems are the main contributors to poor well being in Australia.
Less than 7% of individuals in Australia devour a nutritious diet in step with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
Nearly 65% of Australian adults, and 25% of Australian youngsters are chubby or overweight.
While there isn’t good information on how these statistics have modified up to now few years, issues have seemingly received worse because the begin of the COVID pandemic.
Unless we see complete authorities motion to enhance inhabitants diets, there shall be monumental well being and monetary prices to people, communities and the financial system general.
Read extra:
BMI is underestimating weight problems in Australia, waist circumference must be measured too
What actions ought to Australia take?
Federal authorities coverage motion is required to enhance inhabitants diets and deal with weight problems. This consists of:
defending youngsters from publicity to the advertising of unhealthy meals and drinks via complete and constant nationwide laws
implementing a well being levy on sugar-sweetened drinks (a sugar tax) and different unhealthy meals, whereas addressing the affordability of wholesome meals
bettering meals labelling by mandating the Health Star Rating scheme and requiring warning labels on merchandise excessive in added sugar, sodium (salt) and/or saturated fats.
What’s holding us again?
In the previous 12 months, the previous federal authorities launched key methods on this space, together with the National Preventive Health Strategy (2021-2030) and the National Obesity Strategy (2022-2032). But this has but to lead to any modifications on the bottom.
Critically, there’s sturdy help from the Australian neighborhood for governments to impose increased requirements on advertising to help youngsters’s well being and wellbeing. More than 75% of Australians additionally again warning labels on unhealthy meals.
It is promising to see momentum constructing round a legislative ban on the advertising of unhealthy meals and drinks to youngsters.
But it’s now time for the federal authorities to catch as much as the remainder of the world and implement significant coverage change to assist Australians enhance their diets.
Gary Sacks receives funding from the the National Heart Foundation of Australia, National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council and VicHealth.
Davina Mann doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that may profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their tutorial appointment.
